Exploring the Role of Racial Socialization and Media in Black Youth's Sociopolitical Development

Anyiwo, Nkemka, Ypsilanti MI

Investigators

Abstract

This award was provided as part of NSF's Social, Behavioral and Economic (SBE) Sciences Postdoctoral Research Fellowships (SPRF) program and SBE's Developmental Sciences Program. The goal of the SPRF program is to prepare promising, early career doctoral-level scientists for scientific careers in academia, industry or private sector, and government. SPRF awards involve two years of training under the sponsorship of established scientists and encourage Postdoctoral Fellows to perform independent research. NSF seeks to promote the participation of scientists from all segments of the scientific community, including those from underrepresented groups, in its research programs and activities; the postdoctoral period is considered to be an important level of professional development in attaining this goal. Each Postdoctoral Fellow must address important scientific questions that advance their respective disciplinary fields. Under the sponsorship of Howard Stevenson at the University of Pennsylvania and the mentorship of Drs. Riana Anderson and Matthew Diemer at the University of Michigan, this postdoctoral fellowship award supports an early career scientist investigating the role of culturally-relevant parental practices and media in promoting Black youth's awareness of and actions to combat racial inequality. Limited psychological research has investigated the factors that shape Black youth's sociopolitical development (SPD), the process of developing an awareness of and engaging in action to address the systems that contribute to inequality. It is likely that the messages that Black parents send to Black youth about race (e.g., racial socialization) inform Black youth's sociopolitical actions regarding issues of race. Racial justice movements have used media to drive mainstream discourse about the pervasiveness of racism in society. Thus, youth may draw directly on sociopolitical content in media to inform their SPD. Furthermore, youth and parents alike may use sociopolitical media content to inform the conversations that they have about race (e.g., racial socialization). Across three studies, this project seeks to elucidate the role of racial socialization and media in Black youth?s SPD. Drawing on a nascent sociocultural theory of SPD, this project employs quantitative and qualitative methods. Study one uses qualitative inquiry to examine how Black youth describe their race-related sociopolitical beliefs and behaviors and what factors they identify as being influential in their SPD. Study two uses quantitative inquiry to test hypothesized pathways between parental racial socialization and indicators of Black youth's race-related SPD. Study three uses qualitative inquiry to examine the extent which Black parents and children draw upon media content to inform their dialogue about racial issues and whether parents watch media content with their children with the intention of racial socialization. Collectively, these studies integrate theories on SPD and racial socialization to elucidate the factors that shape how Black youth understand and respond to sociopolitical forces that have negative implications for their development. The findings of this work will inform the development and enhancement of family and community-based racial socialization and SPD interventions for Black youth. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.