Background/Context: For the last 40 years, researchers have posited competing theories regarding the relative influence of social class background and racial-group membership on the school experiences, academic performance, behavior, and motivation of ethnic minority students. The general purpose of these competing theories has been to explain why…

Reports on the perceptions of "Roots" among a nationally representative sample of black Americans. Examines viewing patterns and reactions to "Roots" in relation to seven variables: urbanicity, region, gender, age, education, and income. Suggests that, for Blacks, "Roots" was more than entertainment, and that heaviest…

The adjective "brown" is more accurately descriptive and less emotionally laden than "black." Americans should adopt "brown" for use as a racial referent to people of African descent. (KH)

Notes that "Tears of a Tiger" is the story of a young African American man's responsibility for a drunk-driving crash that killed his best friend. Offers a reading of "Tears of a Tiger" and "Whirligig" through the lens of critical race theory. Suggests that, paired together, these novels afford a powerful opportunity…

Examined influence of responses to Racial Identity Attitude Scale (RAIS) on attitudes toward feminism, locus of control, and racial designation among 177 African-American women. RAIS preencounter stage was associated with racial designation "Negro" or "Colored"; encounter stage with belief in chance locus of control; immersion-emersion stage with…

Responds to recent article in "Counseling Psychologist" (Rowe, Bennett, and Atkinson, 1994) that criticized white racial identity development (WRID) conceptualizations. Contends that Rowe et al.'s criticisms were based on misrepresentations of Helms's (1990) WRID theory and, therefore, were unsubstantiated. Attempts to correct misrepresentations…

Reconceptualizes issue of racial identity development so that it is not just limited to issue of oppression and provides beginning framework for conceptualizing ethnic identity development that can be used for members of both minority and majority ethnic groups. Presents propositions leading toward development of theory of ethnic group identity…

The Racial Identity Attitude Scale, form B, was completed by 540 African Americans. Item, subscale, and factor analyses indicated that problems exist with the internal structure; four subscales received unequal support (Encounter was not supported); two scoring versions (forms A and B) were not equivalent; and score distributions were skewed for…

Examines the relationship of ethnic identity to self-esteem, perceived self-efficacy, and prosocial attitudes in early adolescents (N=100) from different ethnic backgrounds. Self-esteem and ethnic identity factors emerged as related and provided evidence of efficacy-mediated effects on prosocial attitudes. (Author/MKA)

A series of analyses (correlations, multiple regressions, and confirmatory modeling) was conducted on data (N=275) collected to explore the psychometric properties of the Racial Identity Attitude Scale-Long Form (RIAS-L). Results were mixed, generally revealing limited support for the RIAS-L's validity and highlighting concerns regarding the…

The author: revisits issues raised by those advocating the eradication of whiteness, calling herself a justice educator; examines conceptual confusions at the heart of the New Abolitionists' position; uses this thinking to help construct a positive, white, anti-racist identity; and suggests that such an identity is fundamental to the success of…

Examined relationships between racial identity attitudes and gender role conflict for 95 African American men ages 23 to 80 years. Racial identity attitudes were differentially related to patterns of gender role conflict when racial identity was externally designed. Internally defined racial identity had no relationship to gender role conflict.…

Explores realities surrounding biracial and multiracial children and adolescents and reviews identity development literature and models. Suggests practical ways that family and consumer sciences professionals can meet their needs. (Contains 23 references.) (Author/JOW)

Investigated whether a sense of generalized self-efficacy (GSE) would mediate the relationship between African American women's racial identity attitudes and self-esteem. Surveys of women from churches and a misdemeanor probation institution indicated that GSE mediated the relationship between pre-encounter racial identity attitude and…