title: Responses to racism: a taxonomy of coping styles used by Aboriginal Australians.
abstract: The author takes up the challenge from social psychologists to explore the coping responses of those who experience racism. Previous attempts to provide taxonomies of responses to racism-discrimination-oppression are reviewed. An analysis of data derived from semistructured interviews conducted with 34 Indigenous Australians that explored experiences of racism and emotional and behavioral responses is reported, and a taxonomy of coping made up of 3 broad categories is presented. The defining feature of these categories is the purpose of the responses contained therein: to defend the self, to control or contain the reaction, or to confront the racism. It is argued that this may be a more useful way to understand responses to racism than taxonomies previously proposed.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia. mellor@deakin.edu.au
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mellor
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011287:Prejudice; D012649:Self Concept; D012924:Social Conditions