“With Politics, It’s Easier to Talk to Them About It”: Peer Racial Socialization and Sociopolitical Development Among Black College Students

Abstract

With the increased frequency of highly publicized racism in the United States, the engagement of racial socialization among Black emerging adults and their peers is critical for navigating their racial experiences and organizing for change as evident in social movements led by young adults (e.g., Black Lives Matter). However, little is known about the process of peer racial socialization and its relation to sociopolitical development. In this study, we qualitatively explored these processes with 35 Black undergraduates attending a predominantly white institution. Two peer racial socialization themes associated with sociopolitical development emerged: Political Division and Media. An additional theme, Culture as a Form of Resistance, highlighted the relationship between peer racial socialization and coping with racism. Implications for further exploration of non-traditional forms of activism and the creation of safe spaces for Black college students are discussed.

Racial discrimination moderates associations between sociopolitical discussions and internalizing problems among racially minoritized college students.

“…According to sociopolitical development theory, knowledge of social issues and critical social analysis is necessary for sociopolitical engagement (Diemer et al, 2016; Watts & Halkovic, 2022). Sociopolitical discussions enable individuals to learn about civic issues and engage in critical reflection (Golden et al, 2021; Wray-Lake, 2019). Civic knowledge and critical reflection, in turn, predict greater civic engagement and voting likelihood (Littenberg-Tobias & Cohen, 2016).…”

Peer ethnic/racial socialization in adolescence: Current knowledge and future directions

“…Beyond the question of what peers are doing around issues of ethnicity/race, another key issue for understanding peer ERS is to identify who actually performs these socialization practices. The existing research has considered peers in a relatively aggregated form, either asking participants to reflect on ERS from peers generally (Golden et al, 2021; Nelson et al, 2018; Sladek et al, 2022) or from their friends (Chen et al, 2020; Lesane‐Brown et al, 2005; Su et al, 2020; Wang et al, 2015). Below, we highlight a few peer characteristics that may be important to consider when examining the nature of peer ERS and its influence on adolescent outcomes.…”

“…On the one hand, close friends may have more opportunities to interact with adolescents on a daily basis and therefore socialize adolescents about ethnicity/race to a greater extent (Lesane- Brown et al, 2005;Wang et al, 2015). However, qualitative research suggests that classmates and schoolmates can also engage in activities that celebrate one's ethnic/ racial heritage in class, during lunchtime, and in extracurricular activities (DeCuir-Gunby et al, 2012;Sladek et al, 2022). It is possible that more distal peers (e.g., classmates and schoolmates) practice ERS less regularly than one's close friends, but when they do so, they may play a more influential role for youth to learn about others' perceptions of their ethnicity/race and cultural heritage (e.g., public regard).…”

“…For example, informed by the school ERS literature (Saleem & Byrd, 2021), in structured settings such as classrooms, peer ERS likely takes on the form of students teaching each other about the histories, knowledge, and traditions of one's ethnicity/race when engaged with learning materials together (Sladek et al, 2022). Peer ERS can also occur implicitly when students participate together in extracurricular activities and school events celebrating various ethnic/racial and cultural heritages (DeCuir-Gunby et al, 2012). The structured nature of these contexts provides an opportunity for peers to engage in cultural socialization and convey more culturally affirmative messages.…”

Examining Critical Reflection as a Mediator Between School Racial Climate Experiences and Anti‐Racist Action

“…Recent studies of critical consciousness among racially minoritized youth provide a more nuanced understanding of how these youth analyze and respond to racial inequities and highlight the importance of nontraditional acts of resistance for racially minoritized youth (Golden et al., 2021; Hope, Gugwor, et al., 2019; Tyler et al., 2020). These studies resist the long‐standing narrative that youth of color are less engaged in civic engagement behaviors and amplify the diverse experiences of racially marginalized youth.…”