Think Structurally, Act Individually
Racial Sympathy and Political Behavior
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6357583 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jennifer Chudy (Wellesley College, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 55 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 168-194 |
| Publication date | 2023-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Polity (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0032-3497 • E-ISSN: 1744-1684 |
| Publisher | University of Chicago Press (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1086/722820 |
| OpenAlex | W4309827712 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 7 |
| References cited | 22 |
Racial sympathy, defined as white distress over Black suffering, is an influential, but understudied, force in American politics. This paper considers the behavioral consequences of racial sympathy. How does racial sympathy manifest into political behavior? To answer this question, I conduct a series of in-depth interviews with racial justice activists; these white Americans are unusually, deeply, and genuinely invested in eradicating Black suffering. Many also recognize the role that institutions and politics play in perpetuating racial inequality. However, many activists propose individual-level solutions, such as tolerance classes, eliminating prejudice at home, and empathizing with individual Black people, eschewing the importance of electoral politics. I complement the qualitative interviews with results from a national study of white Americans. Ultimately, I argue that white Americans' emphasis on personal activities may limit the political impact of racial sympathy
Criminology · Political science · Politics · Prejudice (legal term · Racism · Sociology · Sympathy · White (mutation · Electoral Systems and Political Participation · Gender Studies · Law · Psychology · Social and Cultural Dynamics · Social and Intergroup Psychology · Social Psychology
Collective Narcissism and Perceptions of the Severity of Racism Among White and Black Americans
Police leaders’ support for civilian oversight and implicit bias training
Inhabiting the White Church
Sacred For Whom? Race Ideology and Reactions to January 6th
Response to Polity Symposium
On The Edge
Principle-Policy and Principle-Personal Gaps in Americans' Diversity Attitudes
Follow the Leader?
The Government-Citizen Disconnect
Fire in the HeartHow White Activists Embrace Racial Justice
Prejudice and Politics
With All Due Caution
The content of their coverage
Racial Sympathy and Its Political Consequences
The Changing Norms of Racial Political Rhetoric and the End of Racial Priming
Case Selection Techniques in Case Study Research
The Minimal Cue Hypothesis
Racial Prejudice, Partisanship, and White Turnout in Elections with Black Candidates
The Centrality of Race in American Politics
Placing Racial Stereotypes in Context
The Role of Social Groups in Political Thinking
Individualization
Framing responsibility for political issues
Self-monitoring
"Whites' Opposition to "Busing
Cues that Matter
| Unique citing works | 7 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1,75 |
| Citation span | 2022 - 2026 (5) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 6 |