Variability in the Inter‐group Attitudes of White Children

What We Can Learn from Their Ethnic Identity Labels

Bibliographic Data

ID12686243
AuthorsChristia S Brown (0000-0001-5161-0077, University of Kentucky, corresponding author), Agnieszka Spatzier (University of California, Los Angeles), Mollie Tobin (University of California, Los Angeles)
Year2010
Volume19
Issue4
Pages758-778
Publication date2010-01-12
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSocial Development (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1467-9507 • E-ISSN: 0961-205X
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/j.1467-9507.2009.00571.x
OpenAlexW1935648950
LanguageEN
Citations received10
References cited54

The current study examined the ethnic identity of White (N = 120), Latino (N = 87), and African‐American (N = 65) children and early adolescents (aged = 9–14 years), with an emphasis on whether the specific ethnic label White children used to describe themselves might reflect differences in their inter‐group attitudes and whether those differences mirror group differences between White children and children in ethnic minority groups. Results indicated that White children who identified with a minority label (i.e., White biracial, hyphenated American, ethnic/cultural/religious label) had more positive ethnic identities, were more aware of discrimination, and were less likely to show biases in their perceived similarity to in‐group and out‐group peers than youth who identified as White or American. In many instances, White children who identified with a minority label did not differ from ethnic minority youth. In addition, although all participants were more positive about their ethnic in‐group than out‐groups, children who identified their ethnicity as American were less positive about out‐groups relative to other children. Taken together, the findings indicate that children's self‐chosen ethnic identity is as important as their ascribed ethnic or racial identity in predicting their inter‐group attitudes

Developmental psychology · Ethnic group · Identity (music · Race (biology · Sociology · White (mutation · Critical Race Theory in Education · Gender Studies · Psychology · Racial and Ethnic Identity Research · Social and Intergroup Psychology · Social Psychology

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