Child and Parent Correlates of Racial Socialization in African American Families

A model of racial socialization is proposed that can be used as a framework to better understand the nature, antecedents, and consequences of parent race-related practices in African American families. The model is described in detail and parts of the model pertaining to child and parent predictors of the frequency of three racial socialization subtypes (preparation for bias, cultural socialization, and negative messages) are examined in a longitudinal sample of African American parent-child dyads. Reports from youth and parents were incorporated. One aim was to examine the congruency of parent and youth reports of racial socialization and the quality of the child-parent relationship as a characteristic that may shape the relation between the two perspectives. Results indicated small, positive correlations between parent and child reports. Child-parent relationship quality did not moderate the congruency of parent-child reports. Latent growth models were used to examine changes in cultural socialization and preparation for bias practices from Grade 5 to Grade 12. Racial socialization did not change over time. Next, child gender, parent racial attitudes, and parent received racial socialization were examined as predictors of the frequencies with which parents transmitted racial socialization. No gender differences emerged. According to parent reports, parents who received more preparation for bias, cultural socialization, and negative messages as children engaged in these practices more frequently with their own children. Negative messages results were also replicated with child reported views. Parents who believed they lived in a racially hostile environment were more likely to transmit preparation for bias messages. The last set of analyses examined racial socialization practices utilizing latent profile analysis. Two clusters emerged: a moderate positive profile and a high positive profile. Profiles were examined for differences in parent and child characteristics. Again, no child gender differences were found. Higher educated parents and parents who received more childhood preparation for bias were more likely to be in the high positive cluster compared to the moderate positive cluster. No parent racial attitude differences were found in profile membership. Implications for future research are discussed.