Effect of Framings of Racism on White Students' Resistance to Confronting Whiteness

• Main Author: Blume, Maile
• Format: Others
• Published: Scholarship @ Claremont 2017
• Subjects: whiteness; behavioral resistance; anti-racism; self-esteem; affect; Psychology; Social and Behavioral Sciences; Social Psychology; Theory and Philosophy
• Online Access: http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/932; http://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1976&context=scripps_theses

The proposed experimental study seeks to explore under what conditions white participants might demonstrate less behavioral resistance to engaging in conversations about racism. In this study, approximately 128 white-identifying students at Scripps College will be randomly assigned to one of two conditions: a non-racist framing condition (in which racism is primarily conceptualized on an individual level) or an anti-racist framing condition (in which racism is primarily conceptualized on an institutional level). After completing the framing task, participants will be asked to imagine that they are going to meet with a group of Students of Color to discuss the issue of the lack of diversity on campus. Participants’ interview behaviors will be videotaped, and later coded for behavioral resistance. Lastly, participants will complete affect and self-esteem self-report measures. Participants in the non-racist framing group are expected to score lower on self-esteem, and higher on negative affect and resistant behavior than participants in the anti-racist framing group. Furthermore, the effect of framing on participants’ behavior is expected to be mediated by participants’ affect. Lastly, it is predicted that the effect of framing on participants’ affect will be mediated by participants’ self-esteem.