Observations of Coparenting Dyads Engagement in Racial Socialization Discussions: Content, Process, Competency

• In Event: Beyond the Survey: Innovative Methods for Measuring and Analyzing Ethnic Racial Socialization

Abstract

In light of the sociopolitical realities of American society, both historically and contemporarily, racial socialization is a parenting practice that Black families must undertake, a process of “affection, protection, and correction” (Stevenson, 2013) they must navigate to safeguard the mental, physical, and emotional well-being of their offspring. In fact, both cross-sectional and longitudinal research on racial socialization has noted that this practice is generally associated with positive outcomes for youth (e.g., positive racial identity, academic engagement, positive well-being; Umaña-Taylor & Hill, 2020). Despite the undeniable salience of racial socialization as a unique and protective parenting practice, there are a number of theoretical and methodological limitations within the extant literature that limit our ability to truly understand the processes—when, where, how and why—by which Black families successfully navigate racial socialization. First, there has been a relative emphasis on the content (and frequency) of the messages delivered, as opposed to how (and how competently) parents actually deliver these messages. Second, consideration of the family structure of Black caregivers providing racial socialization has been extremely narrow, focusing primarily on Black mothers. Third, investigations have tended to focus on quantitative survey methods that may not fully capture the dynamic nature of racial socialization processes.
Hughes and colleagues (2008) argue that understanding the complexities of racial socialization are like “trying to catch a moonbeam”. Nevertheless, the vast majority of racial socialization investigations have relied on survey methods. Although close-ended questions have been central to understanding the numerous correlates associated with the content of racial socialization, examples of Black parents’ reciprocal interactions (e.g., via observation) must be incorporated into existing research to fully appreciate the ways in which Black families navigate this process. For instance, markers of successful enactment of racial socialization are best understood through direct observations of interactions between parents, or among parents and their youth, as this is a common approach undertaken in studies of coparenting (Baker et al., 2010; McHale, 2011) and used increasingly in investigations of racial socialization (Caughy et al., 2002; Smith-Bynum et al., 2016, 2022). The present study extends the extant literature by elucidating coparenting dynamics occurring during dyadic conversations in response to hypothetical racial socialization scenarios. Specifically, observations of 70 coparenting dyads across multiple family types (e.g., married, blended, extended family) raising Black youth (ages 7-12) were coded for both RS content and process, consistent with Jones’ (2022) conceptual framework for exploring coparenting approaches to racial socialization among Black families. The benefits and challenges associated with this type of observational approach to racial socialization are discussed, as are clinical and methodological implications.

Authors

• Shawn Christopher Tracey Jones, Virginia Commonwealth University
  Presenting Author

• Broquelynn Shepard, Virginia Commonwealth University

• Chandler Golden, Virginia Commonwealth University

• Enrique W. Neblett, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor