Are stereotypes intrinsically erroneous? Do they have pragmatic value? What constitutes an adequate social judgement? These and other questions are answered in this ambitious book, which both advances a novel perspective and provides a coherent overview of key arguments and empirical developments in research on stereotypes. Following a definition of stereotypes, the authors cover a wide range of literatures and theoretical perspectives to present a comprehensive critique of the subject. The text - which has a preface by Susan Fiske - reviews the classical work on psychodynamic and authoritarian theories through to contemporary sociocultural research. Additionally, the authors offer a close analysis of key theoretical approaches including social identity theory, social cognition and self-categorization theory, and explore relevant cross-cultural issues.