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Sussex disowns racist professor

Sussex University, home of the global site, has been scandalised by the comments of computing professor, Geoffrey Sampson, on his personal website. Publicised in national newspapers (see Anger over Tory who sees nothing wrong with racism), they have led to Sampson's resignation as a Conservative local councillor in the neighbouring town of Lewes.

The University has dissociated itself from his views in a statement by the Vice-chancellor and Sussex psychologists have attacked their rationale (see below). Sampson has withdrawn the offending statement from his site but it has been re-published on the discussion site, digitalagora.com: see There's Nothing Wrong With Racism (Except the Name).

Psychologists attack 'rationalization of racism'

We wish to condemn the statements of Professor Geoffrey Sampson, who, in his position as a Professor at Sussex University, has publicly justified racism ('Anger over Tory who sees nothing wrong with racism', The Guardian, Saturday May 11 2002). Sampson's views stand in stark contrast to moves towards widening access to, and ensuring equality of opportunities within, Higher Education. Sampson's justifications, as stated on his website and in the media, are based on a discredited pseudo-psychology:

(1) Current research and theory in psychology and biology suggests that there is no genetic basis for 'racial' categories. What counts as ('racial') similarity or dissimilarity is socially, culturally and historically constructed.

(2) The use of biological arguments for genetic self-interest to naturalize and reify supposed preferences for those who are 'similar' to ourselves thereby fails. Moreover, history and contemporary research is replete with examples of solidarities which cannot plausibly be reduced to explanations in terms of genetic commonalities (as well as group conflicts which cannot plausibly be explained in terms of race, even were there a genetic basis for this construct).

(3) Research does not support the view that different 'races' have different average levels of general intelligence. Available research on IQ differences has not adequately controlled for differences in environmental circumstances. It remains unclear, therefore, what factors lead to group differences in IQ scores. Sampson's view does not reflect evidence-based theory in psychology.

Contrary to Sampson's claims, it is not the mixing of 'different peoples' that is inherently dangerous, but the use by academics of arguments which indicate that racism is natural and inevitable.

We the undersigned think that it is deplorable that a University professor, who is in a position of power among students of different backgrounds, should be actively involved in the rationalization of racism.

Prof Charles Abraham

Dr Helga Dittmar

Dr John Drury

Dr Donna Jessop

Prof Peter Smith

Dr Viv Vignoles

all at Social Psychology, University of Sussex

Dr Clifford Stott

Dept of Psychology, University of Liverpool

Dr Steve Reicher

School of Psychology, University of St Andrews