Contextual Factors Related to Color-blind Racial Ideology Acceptance among African American students
Color-blind racial ideology (CBRI) is the set of beliefs that strive to lessen and/or disregard the presence and significance of race or racism in our society (Neville, Coleman, Falconer, & Holmes, 2005). This ideology reflects the denial of racism on structural or ideological levels within the United States (Neville, Spanierman, & Worthington, 2001). White Americans and racial minorities in our society can adopt this ideology. However, there is little known about African Americans' acceptance and expression of racial color-blindness. The present study investigated the contextual factors related to the endorsement of CBRI among undergraduate African American students. We identified contextual factors (e.g., class background, racial composition of childhood neighborhood and high school, racial group membership of friends, sex, and ethnic identity) that were related to color-blind racial ideology acceptance among African American students. CBRI acceptance among African American students was related to younger adults, lower exploration of one's ethnic identity, and a greater number of out-group friends. Geographical location limited the generalizability of the findings.
School:
Yale University
Department:
Sociology
Research Advisor:
Helen Neville
Department of Research Advisor:
Educational Psychology
Year of Publication:
2005