Trends in American Attitudes on Race

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Few contemporary issues are as threatening of the domestic order and stability of the United States as that of the race relations. As a consequence, Political Scientists have invested heavily in research on the nature, dynamics and determinants of racial attitudes in America. To date, however, virtually all of this research has focussed on the attitudes of white Americans. Very little attention has been given to the racial attitudes of blacks. This research replicates a major 1968 survey of racial attitudes in the racially diverse Detroit metropolitan area in order to develop longitudinal data on the changing racial attitudes of both white and especially black Americans. Specifically, this research will use data on racial attitudes over the past quarter century to test an enhanced theoretical model of black racial attitudes, develop a more comprehensive understanding of black's perceptions of racial discrimination, and examine the nature, extend, and causes of these attitudes over time. Examination of white racial attitudes in the same community will serve as a valuable point of comparison. When completed this ambitious project should greatly increase our understanding of the nature and direction of race relations in the United States and provide a better foundation with which to address any remaining obstacles to the improvement of these relations.