SBP-Creating a Diverse Society that Works: Investigating the Role of Social Identity Threat in Interracial Interactions

SBP-创建一个有效的多元化社会：调查社会身份威胁在种族互动中的作用

• 批准号: 1226562
• 负责人: Daryl Wout
• 金额: $ 36万
• 依托单位: CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-09-15 至 2016-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1226562&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBP; Creating; Diverse; Society; Works

The lack of positive contact between members of different racial groups has constituted a major social problem throughout American history. Even though racial and ethic diversity in the United States is growing, interracial contact remains relatively rare. Positive interracial contact is important because it has been linked to reductions in prejudice and discrimination and to greater access to intellectual, social and economic capital. When interracial contact occurs, however, research has demonstrated that it is rife with anxiety and discomfort for both racial majority and minority group members. Furthermore, people's anxiety and discomfort during interracial contact has been associated with decreased interest in pursuing future interracial contact. The present research examines how two factors - the racial diversity of an interaction partner's friendship network and the goals that he or she adopts for the interaction - influence people's experiences during interracial interactions. This research proposes a novel, theoretically based model for how these factors independently and collectively influence people's comfort and anxiety when engaged in interracial interactions and their desire to engage in future interracial interactions. While previous research has examined how racially diverse (vs. homogenous) friendship networks affects interracial interaction expectations, this work examines the role of friendship networks in the context of another situational factor - people's goals for the interaction. Five experimental studies will test whether an interaction partner's racial friendship network (racially diverse or racial homogeneous) and the partner's goals for the interaction (learning or performance goals) influence ethnic minority and White individuals' interaction experiences. In particular, we will measure Black, Hispanic and White college students' experiences of social identity threat, anxiety, and avoidant behavior prior to and during the interaction, as well as their interest in engaging in future interracial interactions. It is hypothesized that an interaction partner who has a racially diverse friend network and who also adopts a learning goal prior to the interaction will reduce participants' social identity threat, anxiety and avoidance behavior, and will foster a more positive interaction. Thus the research will test whether shifts in people's goals within the interaction context can reduce identity threat, opening the door for positive interracial contact?even in the absence of a diverse friendship network. By exploring the perspectives of majority and minority group members, this research will provide novel theoretical and empirical contributions to the existing literatures on interracial contact and social identity threat by broadening our understanding of the challenges faced by people engaged in interracial contact. Moreover, this research will provide practical guidance on how to better structure interracial interactions to facilitate smoother exchanges and greater enjoyment for both minority and majority group members. This understanding is essential as we enter an age of increased globalization and intergroup contact and as we strive to maintain our competitiveness both at home and internationally. As faculty of color, both PIs are committed to broadening diversity with the sciences and thus serve as role models and mentors for graduate and undergraduate students from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds that will be involved in the planning, execution, dissemination, and publication of the research findings.

不同种族群体的成员之间缺乏积极接触，这在整个美国历史上构成了一个重大的社会问题。尽管美国的种族和民族多样性正在增加，但种族间的接触仍然相对较少。积极的种族间接触很重要，因为它与减少偏见和歧视以及更多地获得智力、社会和经济资本有关。然而，研究表明，当跨种族接触发生时，对种族多数和少数群体成员来说都充满了焦虑和不适。此外，人们在跨种族接触期间的焦虑和不适与寻求未来跨种族接触的兴趣下降有关。本研究考察了两个因素--交往伙伴的友谊网络的种族多样性以及他或她为交往而采取的目标--如何影响人们在种族间交往中的体验。这项研究提出了一个新的、基于理论的模型，说明这些因素如何独立和共同地影响人们在进行种族间互动时的舒适度和焦虑感，以及他们未来参与种族间互动的愿望。虽然之前的研究考察了不同种族(与同质)的友谊网络如何影响种族间的互动期望，但这项研究考察了友谊网络在另一个情景因素--人们对互动的目标--的背景下所扮演的角色。五项实验研究将测试互动伙伴的种族友谊网络(种族多样性或种族同质性)和伴侣的互动目标(学习目标或表现目标)是否会影响少数民族和白人个体的互动体验。特别是，我们将测量黑人、西班牙裔和白人大学生在互动之前和互动期间的社会认同威胁、焦虑和回避行为的经历，以及他们对未来参与种族间互动的兴趣。研究假设，拥有不同种族的朋友网络并在互动前采用学习目标的互动伙伴将减少参与者的社会认同威胁、焦虑和回避行为，并将促进更积极的互动。因此，这项研究将测试在互动环境中改变人们的目标是否可以减少身份威胁，为积极的种族间接触打开大门？即使在没有多样化的友谊网络的情况下也是如此。本研究从少数族裔和少数族裔群体成员的角度出发，通过拓宽我们对跨种族接触者所面临的挑战的理解，将为现有的关于种族间接触和社会认同威胁的文献提供新的理论和实证贡献。此外，这项研究将为如何更好地构建种族间互动提供实践指导，以促进少数族裔和多数族裔成员更顺畅的交流和更大的享受。在我们进入日益全球化和集团间接触的时代，以及在我们努力保持我们在国内和国际上的竞争力时，这种理解是至关重要的。作为色彩学院，这两个专业人员致力于扩大与科学的多样性，从而成为来自弱势和代表性不足背景的研究生和本科生的榜样和导师，他们将参与研究成果的规划、执行、传播和出版。