3-111 - Perceptions of Fairness and Social Inequality from Early Childhood through Early Adolescence

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

Understanding how individuals first become aware of social inequalities is important, as attitudes established in childhood can continue into adulthood, sustaining a damaging cycle of exclusion and disadvantage. This symposium presents novel empirical evidence from diverse perspectives revealing children’s awareness of wealth inequality, residential segregation, and unequal access to opportunities between early childhood and early adolescence. The research highlighted in this symposium has implications for promoting fairness and equity in development.

The first paper examines young children’s perceptions and judgments of the wealth distribution of their neighborhood. In this mixed-methods study, ethnically diverse 5-8 year-olds who judged their neighborhood wealth distribution as unfair often indicated that a neighborhood with balanced groups of rich, middle class, and poor people would be fair. The second paper examines Latino 8-10 year-olds’ explanations for residential segregation and perceptions of anti-immigration sentiments in their community. Children who lived in predominantly European-American communities were more likely than children in diverse neighborhoods to perceive that European-Americans viewed immigrants as a threat and to explain residential segregation in terms of symbolic racism. The third paper examines ethnically diverse 8-14 year-olds’ decisions regarding the allocation of opportunities in a context of inequality based on economic status. Children were aware of economic inequalities in access to opportunities and supported equitable access for disadvantaged groups, yet with age they expected groups –especially wealthy groups– to seek access for their group alone. Findings and implications from the research presented will be discussed by a scholar with international expertise in intergroup peer relations.

Sub Unit

• Diversity, Equity & Social Justice

Chair

• Laura Elenbaas, University of Maryland

Discussant

• Robin Banerjee, University of Sussex

Individual Presentations

• Won’t You Be My Neighbor: Elementary School Children’s Conceptions of Neighborhood Wealth Distribution and Fairness - Presenting Author: Lindsey Nenadal, University of California, Los Angeles; Taylor Hazelbaker, University of California, Los Angeles; Katherine M. Griffin, University of California at Los Angeles; Rashmita S. Mistry, University of California, Los Angeles

• Latino Children in a White Community: Perceptions of Residential Segregation and Symbolic Racism within the Community - Presenting Author: Christia Spears Brown, University of Kentucky

• Age-Related Changes in Children’s Perceptions and Judgments of Inequality of Opportunity based on Economic Status - Presenting Author: Laura Elenbaas, University of Maryland; Michael T Rizzo, University of Maryland; Amanda R. Burkholder, University of Maryland; Melanie Killen, University of Maryland, College Park