Racial Socialization Messages and the Quality of Mother/Child Interactions in African American Families

Abstract

Racial socialization messages were examined within a particular ecological niche: two-parent, African American families with a child in early adolescence. The linkage between mothers'provision of racial socialization messages and family process components (e.g., communication, warmth, negativity, child monitoring, and involvement) of the mother/child relationship was examined. Sixty-six African American mothers and their early adolescent sons and daughters participated in videotaped mother/child interactions and completed questionnaires regarding family demographics and parenting. Based on the frequency of their provision of proactive responses to discrimination items, mothers were categorized into three groups (high, moderate, and low). Results indicated that mothers in the moderate socialization group exhibited the most positivity, were the most involved, and monitored their child's activities the most. Mothers in that group also displayed the lowest levels of dyadic negativity. Mothers in the moderate socialization group had children who exhibited the most positivity and displayed the lowest levels of negativity.Parents and children in racial/ethnic minority families face unique challenges and complexities throughout the family life course. Indeed, researchers devoted to the study of parenting and child development in minority families have underscored myriad ways in which those parents possess values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors that share some overlap with but are quite distinct from the dominant culture in the United States

The Effect of Racial Socialization on Urban African American Use of Child Mental Health Services

“…The presence of a low or high belief in racial socialization messages did not evidence a strong influence on child mental health service use. These findings are similar to those of Frabutt et al (2002) who found that parents who expressed more moderate levels of racial socialization messages were most likely to evidence the highest levels of parent-child communication, child monitoring, child involvement, and lowest levels of negativity. Although this is the sole pre-existing study that examines the effect of parent racial socialization messages at low, moderate, and high levels, it is interesting that the findings indicate the same type of curvilinear relationship between parental endorsement of racial socialization parenting practices and outcomes.…”

“…The specific findings of Frabutt et al (2002) also have implications in the current study, particularly in reference to the parents in the moderate spiritual or religious coping and extended family caring racial socialization groups who were most likely to have used child mental health services. More specifically, the authors linked moderate levels of parental belief in racial socialization to stronger family processes.…”

“…Frabutt et al (2002) found the middle range of parent racial socialization scores were most influential in contributing to outcomes. While the majority of research on parental racial socialization beliefs examines linear relationships between this construct and outcomes, Frabutt et al (2002) identified more moderate levels of racial socialization belief may have the most influence on outcomes. Therefore, current analyses will examine how parent use of mental health services differs by lower, middle, and upper levels of racial socialization belief.…”

“…This method was used by Frabutt, Walker, and MacKinnon-Lewis (2002) toward examining how maternal-child interactions differ by various levels of parental racial socialization belief. Frabutt et al (2002) found the middle range of parent racial socialization scores were most influential in contributing to outcomes.…”

“…This method was used by Frabutt, Walker, and MacKinnon-Lewis (2002) toward examining how maternal-child interactions differ by various levels of parental racial socialization belief. Frabutt et al (2002) found the middle range of parent racial socialization scores were most influential in contributing to outcomes. While the majority of research on parental racial socialization beliefs examines linear relationships between this construct and outcomes, Frabutt et al (2002) identified more moderate levels of racial socialization belief may have the most influence on outcomes.…”