TY - JOUR
T1 - The Whiteness Pandemic Behind the Racism Pandemic
T2 - Familial Whiteness Socialization in Minneapolis Following #GeorgeFloyd’s Murder
AU - Ferguson, Gail M.
AU - Eales, Lauren
AU - Gillespie, Sarah
AU - Leneman, Keira
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021. American Psychological Association
PY - 2021/8/19
Y1 - 2021/8/19
N2 - Family socialization into the centuries-old culture of Whiteness—involving colorblindness, passivity, and fragility—perpetrates and perpetuates U.S. racism, reflecting an insidious Whiteness pandemic. As a poignant case study, this mixed methods study examined Whiteness socialization among White mothers (N = 392, M = 37.99 years, SD = 4.34) in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the month following the May 2020 police killing of unarmed Black resident, George Floyd. Using Helms’ (1984, 2017)White racial identity development theory (WRID), content analyses of qualitative responses classified participants into lower versus higher levels of WRID, after which thematic analyses compared their Whiteness socialization beliefs/values, attitudes, practices, and emotions, and analyses of variance compared their demographics, multiculturalism, and psychological distress. There was strong convergence across qualitative and quantitative findings and results aligned with theWRID model. Racially silent participants (i.e., no mention of Floyd’smurder or subsequent events on open-ended questions: 53%) had lower multiculturalism scores and lower psychological distress. Among mothers who were racially responsive (i.e., mentioned Floyd’s murder or subsequent events: 47%), those with more advanced WRID (17%) had higher multiculturalism scores; lower ethnic group protectiveness scores; a more effective coping style featuring empathy, moral outrage, and hope; more color and power-conscious socialization beliefs/values; and more purposeful racial socialization practices than their less advanced peers (30%).
AB - Family socialization into the centuries-old culture of Whiteness—involving colorblindness, passivity, and fragility—perpetrates and perpetuates U.S. racism, reflecting an insidious Whiteness pandemic. As a poignant case study, this mixed methods study examined Whiteness socialization among White mothers (N = 392, M = 37.99 years, SD = 4.34) in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the month following the May 2020 police killing of unarmed Black resident, George Floyd. Using Helms’ (1984, 2017)White racial identity development theory (WRID), content analyses of qualitative responses classified participants into lower versus higher levels of WRID, after which thematic analyses compared their Whiteness socialization beliefs/values, attitudes, practices, and emotions, and analyses of variance compared their demographics, multiculturalism, and psychological distress. There was strong convergence across qualitative and quantitative findings and results aligned with theWRID model. Racially silent participants (i.e., no mention of Floyd’smurder or subsequent events on open-ended questions: 53%) had lower multiculturalism scores and lower psychological distress. Among mothers who were racially responsive (i.e., mentioned Floyd’s murder or subsequent events: 47%), those with more advanced WRID (17%) had higher multiculturalism scores; lower ethnic group protectiveness scores; a more effective coping style featuring empathy, moral outrage, and hope; more color and power-conscious socialization beliefs/values; and more purposeful racial socialization practices than their less advanced peers (30%).
KW - Antiracism
KW - Black lives matter
KW - Racial socialization
KW - Racism
KW - White racial identity
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U2 - 10.1037/amp0000874
DO - 10.1037/amp0000874
M3 - Article
C2 - 34410751
AN - SCOPUS:85122889006
SN - 0003-066X
VL - 77
SP - 344
EP - 361
JO - American Psychologist
JF - American Psychologist
IS - 3
ER -