Doctoral Dissertation Research: Whites' Racial Attitudes in the Detroit Metropolitan Area: Does It Matter How We Ask?

这是博士论文研究改进计划下的一个奖项。它是对白人种族态度的研究，以及衡量白人种族态度的适当科学方法，重点是白人更支持种族平等的抽象原则，而不是旨在实现这些目标的政策。本研究对这种“政策/原则差距”进行了两种解释：1)调查研究没有捕捉到真正的种族态度，这是由于社会期望的压力，要求人们根据被认为是主流的社会规范做出反应；2)预测原则与政策之间完美关系的模型是不充分的，必须考虑其他的态度、信仰和价值观。为了解决这些问题，本研究将新的数据收集和分析附加到正在进行的底特律地区研究中。这项研究涉及研究方法和社会学理论的重要问题，其结果将有助于建立有关美国种族紧张关系的知识库。除了研究取得的科学成果外，该奖项还将极大地帮助极有前途的学生完成博士论文的研究。有利于培养国家未来的科学人才，有利于培养下一代社会科学家。

This is an award under the Grants for Improving Doctoral Dissertation Research Program. It is a study of whites' racial attitudes and the appropriate scientific methodologies for measuring them, focusing on the fact that whites are more supportive of abstract principles of racial equality than they are of policies directed at achieving these goals. This study investigates two explanations for this "policy/principle gap:" 1) survey research is not capturing true racial attitudes due to social desirability pressures to respond according to what are perceived to be the prevailing social norms; 2) models predicting a perfect relationship between principles and policies are inadequate, and additional attitudes, beliefs and values must be considered. This study attaches fresh data collection and analysis to the on-going Detroit Area Study in order to address these questions. %%% The research engages important issues in both research methodology and sociological theory, and the results will contribute to the knowledge base concerning American racial tensions. In addition to the scientific gains to be achieved by the research, this award will materially assist a highly promising student in completing research for the Ph.D. dissertation. Thus it contributes to the future scientific manpower of the nation and the thorough training of the next generation of social scientists.