Promoting Family-School Congruence in Ethnic-Racial Socialization: An Integrated Conceptual Model

Abstract

The ecological systems theory suggests that human development is influenced by interactions across settings. However, limited research examines the connections between ethnic-racial socialization (ERS) in different contexts. Existing literature focuses primarily on family ERS, with recent studies acknowledging the importance of school ERS. Unfortunately, these lines of ERS research remain separate. The dearth of research examining transactional ERS may stem from the lack of theoretical frameworks linking home and school ERS. To fill this gap, I propose an integrated conceptual model that connects the family and school ERS literature. Guided by ecological systems theory and cultural discontinuity hypothesis, I emphasize the interdependent influence of family and school ERS on ethnic-racial minority adolescents’ positive development. Additionally, the proposed conceptual model highlights the potential of dynamic family-school rapprochement in fostering congruence in family-school ERS across settings. Lastly, I propose new directions for future research based on this integrated conceptual model.