1-033 - The Importance of Ethnic-Racial Socialization in Early Childhood Classrooms

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

Previous research has established the important role ethnic-racial socialization plays in children’s social and cognitive development (see Hughes et al., 2006 for review). For children of color, ethnic-racial socialization can serve as a foundation for self-esteem and academic success, and for White children, ethnic-racial socialization may help dispel stereotypes and promote cross-race friendships. Early childhood classrooms are potentially one of the first settings outside the home where children receive messages about race and racism (Authors, 2015). In the U.S., students of color make up 48% of the public school population; this is projected to reach 55% by 2023. At the same time, teachers remain predominantly White (84%), thus it is important to investigate how teachers navigate multicultural issues in the classroom, including messages about race and ethnicity. Although some work indicates that teachers are unlikely to proactively discuss topics of race and ethnicity (Aukrust & Rydland, 2009), the ways in which early childhood educators explicitly discuss race and racism with young children, children’s understandings of these discussions, and their effects on early childhood development have been largely unexplored. To address ethnic-racial socialization in early childhood classrooms, this symposium examines: (a) early childhood teachers’ approaches to ethnic-racial socialization and race-based messages, (b) children’s responses to teacher practices surrounding race, and (c) how mismatch between home and school ethnic-racial socialization impacts children’s self-regulation.

Sub Unit

• Race, Ethnicity, Culture, Context

Chair

• Deborah J. Johnson, Michigan State University

Individual Presentations

• White Preschool Teachers Discussing Race and Racism with Children: What’s Missing? - Presenting Author: Flora Farago, Stephen F. Austin State University

• Early Childhood Teachers’ Approaches to Multicultural Education and Perceived Barriers to Disseminating Anti-Bias Messages - Presenting Author: Brigitte M. Vittrup, Texas Woman's University

• Ethnic-Racial Socialization in Early Childhood Education: Effects of Home-School Match or Mismatch on Children’s Self-Regulation - Presenting Author: Kimberly L. Davidson, Central Michigan University