Whites' Racial Policy Attitudes

In: Social science quarterly, Band 77, Heft 4, S. 723-745

Abstract

Attempts to explain whites' paradoxical support for principles of racial equality & intransigence on social policies aimed at rectifying racial inequities. A multivariate model is used to explore the effects of racial prejudice, beliefs about racial discrimination, stratification beliefs, & self-interest on whites' attitudes toward racial policies, based on data from the 1990 General Social Survey & the 1986 American National Election Study. Class positions were not found to be important determinants of whites' attitudes regarding race-targeted social policy. However, recognition of continuing racial discrimination, structuralist attributions of the causes of racial inequality, & group self-interest all played a significant part in determining whites' views of race-targeted policies. It is concluded that educational programs aimed at demonstrating the legacy of past & present discrimination & the effects of structured inequality can improve the prospects for successful policy interventions. 3 Tables, 1 Appendix, 40 References. Adapted from the source document.