Black people engage in a variety of behaviors to avoid stereotyping and promote a professional image in the workplace. Racial codeswitching is one impression management strategy where Black people ...adjust their self-presentation to receive desirable outcomes (e.g., perceived professionalism) through mirroring the norms, behaviors, and attributes of the dominant group (i.e., White people) in specific contexts. In this study, we examine whether racial codeswitching enhances perceived professionalism for Black employees. We investigate Black and White participants' perceptions of racial codeswitching and subsequent evaluations of professionalism through manipulating three behaviors (e.g., adjusting style of speech, name selection, hairstyle) of a fictitious Black coworker in two, between-subjects experimental studies using audio and written stimuli. Results indicate that employees who engage in racial codeswitching are consistently perceived as more professional by both Black and White participants compared to employees who do not codeswitch (Studies 1 & 2). We also found that Black participants perceive the non-codeswitching employee as more professional than White participants (Studies 2a & 2b). Black and White participants' evaluation of specific codeswitching behaviors varied with both groups supporting adjustment of speech, opposing adjusting one's name, and diverging on wearing natural hairstyles (Studies 1 & 2). Although racial codeswitching is presented as an impression management strategy, it may reinforce White professional standards and generate social and psychological costs for Black employees. Implications of our work for impression management and impression formation are further discussed.
Objectives: The current study investigates the utility of political activism as a protective factor against experiences of racial/ethnic (R/E) discrimination that negatively affect stress, anxiety, ...and depressive symptoms among Black and Latinx college freshmen at predominately White institutions. Method: Data come from the Minority College Cohort Study, a longitudinal investigation of Black and Latinx college students (N = 504; 44% Black). We conducted multiple regression analyses for each mental health indicator and tested for interaction effects. Results: For Black and Latinx students, the relationship between R/E microaggressions and end of freshman year stress varied by political activism. For Black students, the relationship between R/E microaggressions and end of the year anxiety varied by political activism. There was a significant interaction effect for depressive symptoms among Latinx students. Conclusions: Political activism serves as a protective factor to mitigate the negative effect of R/E discrimination on stress and depressive symptoms for Latinx students. For Black students, higher levels of political activism may exacerbate experiences of R/E microaggressions and relate to more stress and anxiety compared with Black students who are less politically involved. Findings point to the need for a deeper understanding of phenomenological variation in experiences of microaggressions among R/E minorities and how students leverage political activism as an adaptive coping strategy to mitigate race-related stress during college.
Political activism is one way racially/ethnically marginalized youth can combat institutional discrimination and seek legislative change toward equality and justice. In the current study, we examine ...participation in #BlackLivesMatter (BLM) and advocacy for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) as political activism popular among youth. Participants were 533 Black and Latino college students. We found that both Black and Latino students reported more involvement in BLM than DACA. There were no gender differences in participation for Black students, but Latina women reported greater participation in BLM and DACA than Latino men. We also tested whether demographic characteristics, racial/ethnic microaggressions, and political efficacy predict BLM and DACA involvement. For Black students, prior political activism predicted involvement in BLM and DACA and immigration status predicted DACA involvement. For Latino students, more experiences of racial/ethnic microaggressions predicted involvement in BLM and DACA and political efficacy predicted DACA involvement. Findings highlight rates of participation in modern sociopolitical movements and expand our understanding of how psychological factors may differentially promote activism for Black and Latino college students.
Objectives:
Critical action (sociopolitical action to combat social inequity) provides racially marginalized youth with a pathway to coping. Sociocultural factors (like experiences of racial ...discrimination and contact with racially marginalized peers) are integral for fostering critical action among racially marginalized youth, yet few empirical studies have explored these relationships longitudinally. This study examines: (a) longitudinal trajectories of critical action and racial discrimination among Black and Latinx college students, (b) whether racial discrimination or critical action predict the other's longitudinal trajectory, and (c) whether having Black and Latinx friends and ethnic-racial club participation strengthen these relationships.
Method:
These trajectories were assessed by estimating growth models with a longitudinal sample of 504 Black and Latinx college students.
Results:
Analyses revealed that racial discrimination significantly increased over the first 2 years of college, whereas critical action significantly declined. Additionally, racial discrimination predicted changes in critical action, but critical action did not predict changes in racial discrimination. Ethnic-racial club participation slowed the decline of critical action.
Conclusions:
Our findings suggest that the transition to college is associated with changes in racial discrimination and critical action and these trajectories are enhanced by ethnic-racial club participation. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Public Significance Statement
This study suggests that racial discrimination motivates activism for Black and Latinx college students, and that ethnic-racial club participation strengthens this link. Thus, universities can support Black and Latinx students' civic development by providing them spaces to unpack discriminatory experiences.
The “acting White” accusation (AWA) is a type of cultural invalidation that undermines the racial authenticity of Black youths. This study examines how the AWA and racial identity (RI) influence one ...another longitudinally during the transition to college for Black students. Findings were moderated by gender. For Black males, a negative feedback loop emerged for RI centrality where AWA experiences predicted lower centrality, which then predicted more AWA experiences over a 2‐year period. Additionally, AWA experiences in high school predicted lower RI private regard for Black males and lower RI public regard for Black females during the first year of college. Implications and policy recommendations to address forms of cultural oppression such as the AWA are further discussed.
The "acting white" accusation (AWA) is a cultural invalidation commonly experienced by people of color that challenges their ethnic-racial authenticity for demonstrating behaviors that are not ...traditionally associated with their ethnic-racial group. Prior research shows that the AWA has negative implications for mental health and ethnic-racial identity (ERI). Cultural betrayal trauma theory also suggests that harmful events perpetrated by ingroup members have unique harm due to the violation of (intra)cultural trust. Prior research has yet to examine the distinct mental health implications of the AWA from ethnic-racial ingroup versus outgroup perpetrators. The present study examines this gap in the literature using longitudinal data and investigates whether ERI centrality moderates the relationship between AWA perpetrators and mental health outcomes. Emerging adults (N = 401; 43% Black, 57% Latina/o; 65% female) were recruited upon enrollment at five predominantly White universities in the Midwest U.S. and surveyed multiple times over their first year of college. Results indicated that AWA insults from ethnic-racial ingroup members were associated with more severe mental health outcomes (greater anxiety and depressive symptoms). Further, ERI centrality provided a protective buffering effect that reduced depressive symptoms, but this effect only occurred for students who received the AWA from White perpetrators and ERI centrality was not protective against AWA insults from ingroup perpetrators. Study findings highlight that specific AWA perpetrators and a person's level of ERI centrality should be taken into consideration when determining the best strategies for helping Black and Latina/o college students cope with cultural invalidations.
Public Policy Relevance Statement
As a cultural invalidation, being accused of "acting white" (AWA) is associated with anxiety and depressive symptoms among Black and Latina/o youth transitioning to adulthood. The present study demonstrates that specific AWA perpetrators matter, with more severe mental health consequences occurring when the AWA is perpetrated by ethnic-racial ingroup members (i.e., a cultural betrayal). Additionally, having an ethnic-racial identity (ERI) that is central to one's self-concept serves as a buffer to reduce negative mental health consequences from the AWA, but only when perpetrators are White. Consequently, ERI is not protective against the AWA when perpetrators are ethnic-racial ingroup members and these findings indicate that coping strategies for dealing with cultural invalidations need to be sensitive to specific perpetrator and the level of ERI possessed by those being targeted.
Objectives: Racial microaggressions at predominantly White institutions (PWIs) are a major concern for Black undergraduates because these experiences evoke feelings of “otherness” and may contribute ...to growing impostor phenomenon beliefs (IP)—feelings of intellectual fraudulence where people question their academic abilities. School belonging (i.e., a sense of connection to one’s academic institution) may be an important mediating factor that explains how racial microaggressions contribute to greater IP over time. Furthermore, these effects may be distinct for Black men and women, given their unique experiences at PWIs. Method: The current longitudinal study utilizes moderated-mediation analyses to examine these effects among 269 Black undergraduates ( M age = 19.71, SD = 2.36, 72% female) over a full academic year at a PWI. Results: Findings indicate that racial microaggressions indirectly predicted increased IP over a 1-year period through a negative association with schools belonging to Black men but not for Black women. Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of gender and school belonging when examining how racial stressors contribute to changes in IP beliefs. Implications for theory and policy recommendations for educators and stakeholders are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)
Objectives: The accusation of "acting White" (AW) represents a common cultural invalidation that youth of color encounter during adolescence. However, few studies have examined the broader ...implications of AW beyond academic achievement and it is unclear how multiple racial/ethnic groups internalize this invalidation during late adolescence. The present study addresses these gaps by examining the meaning ascribed to AW among a diverse sample of youth and evaluates whether interpretations of AW vary across demographic factors (race/ethnicity, gender). Method: We utilized a subset of participants (n = 282; 47% Black; 53% Latinx; 68% female) from the Minority College Cohort Study-a longitudinal investigation of minority college students. Qualitative responses were analyzed through content analysis. Results: The AW construct was defined by four themes: speech/behavior, style/social preferences, cultural ideologies, and academics/success. AW was described most frequently in terms of speech patterns, while achievement/success was the least commonly described theme. Several important demographic distinctions are also highlighted and discussed. Conclusion: Results indicate that AW invalidations are interpreted in a similar fashion across diverse populations. Our sample defined AW in a manner that critically examined rigid racial/ethnic norms and stereotypes within U.S. society. Findings indicate that cultural invalidations, such as AW, should be examined more broadly because they are relevant for diverse populations and may yield significant psychological implications for individuals targeted by these threats.
Accusations of Acting White Durkee, Myles I.; Williams, Joanna L.
Journal of black psychology,
02/2015, Letnik:
41, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
The acting White accusation is a negative insult that many Black students encounter from peers, and research suggests that these experiences may be potentially detrimental to psychosocial outcomes. ...The current study examined the relationship between specific aspects of the acting White accusation (e.g., frequency of occurrence, induced discomfort), racial/ethnic identity (e.g., racial regard, exploration, commitment), and mental health (e.g., depressive symptoms, anxiety, emotional stress). Data from a sample of Black college students (n = 198) were evaluated using both variable-centered and person-centered analytical techniques. Results indicated that frequency of the accusation predicted lower racial/ethnic identity and more severe mental health symptoms, whereas the level of discomfort predicted higher racial/ethnic identification. Latent class analysis revealed that perceived experiences with the acting White accusation were represented by four distinct profiles, three of which differed significantly in dimensions of racial/ethnic identity. Findings suggest that the accusation of acing White is perceived differently by individual Black students and carries a distinctive risk for psychosocial outcomes.
Abstract Background Developing an understanding of the negative impact of discrimination is critical when examining the suicidality of Black young adults in the US. Suicide rates among Black young ...adults have increased at alarming rates. One of the reasons for this increase is the disparities related to access to mental health services, which has long-term health consequences. This study addresses a significant gap in the literature by examining associations between experiences of everyday discrimination, attitudes towards mental health help-seeking attitudes, on the outcomes suicide ideation, planning to die by suicide, and suicide attempts. Methods The data came from a national study of the experiences of Black young adults regarding mental, physical, and sexual health. Participants were recruited from across the Midwestern region of the United States through Qualtrics Panels, an online survey delivery service used to recruit study participants. The total sample for this study was N = 362, and the average age of the sample was 21 (SD: 1.96). We used a logistic regression analysis to examine the role of everyday discrimination, mental health support-seeking attitudes, and covariates on the outcomes: suicide ideation, planning to die by committing suicide, and suicide attempts. Results Black young adults with positive mental health help-seeking attitudes were 34% less likely to attempt suicide ( OR = 0.66; 95% CI: 0.46, 0.96) and 35% less likely to experience suicide ideation ( OR = 0.65; 95% CI: 0.47, 0.89). However, those young adults who experienced discrimination daily were more likely to report having attempted suicide ( OR = 1.70; 95% CI: 1.34, 2.15). Conclusions Our findings offer valuable insights into the complex interplay between experiences of discrimination, attitudes toward seeking mental health support, and suicidal behaviors. However, our research also underscores how experiences of discrimination can significantly exacerbate feelings of isolation, hopelessness, and inadequacy, further contributing to suicidal behaviors in this population. By promoting positive mental health help-seeking behaviors, actively addressing discrimination, and applying an intersectional approach to suicide prevention efforts, we can take significant strides towards building a more supportive and inclusive society. This approach aims to empower individuals to seek help, reduce the risk of suicidal behaviors, and create a more welcoming environment for all members of our community.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
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