Racial Discrimination, Coping, and African American Fathers’ Ethnic-Racial Socialization Practices

• In Event: 1-128 - Examining the Relation of Ethnic Racial Socialization and Racial Discrimination in Ethnic Minorities

Integrative Statement

Studies have indicated that African American parents who experience racial discrimination and are aware of structural inequities are more likely to engage in ethnic-racial socialization (Hughes, 2003; Murry et al., 2008; White-Johnson, Ford, & Sellers, 2010). Underlying the communication of these messages may be parents’ motivations to inculcate their children with strategies to handle similar encounters with discrimination and cope with the potentially detrimental effects of these events (Hughes et al., 2006). Though fewer in number, studies with fathers also have found that their discrimination experiences guide ethnic-racial socialization practices (Cooper et al, 2015). Further, research has suggested that this association may be stronger for fathers, in comparison to mothers (Benner & Kim, 2009).
Although studies have demonstrated that fathers’ discrimination experiences shape race-related discussions with their children, their own coping behaviors may be an important moderator. Two findings support this assertion. First, studies have noted gender differences in how men and women cope with discrimination (Utsey et al., 2000). Second, investigations have suggested that fathers’ acknowledgement of their own racial traumas can inhibit or promote ethnic-racial socialization (Cooper et al., 2015; Doyle et al., 2016). Taking this into consideration, this investigation examines whether African American fathers’ coping behaviors moderates the association between discrimination experiences and race-related discussions.
Participants were 186 African American fathers (M= 39.64; SD= 8.57). Sixty-six percent were residential fathers. Thirty-nine percent of fathers had a high school education or GED, 27.8% had a vocational/associate’s degree, 37.5% received a Bachelors degree or greater. Measures included: 1) fathers’ racial discrimination; 2) coping (Brief COPE; Carver, 1997); and 3) ethnic-racial socialization (racial pride; preparation for bias; egalitarian; behavioral; negative).
Regression models (controlling for age, educational level, relationship quality, residential status) indicated that fathers’ discrimination experiences were associated with greater racial pride (ß= .201, p< .05) and preparation for bias (ß= .229, p=.01) socialization. Planning coping was associated with greater behavioral (ß= .457, p=.001), preparation for bias (ß= .316, p < .05), and egalitarian socialization (ß= .301, p< .05). Denial coping (ß= .210, p< .05) was associated with greater preparation for bias messages. There were 3 significant interactions: 1) discrimination x reframing coping predicting egalitarian messages; 2) discrimination x planning coping predicting negative socialization; and 3) discrimination x active coping predicting negative socialization. Plotting of interactions revealed that, for fathers high in reframe coping, preparation for bias socialization was associated with greater egalitarian messages (see Figure 1). As shown in Figure 2a, for high active coping fathers, there was a positive relationship between discrimination and negative socialization. However, for low active coping fathers, there was a slight, but negative relationship, such that discrimination was related to fewer negative messages. As shown in Figure 2b, for high planning coping fathers, discrimination was associated with fewer negative socialization messages. When fathers were lower in planning coping, discrimination was associated with greater negative messages. Collectively, this investigation suggests that, while discrimination may motivate ethnic-racial socialization, the manner in which fathers’ cope with stressors may be an important consideration.

Authors

• Shauna Cooper, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  Presenting Author

• Marketa Burnett, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  Non-Presenting Author