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School Ethnic–Racial Socialization: Learning About Race and Ethnicity Among African American Students

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Abstract

Research has sought to understand how parents socialize their children around race and ethnicity, but few studies have considered how contexts outside the home are also important sources of socialization. In this paper we review and integrate literature on practices in school settings that have implications for ethnic–racial socialization using a framework based on Hughes et al. (Dev Psychol 42(5):747–770, 2006) review of parental socialization. The practices reviewed include cultural socialization, preparation for bias, promotion of mistrust, egalitarianism, colorblindness, and silence. Our review shows a wide range of practices in education that may influence the development of ethnic–racial identity and ethnic–racial consciousness, but more research is needed to understand the role that schools play in developing African American youth’s understanding of race and identity.

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  1. Department of Social Work, California State University, Dominguez Hills, Carson, CA, USA

    Adriana Aldana

  2. Department of Psychology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA

    Christy M. Byrd

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  1. Adriana Aldana
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Correspondence to Adriana Aldana.

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Aldana, A., Byrd, C.M. School Ethnic–Racial Socialization: Learning About Race and Ethnicity Among African American Students. Urban Rev 47, 563–576 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11256-014-0319-0

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