Measuring Racial-Ethnic Socialization: Where Do We Go From Here?

Session Type: Conversation Roundtable

Abstract

Racial-ethnic socialization (RES) practices are invaluable in promoting positive adjustment and coping among children of color (Umaña-Taylor & Hill, 2020). They also present an opportunity for white families to take a proactive approach to raising white children who challenge the status quo and become anti-racist allies (Perry et al., 2020). Self-report measures of RES practices among families of color began to emerge in the early 1990s from the work of several scholars (Hughes & Chen, 1997; Knight et al.,1993; Stevenson, 1994), and, more recently, RES measures documenting white families’ socialization practices (such as color-evasive messaging versus color-conscious practices; Vittrup & Dunn, 2022) have emerged as well. Yet, racial socialization is a complex process and there is more to consider beyond parents’ beliefs about or self-reported RES practices. For example, caregiver, child, and ecological factors are likely related to the frequency, content, and outcomes of these parenting practices as well. Our current socio-political landscape has driven a surge of research on RES practices across families of various racial backgrounds. Now is a good time to stop and ask: what do we still need to know and how do we measure it?

Moderator: Inés Botto
Panelists: Dr. Riana Elyse Anderson, Dr. Shawn Jones, Dr. Tracy Spinrad, Dr. Margaret Kerr

Sub Unit

• Solicited Content: Anti-Racism Research or Interventions

Moderator

• Inés Botto, University of Wisconsin - Madison

Panelists

• Riana Elyse Anderson, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

• Shawn Christopher Tracey Jones, Virginia Commonwealth University

• Margaret L. Kerr, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Tracy L Spinrad, Arizona State University