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Perception Matters: The Influence of School Ethnic Racial Context on Ethnic Racial Identity Development for Black
Amirah Saafir1, Sandra Graham2
1Child and Adolescent Studies Department, California State University, Fullerton, CA 92831, USA.
Behavioral Sciences (Basel, Switzerland)
|October 26, 2024
Summary
For African American adolescents, a higher number of Black peers in school protected ethnic-racial identity (ERI) commitment from racial discrimination. Perceived representation positively influenced ERI, even with other school factors controlled.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Education
Background:
- Ethnic-racial identity (ERI) development is influenced by the school environment.
- Understanding protective factors within schools is crucial for supporting adolescent identity formation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine how perceived peer representation and discrimination in the school environment affect the growth of ethnic-racial identity (ERI) commitment.
- To investigate the role of perceived representation among Black peers in buffering discrimination's impact on ERI.
Main Methods:
- Latent growth curve modeling was used to analyze data from 237 African American students (ages 14-17).
- The study assessed perceived peer representation, perceived peer discrimination, and ERI commitment from 9th to 12th grade.
Main Results:
- Perceiving a higher number of Black peers buffered the negative effects of peer discrimination on ERI commitment.
- Perceived representation among peers had a significant positive impact on ERI commitment, independent of objective representation and diversity.
Conclusions:
- The school's ethnic-racial environment, particularly peer representation, plays a vital role in supporting adolescent ERI development.
- Findings highlight the importance of social context in understanding and fostering ethnic-racial identity in diverse school settings.
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