First Advisor

Jose A. Padin

Term of Graduation

Summer 2000

Date of Publication

9-19-2000

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (M.S.) in Sociology

Department

Sociology

Language

English

Subjects

Racism -- United States, United States -- Race relations

Physical Description

1 online resource (v, 184 pages)

Abstract

Whites' racial attitudes are influenced by a variety of factors. Research offers varied findings on the extent to which interracial contact promotes positive racial attitudes. Previous researchers have not explored the process by which whites acquire positive racial attitudes. This thesis is an attempt to fill this gap in the literature.

The purpose of this thesis is to explore the conditions that lead to positive white racial attitudes. It is primarily concerned with the conditions that encourage whites to become empathetic to the social positions of African Americans. For the purpose of this research, empathetic refers to individuals having a strong anti-racist ideological commitment, a strong desire to understand racial issues, a strong proactive stance toward racial issues, and a strong desire to associate personally with racial others and in multiracial organizations.

This thesis examines the spectrum of interracial contact in order to get a better idea as to how different types of contact affect racial attitudes. Respondents were sampled from three settings (each having varying degrees of interracial contact): a community center, a college campus, and a restaurant/bar. Twenty-four whites were interviewed following a semi-structured format.

The present research suggests having more than one intimate interracial friendship or relationship, participating in a diversity class, and identifying with stigmatized groups are conditions that may encourage the development of empathy. Although each of these conditions encourages empathy, it seems that the conditions reinforce one other. That is, the conditions may work together in their influence. A Model of Empathy Development was established to offer an approximation of the process of developing empathy. The stages in the model are (1) socialization in a predominantly white environment, (2) questioning and resisting norms, (3) identity reassessment, (4) reaction, and (5) recognizing structural racism.

Rights

In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/44932

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