Parental Ethnic‐Racial Socialization and Children of Color's Academic Success: A Meta‐Analytic Review

Abstract

Increased attention is being placed on the importance of ethnic-racial socialization in children of color's academic outcomes. Synthesizing research on the effects of parental ethnic-racial socialization, this meta-analysis of 37 studies reveals that overall the relation between ethnic-racial socialization and academic outcomes was positive, though the strength varied by the specific academic outcome under consideration, dimension of ethnic-racial socialization utilized, developmental age of the child receiving the socialization, and racial/ethnic group implementing the socialization. Ethnic-racial socialization was positively related to academic performance, motivation, and engagement, with motivation being the strongest outcome. Most dimensions of ethnic-racial socialization were positively related to academic outcomes, except for promotion of mistrust. In addition, the link between ethnic-racial socialization and academic outcomes was strongest for middle school and college students, and when looking across ethnic-racial groups, this link was strongest for African American youth. The results suggest that different dimensions of ethnic-racial socialization have distinct relationships with diverse academic outcomes and that the effects of ethnic-racial socialization vary by both youth developmental levels and racial/ethnic groups.

Daily Ethnic/Racial Context in Peer Groups: Frequency, Structure, and Implications for Adolescent Outcomes

“…Moreover, this study did not investigate peer promotion of mistrust, another component from the parental ethnic/racial socialization literature (Hughes et al, 2006). While this was informed by meta‐analytic work showing either nonsignificant or negative associations between this construct and adolescent outcomes (Wang, Henry, et al, 2019; Wang, Smith, Miller‐Cotto, & Huguley, 2019), future research could benefit from comparing it with the peer ethnic/racial processes investigated in this study. Additionally, the study did not assess the ethnicity/race of peers with whom adolescents interacted.…”

Discrimination and adolescents' academic and socioemotional adjustment: The moderating roles of family and peer cultural socialisation

“…socialisation plays a strong and robust role in promoting adolescents' academic engagement (M. T. Wang et al, 2019). Additionally, when youth received little to no cultural socialisation from either family or peers, they were most vulnerable in the face of discrimination, yet, when family cultural socialisation was low, peer socialisation appeared to be protective in a way that more discrimination actually became significantly related to higher levels of school engagement for those experiencing high peer cultural socialisation.…”

“…Parents in racial/ethnic minority families often socialise their children on matters of race to help them cope with race-related challenges such as racial discrimination. Such family socialisation practices can take many forms, including cultural socialisation (i.e., the process through which children are socialised with ethnic pride, culture and values), preparation for bias and egalitarianism, among which cultural socialisation is found to most consistently relate to adolescents' positive adjustment (M. T. Wang et al, 2019). Parents often engage in explicit cultural socialisation practices by talking about the heritage culture and instilling ethnic pride (i.e., overt cultural socialisation, Hughes et al, 2006).…”

“…To date, family cultural socialisation has been found to be generally associated with positive outcomes. For example, a recently published meta-analysis found that youth who were socialised with their ethnic culture and values were more likely to have better academic motivation, performance, and engagement in school (M. T. Wang et al, 2019). Family cultural socialisation is also found to promote socioemotional well-being, such as lower levels of loneliness and depressive symptoms (Y.…”

“…The integrative model of minority children's competencies (Garcia Coll et al, 1996) suggests that the pernicious effects of discrimination can be attenuated by "promoting contexts" that provide children with adaptive cultural resources and prepare them to deal with discrimination. Family is one such promoting context, and parents' practices of socialising children with ethnic culture and pride have been found to facilitate minority adolescents' development (M. T. Wang, Smith, Miller-Cotto, & Huguley, 2019) and buffer some of the negative effects of discrimination (Harris-Britt, Valrie, Kurtz-Costes, & Rowley, 2007; M. T. Wang & Huguley, 2012).…”