Suchergebnisse

Despite the enduring popular view that the rise in the multiracial population heralds our nation's transformation into a post-racial society, Critical Multiracial Theory (MultiCrit) asserts that how multiracial identity status is constructed is inextricably tied to systems and ideologies that maintain the white supremacist status quo in the United States. MultiCrit, like much of the multiracial identity literature, focuses predominantly on the experiences of emerging adults; this means we know little about the experiences of multiracial adolescents, a peak period for identity development. The current paper uses MultiCrit to examine how a diverse sample of multiracial youth (n = 49; Mage = 15.5 years) negotiate racial identity development under white supremacy. Our qualitative interview analysis reveals: (a) the salience of socializing messages from others, (b) that such messages reinforce a (mono)racist societal structure via discrimination, stereotyping, and invalidation, and (c) that multiracial youth frequently resist (mono)racist assertions as they make sense of their own identities. Our results suggest that multiracial youth are attentive to the myriad ways that white supremacy constructs and constrains their identities, and thus underscores the need to bring a critical lens to the study of multiracial identity development.

This study explored the reflections of graduate social work students from a public university in the Midwest region of the continental United States, following a service-learning course in San Juan, Puerto Rico during the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. The course linked academic study and civic engagement through organized service with Proyecto ENLACE, a public corporation that unites eight communities and twelve grassroots organizations located along the estuary banks of the El Caño Martín Peña. Nine students and two faculty members repaired and painted a community center building. Faculty facilitated opportunities for critical reflection on the dynamics of power, privilege, and oppression in the context of working with communities during the reconstruction phase of the disaster. Students met with Puerto Rican community members and social workers to learn about their experiences and perspectives. Qualitative analyses of a student focus group revealed themes in students' learning processes, students' perceptions of trauma and resilience among community members and disaster relief workers, environmental justice in Puerto Rico, and the increased visibility of macro-level practice opportunities. We recommend critical reflection as a valuable pedagogical tool for social work education and requisite for skill development and transfer learning.

AbstractFirearm-related violence is a significant threat to public health and safety in America. However, research highlights a critical disparity in firearm-related deaths by race. Researchers often cite racial bias as a contributing factor for the racial disparity in firearm-related deaths. To provide a foundation for potential social work interventions, the present article discusses the results of an assessment of whether explicit racial biases toward four racial and ethnic groups (white, black, Asian, Hispanic/Latino), fear of crime, and the quantity and quality of interactions with neighbors of a different race are predictors of gun ownership. Findings suggest that explicit racial bias toward black, Asian, and Hispanic/Latino individuals is a significant predictor of gun ownership. Fear of crime and more frequent interactions with neighbors of a different race are also significant predictors of gun ownership. Taken as a whole, findings suggest that gun owners are more likely to be more vigilant toward people of color because of stereotypical assumptions that racial and ethnic minorities are more likely to be involved with crime. Social work practice and policy implications include developing interventions aimed at reducing implicit bias and identifying policies that are associated with lower levels of implicit bias among gun owners.