Poster #164 - African American Parents' Racial Socialization Profiles Across Children's Transition to High School

• In Event: 3-206 - Poster Session 13
  In Poster Session: PS 13 Section - Race, Ethnicity, Culture, Context

Integrative Statement

Racial socialization encompasses a broad spectrum of verbal and non-verbal behaviors which transmit attitudes, values, and information regarding racial group membership (Hughes & Chen, 1997). These messages may range from mistrust of outgroup members to practical advice for how to cope in the face of racial discrimination (Stevenson, 1998). Racial socialization studies support that parents give multiple racial messages to their children in conversation (White-Johnson, Ford, & Sellers, 2010). There is reason to believe that these racial socialization messages may change overtime due to the adolescent’s ability to initiate race-related conversations with their parents (Belsky, 1984) or as a part of the parents’ strategy to prepare their child for racial adversity (Boykin & Toms, 1985).
Parents adjust the information they share with their children in response to their child’s abilities and experiences (Hughs & Chen, 1997), neighborhood characteristics (Caught, Nettles, O’Campo, & Lohrfink, 2006), and contextual sources of stress and support (e.g., financial; Belsky, 1984). However, there is a gap in the literature as to how parents change their racial socialization messages over time and how children’s individual experiences of racism influence this change. How do profiles of African American parents’ racial socialization messages change in response to their child’s developmental and environmental needs as they transition from middle to high school? To investigate this idea in further detail, we examined African American parents’ racial socialization profiles at four time points corresponding to their child’s grade level (7th through 10th grade).
We first hypothesize that the racial socialization profiles to emerge will be consistent with results found in two studies that used latent cluster analysis to study African American families. Neblett and colleagues (2009) and White-Johnson, Ford, and Sellers (2010) both found three profiles: one characterized with high amounts of multiple messages, another focused on the child’s individual worth rather than race, and lastly a profile not emphasizing any racial messages. Second, we hypothesize these profiles to change over time. Specifically, those profiles characterized by no messages or a focus on egalitarianism and self-worth messages will transition into profiles with a higher endorsement of racial barrier, racial pride, and behavioral messages intended to help their children cope with the prospect of racial discrimination. Lastly, we hypothesize that parents with children reporting personal experiences of discrimination will in turn change the messages they give their children to help better prepare them for race related adversity.
This study uses longitudinal data from African American parent and adolescent dyads from three socioeconomically diverse school districts in the Midwest and latent transition analytic techniques to capture the synergistic nature of racial socialization. This study is the first of its kind to examine African American parents’ racial socialization profiles as their children transition to high school, considering their children’s experiences of racism. Our findings contribute to the field of racial socialization and demonstrate the need for longitudinal studies that both distinguish the range of messages parents transmit to their children and assess changes in these messages across varying contexts.

Authors

• Asya Harrison, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
  Presenting Author

• Vonnie McLoyd, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
  Non-Presenting Author

• Stephanie Rowley, University of Michigan
  Non-Presenting Author