Transcript No Slide Title

Qualitative Methodology: Giving
Voice to the Use of Racial
Socialization in African American
Families
Stephanie I. Coard, Ph.D.
Duke University
Center for Child and Family Policy
Presentation at the Society for Research in Child Development
Biennial Meeting - Atlanta, Georgia
April 7, 2005
Research funded by National Institute of Mental Health: K01 MH-01881-01
African American Cultural
Values and Parenting Practices
Strong
kinship bonds Flexibility of roles
Extended
family
relationships
Respect
for
authority/elders
Obedience
Ethnic
pride
Achievement
orientation
Spirituality
Communal
Strict
parenting
discipline
Educational
Religious
attainment
beliefs
Resourcefulness
Racial
socialization

Racial
Socialization Defined
The process by which messages are
transmitted inter- and intra- generationally
regarding the significance and meaning of
race and ethnicity.
Involves teaching children values and norms
associated with race/ethnicity, and problemsolving skills that enable children to be
flexible in their approach to race-related
situations, without losing a core sense of self.
Racial Socialization
Frequency of
Message
Racial
Socialization
Mode of
Transmission
Content of
Messages
Frequency of Message

Frequently used by many parents

Routine aspect of parenting

Moderated by family characteristics (e.g.,
age, gender, SES)
Mode of Transmission
Method by which parents transmit racerelated messages:

Verbal

Exposure
– Activities
– Modeling

Intentional and unintentional
Content of Messages

Racial Pride

Racial Coping

Cultural/Ethnic
Socialization

Racial Self-Worth

Negative Racial
Messages

Egalitarian

Racial Barriers
Racial Socialization and Child
Outcomes: Empirical Findings
Racial Competence
Academic Achievement
Self-Efficacy
Self-Esteem
Behavioral Competence
Delinquency
Drug Abuse
Why is Racial Socialization
Important?
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’
inter- and intra-racial relationships and
interactions.

Complexities of Racial
Socialization

Synergistic and dynamic

Bi-directional process

Deliberate and unintended

Transmission and reception

Moderated by family and ecological
characteristics
Proximal Sources of Racial
Socialization Messages (Coard, & Sellers, 2003)
Family
Socialization
Messages
Child
Experiences
Family
Experiences
Child Racial
Identity
Home
Environment
Media
Peer/Other
Socialization
Messages
Peer/Other
Experiences
School
Environment
Qualitative Approaches






Focus groups
Surveys
Naturalistic observations
Interviews
Content analyses of archival material
Case studies
Qualitative Research: Advantages
Flexibility in data collection (access to
otherwise unable or unwilling
participants)
 Validity is not jeopardized by a lab
environment
 Ability to study new and interesting
topics
 Yields a lot of information; rich
information

Consideration in RS in Parent
Training: Qualitative Pilot
(Coard, Wallace, Stevenson, & Brotman, 2003)
(a) Do African American parents from low-income, inner-city
neighborhoods use the range of racial socialization
strategies described in the literature?
(b) If so, what is the content of the information African
American parents communicate to their young children?
(c) What methods of delivery or communication strategies do
the parents use?
(d) Are there discernable styles that are used in delivering or
communicating such information to young children?
Method
Subjects

Fifteen [thirty] economically disadvantaged, innercity African American primarily care providers of 5
and 6 [7] year old children.
Measure/Procedure

Semi-structured interview
– personal and racial identity
– racial socialization practices
– racial conflicts
– racial images



Individually conducted by African American female
staff.
2 hours, audio and videotaped
Compensated with a free subscription to a black
parenting magazine.
Model of Racial Socialization
Processes (Coard, 2003)
Content of Messages
•Racial Preparation
•Racial Pride
•Racial Equality
•Racial Achievement
Frequency of Message
Racial
Socialization
•Frequently Used
•Routine aspect of parenting
•Moderated by family
characteristics
Mode/Delivery of
Messages
•Active
•Responsive
•Passive
Content of RS Teachings
Racism Preparation: Emphasis on racial barriers and and/or
protocol.
 Awareness of racial barriers and/or blocked opportunities
 Defensive racial protocol, social distance, mistrust and intergroup communication
 Strategic racial protocol and adaptive racial orientation
Racial Pride: Emphasis on racial/ethnic pride and commitment
 Racial pride
 Black history and heritage
 Black unity and group commitment
Racial Equality: Emphasis on humanitarianism and equality
 Egalitarian virtues
 Expanded opportunities
 Peaceful and/or multiethnic co-existence
Racial Achievement: Emphasis on individual and academic
achievement
 Initiative and leadership
 Character building
 Necessity to excel, achieve and/or work hard.
Frequency of Racial Socialization
Messages




Racism Preparation
Racial Pride
Racial Equality
Racial Achievement
83%
93%
86%
67%
Racism Preparation:
Racial barriers and and/or protocol
Q1001- so I wanted him to be able to mix extremely
well … don’t stick out and I feel that if you are too
black you stick out.
Q821-I have to teach them how to conduct themselves
in a manner in which they are able to communicate
with other ethnic groups…So I was raised not do
certain things, not say certain things to people, not
look at people a certain way.
Q821- … my children are gonna know how to dress
appropriately … have manners so they can move
and groove and go in and out of different
environments and different arenas and different
ethnic groups and they can manage.
Q811…. don’t wear braids, dreads, don’t wear
the Malcolm X shirt to work. Don’t be too
black … that could cost you your job. They
might not look at it as pro-black. They
would look at it as anti-white. Don’t wear
Danger: Educated black person on the job
because they might get threatened.
I try to tell my kids to try new things. She
[friend] was telling me about a hockey
team that is starting in Harlem at the ice
skating rink. Maybe they should try for that
because not many [Black] kids are exposed
to that. They may meet new kids [other
than Black].The have to learn get along
with kids that don’t look like them.
Sources of Parental Stress
Conflicts on the playground
 Classroom and school related activities
 Interactions with authorities in the
community (e.g., police officers)
 Balancing within community vs outside
community interactions
 Reality vs media hype

Racial Socialization Mode/Delivery Styles
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.
Directions for Future Research

Utilize longitudinal approaches

Employ multiple methods
–
–
–
–

Qualitative interviews and focus groups
Observational assessments
Questionnaires and checklists
Event sampling frameworks
Use multiple informants into the
socialization process
– Messages sent and messages received
Directions for Future Research

Examine other sources of racial
socialization beyond parents.

Investigate the ethnic variation among
families of African descent in America.

Identify racial socialization practices and
strategies that are associated with the
most positive child outcomes taking into
consideration ecological environment.

Evaluate existing race socialization
interventions.