Race, context, and privilege: white adolescents' explanations of racial-ethnic centrality.
This mixed-methods exploratory study examined the diverse content and situated context of White adolescents' racial-ethnic identities. The sample consisted of 781 9th-12th grade White adolescents from three New England schools, which varied in racial and economic make-up. Open-ended responses provided a range of thematic categories regarding the importance of race-ethnicity to the adolescents' identities, representing the diverse ideologies of White adolescents' explanations, ranging from colorblind claims to ethnic pride. This study also found significant relationships between racial-ethnic identity importance (centrality) and parents' education for White adolescents. These findings highlight the diversity of White adolescents' understanding of their racial-ethnic identities and the importance of context in shaping racial-ethnic centrality.
Grossman
Jennifer M
JM
Wellesley Centers for Women, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA, USA. jgrossma@wellesley.edu
Charmaraman
Linda
L
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D054521:Cultural Competency; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009511:New England; D010290:Parents; D011287:Prejudice; D011822:Race Relations; D012923:Social Class; D012933:Social Identification; D013240:Stereotyping; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult