Elementary Schoolers' Intergroup Attitudes: The Intersection of Race/Ethnicity, Gender, Gender Expression and Social Class

• In Event: Navigating Identity, Equity, and Cultural Narratives in Education

Abstract

Drawing on an intersectionality framework (Crenshaw, 1989), we examined elementary school children’s intersectional intergroup attitudes. Participants (N=269), 2nd through 5th grades from three elementary schools, received packets of Instagram profiles of fictitious elementary school students that varied by race/ethnicity (Asian, Black, Latinx, and White), gender (boy/girl), gender expression (conforming/nonconforming), and social class (high SES/low SES). Participants offered “first impression” of each profile to assess stereotypes, prejudice and behavioral tendencies. Analysis revealed a complex picture of intergroup attitudes as a function of the domain of attitude measured and the profiles’ race/ethnicity, gender, gender expression, and social class. Our study makes conceptual and methodological contributions emphasizing the importance of examining intergroup attitudes intersectionally across different domains.

Authors

• Negin Ghavami, Loyola Marymount University

• Dzorgbenyui Adzo Gbagbo, Loyola Marymount University

• Colson Lee, Loyola Marymount University

• Ryan Anderson, Loyola Marymount University

• Sandra Graham, University of California - Los Angeles