Nilanjana ‘Buju’ Dasgupta Discusses New Book with Media
Content


Nilanjana "Buju" Dasgupta, provost professor of psychological and brain sciences in the College of Natural Sciences, is out with a new book—Change the Wallpaper: Transforming Cultural Patterns to Build More Just Communities, published by Yale Press—which offers a science-driven approach to achieving social change. Dasgupta argues that small changes to the “wallpaper,” the local cultures around us, are far more effective in producing structural change locally than seeking change through bias awareness training, symbolic acts, or relying solely on good intentions.
As Change the Wallpaper gains attention, publications, podcasts, and other outlets have reached out to Dasgupta to discuss the book and related topics.
Writing in The Hill, Dasgupta contends that "decades of social psychological research show that neither [a] conservative nor liberal approach will solve the problem of bias reduction or greater inclusion." It is through real conversations with people who are different from us that "empathy, 'aha' moments, and interracial friendships" become possible.
In Psychology Today, Dasgupta writes that the results of the November election show that Americans of different income levels and social classes don’t understand each other: “If we want to change our country for the better, we need to step out of our bubbles and walk into new local spaces where we mix with people who are different from us.”
Ms. Magazine published an article in which Dasgupta considers how we move forward in the Trump administration's dramatically changed political and legislative climate, and what actions will have a fighting chance of getting traction.
WAMC's The Roundtable brought Dasgupta together with Executive Director of the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York Nic Rangel and Albany Law School Professor Sarah Rogerson to discuss how we can build more just communities.
On Utah Public Radio's UnDisciplined, Dasgupta argues that "our bottom-up approach to DEI training is likely ineffective, but there are simple, straight-forward and research-based steps that actually work to create more equitable institutions."
In an episode of The Strategy Skills Podcast, Dasgupta delves into her career journey and her pioneering work in implicit bias and diversity science. She reflects on her landmark 2001 study, which revealed that exposure to counter-stereotypical media images could shift implicit attitudes. She also discusses "the importance of understanding and addressing subtle forms of discrimination, such as accent and social class, in professional settings," and advocates for "evidence-based strategies over diversity training to foster inclusive cultures."
On the podcast Better Known, Dasgupta argues that "diversity training doesn’t change people’s behavior nor the organizations in which they work"; contends that "our behaviour is shaped by situational forces more often than our personal beliefs"; and presents other positions related to structural change.
Content will be added to this page as more media engagements with Nilanjana Dasgupta become available.