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Beyond Black and White: Conceptualizing and essentializing Black-White identity
Steven O Roberts1, Arnold K Ho2, Nour Kteily3
1Department of Psychology, Stanford University.
Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology
|July 29, 2021
Summary
People often see Black-White individuals as a mixture, not separate. Racial essentialism positively predicts this view, challenging prior research assumptions about race concepts.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Race and Identity Studies
Background:
- Psychological research indicates Black-White individuals are often viewed as Black *and* White.
- Essentialist beliefs about race may negatively correlate with this dual conceptualization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore laypeople's understanding of what it means to be "Black and White."
- To investigate the association between racial essentialism and these racial concepts.
Main Methods:
- Utilized surveys, open-ended explanations, and experimental manipulations.
- Examined conceptualizations of Black-White individuals by Black, White, and Black-White perceivers.
- Assessed dispositional and experimentally induced essentialist beliefs.
Main Results:
- U.S. Black-White individuals predominantly conceptualize "Black and White" as a mixture.
- This "mixture" concept was also prevalent among U.S. Black and U.S. White individuals.
- Racial essentialism, both dispositional and manipulated, positively correlated with the "mixture" conception.
Conclusions:
- Findings illuminate the complexity of race concepts and essentialism.
- Advances psychological understanding of Black-White identity and perception.
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