Transcript Slide 1

“Mommy, Is Everything Black Bad?”
What Parents Tell Their Children About Race
Stephanie I. Coard, Ph.D.
University of North Carolina-Greensboro
Kenice Mobley and Kim Pasamonte
North Carolina Central University
Presentation at NCCU Department of Psychology
2006 Fall Lecture Series
Observation Methods
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Mainstream observation methods/coding
schemes
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Used for direct observation of family social
interaction/parent-child dyad interaction
Observe specific behavior useful to researcher
Direct observation has advantages over parentreport/child-report measures
Observation Methods-cont.
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Examples of mainstream observational
methods/coding schemes
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Dyadic Parent-Child Interaction Coding System-II
(DPICS-II)
Parent-Child Observation Guide (PCOG)
Nursing Child Assessment Satellite Training
(NCAST) Teaching Scale (NCAT)
Observation Methods in
African American Families
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How accurate are these methods assess parentchild interactions in African American
families?
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Focused on presumed mainstream or universal
definitions of practices and behaviors
What is being missed or misinterpreted in
coding culturally-specific communication in
African American families?
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Racial socialization—a cultural-specific interaction
Racial Socialization in
African American Families
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The process by which messages are
transmitted inter- and intragenerationally regarding the significance
and meaning of race and ethnicity.
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Involves teaching children values and
norms associated with race/ethnicity, and
problem-solving skills that enable
children to be flexible in their approach
to race-related situations, without losing
a core sense of self.
Coard, S. & Sellers, R. African American families as a context for racial socialization. (2005) In V. McLoyd, N. Hill and K. Dodge, (eds.) Emerging
Issues In African-American Family Life: Context, Adaptation, and Policy. New York: Guildford Press.
Stevenson, H., Winn, D.M., Walker-Barnes, C. & Coard, S. Style Matters: Towards a culturally relevant framework for interventions with African
American families (2005) In V. McLoyd, N. Hill and K. Dodge, (eds.) Emerging Issues In African-American Family Life: Context, Adaptation, and
Policy. New York: Guildford Press.
Racial Socialization Themes Identified
Thornton (1997)
Spencer (1983)
Racial pride
Concerns about educational success
Black heritage
Childrearing about race, racism, and discrimination
Good citizenship/moral virtues
Childrearing about gender concerns
Achievement/hardwork
Knowledge of Black history for child and parent
Acceptance of one’s race
Childrearing about civil rights
Presence of blacked opportunities
Boykin & Toms (1985)
Religious opportunities
Mainstream societal values
Peaceful coexistence with Whites
Minority status
Acceptance of self (non-race-related)
Black cultural context
Peters (1985)
Jeter (1994)
Teaching children to survive
Self-respect and pride
Nonreciprocality of fair play
Getting a good education
Pro-dominant culture socialization
Pro-ethnic cultural socialization
Confounded cultural socialization
Raceless culture socialization
Bowman & Howard (1985)
Racial barriers
Self-development
Ethnic pride
Egalitarianism
Stevenson (1994b)
Spiritual and religious coping
Extended family caring
Cultural pride reinforcement
Racism awareness teaching
Hughes & Chen (1999)
Cultural socialization
Preparation for future bias
Promoting racial mistrust
Egalitarianism
Stevenson (2003)
Discrimination alertness
Antagonism coping
Cultural pride reinforcement
Cultural legacy appreciation
Mainstream fitting
Coard, Wallace, et al., (2004)
Racism preparation
Racial equality
Racial achievement
Racial pride
Complexities of Racial Socialization
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Synergistic and dynamic
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Bi-directional process
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Deliberate and unintended
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Transmission and reception
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Moderated by family and ecological
characteristics
Racial Socialization and Child
Outcomes: Empirical Findings
Racial Competence
Academic Achievement
Self-Efficacy
Self-Esteem
Behavioral Competence
Delinquency
Drug Abuse
Model of Racial Socialization
Frequency of Message
Processes (Coard, 2003)
Frequently Used
Routine aspect of parenting
Moderated by family characteristics
Content of Messages
Racial
Socialization
Racial Preparation (83%)
Racial Pride (93%)
Racial Equality (86%)
Racial Achievement (67%)
Mode/Delivery of
Messages
Active
Responsive
Passive
Coard, S. & Wallace, S., & Stevenson, H. & Miller Brotman, L. (2004). Towards culturally competent preventive interventions: The consideration
of racial socialization in parent training with African American families. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 13 (3), 277-293.
Parental Approaches to teaching racerelated content
(Coard, Wallace, Stevenson, Miller, 2002)
Active: parent initiated race-related teachings of their
child for the purpose of preparing the child for cultural
growth and providing a “buffer” to societal injustices.
Responsive: Use of racial socialization in direct response
to a child-initiated interaction (e.g., questions raised by
child) or situation initiated (e.g., social exclusion, racial
conflict) in an attempt to provide a culturally affirming
resolution.
Passive: Parent’s underutilization of racial socialization
despite knowing its importance.
Why is Racial Socialization
Important?
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It influences a children’s beliefs about the
way the world works.
It informs children’s beliefs and attitudes
regarding ‘the self.
It helps shape children’s’ repertoire of
strategies and skills for coping with racism.
It impacts the nature of the child’s’ interand intra-racial relationships and
interactions.
Racial Socialization Assessment
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Parent-report and/or child-report formats
Focus is on older children (8 yrs and up)
The Afrocentric Home Environment Inventory
(AHEI) (Caughy, Randolph, & Campo, 2002)
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Can be used with younger children
Home scale/parent survey, not parent-child observation
There is a need for direct observation methods in
assessing African American parenting
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Need to consider racial socialization processes
Racial Socialization
Measurement Needs
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Utilize longitudinal approaches
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Employ multiple methods
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Qualitative interviews and focus groups
Observational assessments
Questionnaires and checklists
Event sampling frameworks
Use multiple informants into the
socialization process
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Messages sent and messages received
The Parent-Child Race-Related
Observational Measure (PC-ROM)
(Coard & Wallace, 2001*)
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Measurement development goals:
 Acceptable to parents and young children (time and content)
 Use in home or clinical settings
 Use as sole measure or addition to parent-report methods
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PC-ROM is a parent-child observational measure of race-related communication
and interaction (racial socialization)
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25 minutes
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Four Segments
 Book Choice (3 min)
 Story Time (8 min)
 Doll Play (6 min)
 Chit Chat (8 min)
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Parent and child’s behavioral responses recorded by hand
* initial development begun
Methods
Sample
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N=52 parent-child dyads
Mean age caregiver = 36.4 5; Mean age child = 5 yrs, 3 mos
Primarily mothers; children: 60% boys; 40% girls
Self-defined as Black and African American; strict definition
Recruited from schools, community agencies located in low
income neighborhoods
Procedures
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PC-ROM administered by trained African American interviewers
Conducted in playroom/classroom setting equipped with audio
and video-taping system
Book Choice - Parents
N=52
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Bright Eyes, Brown Skin (Black only) = 58%
Courtney’s Birthday (Diverse) = 38%
Friends (White only) = 4%
Story time
(N=30)
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Make story on own (book choice)
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Mainstream/universal approach even if the book
was the “Black” choice (Brown Eyes, Brown Skin).
Forced story on own (Boundless Grace)
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Ethnic/cultural approach through pictures = 50%
Ethnic/cultural approach (application) = 25%
Mainstream/universal approach = 25%
Doll Play
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Which doll would you most like to play with?
Which doll is nice doll?
Which doll is the best in school?
Which doll looks mean?
Which doll looks like a White child?
Which doll looks like a Black child?
Which doll looks like an African American child?
Which doll looks like you?
Chit Chat Coding System
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Racism Preparation
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Racial Pride
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Egalitarian, Opportunity, Peace
Racial Achievement
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Pride, History, Unity
Racial Equality
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Awareness, Defensive, Strategic
Initiative, Character, Excel
Spirituality*
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Divine Origin, Higher Arbitrator
* Added based on Durham qualitative pilot
Chit Chat: Racism Preparation
Awareness (creating awareness)
 e.g. “you are always going to be singled out because
you are black,” it is a challenge just being black”,
“there’s a double standard”, “it’s not fair that people
judge you by the color of your skin, but they do”
Defensive (counter statements about racism)
 e.g. “it is not true that people are lazy”, no matter
what you hear, black people are no different than
white”
Strategic (adaptive strategies to deal with
discrimination)
 e.g. “use proper English in public”, “don’t be too
black”, how to fit in mainstream culture
Racial Preparation
Chit Chat: Racial Pride
Pride (racial pride messages)
 e.g. “proud of being black”, “if you do not like yourself or
love yourself, no one else is going to love you”, “you have to
remember to be very proud to say where we came from and
how much we have achieved”, “black is beautiful.”
History (Provide information/history of racial injustice)
 e.g. “maintain a black calendar of what a black person did that
day”
Unity (African American unity and group commitment)
 e.g. “shop at black own businesses”, “support black people in
the community”, behavior reflects the family and black
community”
Racial Pride
Chit Chat: Racial Equality
Egalitarian (Emphasize diversity and/or color blind
society)
 e.g. “it doesn’t matter what color they are”, “we are
from the human race”
Opportunity (Gained opportunity)
 e.g. “things are better than they use to be”, “black
people have more opportunities”, “you can be
anything we want to be”
Peace (Co-Existing)
 e.g. “we should all get along, regardless of color”,
“you can be friends with anyone”
Racial Equality
Chit Chat: Racial Achievement
Initiative (value of education and hard work)
 e.g. “smartness comes by being educated”, “try new
thing”, “there’s nothing that you cannot do, you just
have to want it bad and hard enough”
Character
 e.g. “keep your nose clean”, “be honest and stay out
of trouble”
Excel (acquiring academic skills and healthy work
habits will help to overcome racial barriers)
 e.g. “we have to be better than any other race, in
order to succeed”, “I didn’t go to college but I’ve
been working all my life”
Racial Achievement
Chit Chat: Spirituality
Divine Origin
 e.g. “we are all Gods children”
Higher Arbitrator
 e.g. “God doesn’t judge us and neither should
we”
Spirituality
Frequencies for Racial Socialization Messages as
transmitted by Parents
Racial
Preparation
Racial Pride
5%
5% 11%
31%
48%
Racial Equality
Racial
Achievement
Spirituality
Treatment Group Versus Control Group
25
20
15
Treatment Time 1
Treatment Time 2
10
Control Time 1
Control Time 2
5
0
Racial
Preparation
Racial Pride
Racial Equality
Racial
Achievement
Spirituality
Types of Racial Socialization Messages
Future Research…
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Examine other sources of racial socialization
beyond parents.
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Investigate the ethnic variation among families of
African descent in America.
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Identify racial socialization practices and
strategies that are associated with the most
positive child outcomes taking into consideration
ecological environment.
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Continue to develop and evaluate race
socialization interventions.
Discussion Questions
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Does low ethnic/racial socialization mean low
importance or race?
When do you think the racial socialization process
should begin?
How should we measure racial socialization?
Is racial socialization something that only families of
color should do?
How do you think the racial socialization process
may differ for Blacks versus other groups of color?
Do you think there may be gender differences?
How do you think the messages you received (if any)
as a child influenced your development?
What are the implications of RS for intervention and
policy development?