Teaching Young Children About Racism Helps Change Racial Attitudes

Even though the Civil Rights Movement was over 30 years ago, racism still exists in many parts of America. Researchers have found that they can obtain primarily positive results by educating young, white children about the historical problems surrounding racism.

In a recent press release, researchers from the University of Texas at Austin announced that both black and white children who are taught about historical racism are more likely to find racial discrimination unfair.

Rather than being afraid to talk and teach about racism, one way to help change attitudes about race and defeat racism is to educate children about the historical problems that racism has caused, and let them know that the only way to change racism is by changing their own attitude.

When young, white children were taught history lessons that included facts about the discrimination that famous African Americans had suffered with, and their struggles because of that racism, the white children had significantly more positive attitudes towards all African Americans.

They compared this data to young, white children who were not educated about racism. Researchers determined that students who were not educated about racism and the problems it caused did not change their attitudes about African Americans or any other race.

Young black children who were educated about racism and the struggles of famous African Americans did not have a difference in their racial attitudes.

Researchers used age-appropriate lessons, including educating students about segregation, and hiring practices that were racially based. Children were assessed for their defensiveness, guilt, or anger after being taught these lessons.

They determined that white children who learned about racism did have more defensiveness, did not accept stereotypical views of blacks, and had more racial guilt.

"There is considerable debate about when and how children should be taught about racism. But little research has examined elementary-school-aged children's cognitive and emotional reactions to such lessons. There is considerable debate about when and how children should be taught about racism," said Psychologists Rebecca Bigler, director of the university's Gender and Racial Attitudes Lab.

About the study
In completing this study, researchers presented biographies of 12 famous historical figures, half of who were African American and half of who were European Americans. These biographies were presented to children between the ages of 6 to 11 years old.

To keep the material age appropriate, researchers did not discuss more volatile acts of racism, including lynching and other forms of racism that demonstrated violence.

"Additional work on the topic is needed so that we know how to best present to children some of the more abhorrent truths from U.S. history," said Bigler.

Source:
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-11/uota-wcm111207.php