The COVID States Project #73: American Attitudes Toward Critical Race Theory

Abstract

In a few short years, the scholarly approach known as Critical Race Theory (CRT) went from a relatively obscure academic framework to the new front in the American culture wars. CRT has made its way to the front pages of newspapers, cable news show’s primetime specials, Presidential executive orders, and a slate of laws and regulations dictating how history can be taught in public schools. Critical Race Theory1 is an academic movement of scholars who investigate and seek to change the existing power dynamic between race and racism in society.CRT began in the 1970s among legal scholars and has since influenced other fields such as sociology, education, and ethnic studies. CRT consists of several basic tenants or themes, although substantial individual variation exists across scholars. Among these is the notion that race is socially constructed (there is no biological basis for what we think of as race), the idea that racism is normalized as part of everyday society (it is entrenched in modern institutions and policies and can be difficult to combat), and the idea that the dominant group have little incentive to eliminate racism because the current racial hierarchy serves important material and psychological needs. Other themes in CRT include the idea of intersectionality which argues that belonging to multiple oppressed groups is a distinctive experience that is more than just the sum of its parts.

Ignorance of critical race theory predicts White Americans’ opposition to it

“…Although our results provide convergent evidence that ignorance is a key factor for understanding opposition to CRT, it is worth noting that our findings are limited to White Americans. Future research should use a more diverse sample to test whether effects are consistent across racial groups who may vary in CRT support (Safarpour et al., 2021). While we assessed racial group identification, future research could examine American identification as a predictor of support for CRT, as the theory recontextualizes and interrogates American institutions and history (see Jardina, 2019; Theiss‐Morse, 2009).…”

Schoolhouse Rocked: Pandemic Politics and the Nationalization of School Board Elections

“…We expect that parental educational attainment will be negatively related to the odds of having a conflict election and having conflict candidates win. Recent research suggests that "More educated Americans who have at least some college education or more were slightly more supportive of teaching about how racism continues to impact American society compared to those with a high school degree or less" (Safarpour et al 2021). In terms of the percentage of students in the district who are racial/ethnic minorities, our expectation is that districts with large minority populations will be less inclined to see "conflict" elections and candidates because of the likelihood of backlash from minority students and/or families.…”

Divisive or Descriptive?: How Americans Understand Critical Race Theory

“…The "anti-cue" dynamic focuses on established issues where individuals can likely infer the implications of the frame. Yet, we suspect that most individuals, including Democrats, do not know what CRT is (Safarpour et al 2021) and thus lack any information to otherwise take a position. They thus will equivocate, given the lack of a clear Democratic frame/position.…”