Deconstructing racial essentialism in the classroom

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to examine how change in white college students’ beliefs about race over the course of a semester impacted their interactions with diverse others. While there is an increasing interest in understanding people's beliefs about race, there has been limited research examining how people’s beliefs about race can and do change over time and how education can facilitate this change. Design/methodology/approach White students (N = 98) at a predominantly white college completed a multidimensional racial essentialism measure and measures of both self-report and behavioral interactions with diversity, at the beginning and end of a semester. Multilevel modeling with time-varying predictors was used to examine how change in beliefs about race related to change in diversity interactions. Findings The impact of racial essentialism on student diversity interaction varied considerably depending on the type of racial essentialism. Higher levels of speciation and genotypic essentialism at Time 1 were related to lower interaction with diversity at Time 2. Decreases in phenotypic essentialism were concurrent with increases in diversity interaction over the duration of the semester. For a subgroup of students enrolled in a race and diversity course, unexpectedly, decreases in genotypic essentialism were concurrent with decreases in diversity interaction. Originality/value By using a multidimensional model of beliefs about race with a longitudinal assessment, this study contributes to our understanding of how specific components of beliefs about race change over time and how change in these beliefs occurs concurrently with students’ diverse interactions. The findings are discussed in relation to the impact of education on students’ peer interactions with diverse others, with specific implications for race and diversity pedagogy.

East Asian American cultural essentialism

“…As a result, less career attainment for cultural minorities may lead to a deeper belief of cultural essentialism. Nevertheless, more research is required before a reverse causal relationship can be established because current literature has not thoroughly examined how essentialism develops past early childhood and because ongoing research may identify various aspects of racial essentialism, some which may change in response to education while others may not (Tawa, 2020;Tawa et al, 2020).…”

Understanding the challenges and opportunities of talking to children about race and racism in child‐facing institutions

“…These data converge with other evidence, showing that believing that race is defined by genetics has deeply negative consequences (Plaks et al., 2012; Richeson & Sommers, 2016; Smedley & Smedley, 2005). Indeed, learning about the social construction and genetic complexity of race can lower negative racial attitudes and beliefs in college populations (Foeman, 2012; Khanna & Harris, 2009; Tawa et al., 2020; Young et al., 2022). These data suggest the efficacy of lessons and discussions that highlight the complexity of race.…”