Thesis advisor: Janet E. Helms / Part-White Multiracial adults undergo a unique racial identity development process within a racially stratified society. Theorists suggest that different ways of self-designating either improve or impede healthy psychological outcomes for Multiracial people, but virtually no theoretical rationale or empirical studies account for the internal mechanisms underlying self-designations and mental health outcomes. People of Color and White racial identity theories were used to investigate racial dynamics implicit in the identity development and self-designations of Multiracial individuals. The current study examined the relationships between racial self-designations, internalized racial identity, and well-being in part-White Multiracial adults. Part-White (Asian/White or Black/White) Multiracial adults (N = 169) completed a measure of frequency of use of five multiracial self-designations, People of Color and White Racial Identity Attitudes Scales to assess their internal race-related processes (i.e., statuses), and the Brief Symptom Inventory 18 (Derogatis, 2001) and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1979) to assess healthy and unhealthy psychological outcomes. Multivariate Multiple Regression Analyses were conducted to examine the relationships among racial self-designation and well-being, racial self-designation and internalized racial identity, and internalized racial identity and well-being. Results specific to racial self-designations were (a) greater disorientation about racial dynamics predicted more frequent identification as White and Multiracial, (b) withdrawal from Whiteness increased monoracial minority self-designation and decreased self-designation as Multiracial (c) more complex appraisals of Whiteness predicted more frequent use of most self-designation choices, and (d) an intellectualized view of Whiteness reduced use of the monoracial minority designations and increased identifying with no racial groups at all. Self-designation use was not related to psychological outcomes, but racial identity statuses were. Overall, the results of the study supported examining racial self-designation, internalized racial identity and well-being in a single study. As expected, internalized racial identity was predictive of self-designations and well-being. This study provides initial support for adding conceptual and empirical complexity to discussions about the mental health and wellbeing of Multiracial people. Methodological limitations and implications for future theory, research, and practice are discussed. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2021. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Counseling, Developmental and Educational Psychology.

This study was designed to explore how Black African international students develop an understanding of their racial identity within the U.S. context. Although there has been considerable previous theoretical and empirical work examining the process of racial identity development (e.g. Cross, 1971; Sellers et al.1998), which has provided foundation for how we continue to understand how U.S. racial minorities develop their racial identities. However, there is a paucity of research on the racial identity development process of non-U.S. born Black people (Hocoy, 1999; Asante, 2012). Even less is known about the role that intersectionality of other identities plays in the racial identity development of non-U.S. Black groups. Thus, this study was intended to provide information about the racial identity development process within the U.S. context of Black African international students at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Grounded Theory method was implemented in this study to analyze qualitative data from nine individual interviews. Findings highlight the complexity of navigating racial identity in a different cultural context. The final analysis revealed seven axial coding categories that comprised of 22 open-coding categories and subcategories. A Grounded Theory model emerged from the analysis, racial identity development as a flowing river, which depicts how participants developed their racial identity within the U.S. cultural context. These Black African international students’ racial identity development process was characterized by individual understanding of race, race-related incidents and events, constructivist nature of race, and impact of other group identities. At the center of the theoretical structure was the understanding of racial identity development as a journey, rather than a step-by-step process. Participants typically begun the process with the understanding of race within their home country context, and then gradually navigated how to adjust to the U.S. context of what it means to be Black. The process was like traveling down a flowing river, littered with rocks and ripples, and African identity served as a safe vessel in which to navigate the river’s flow. The study’s conclusions have implications for mental health providers in college counseling centers, international student office personnel, and researchers. Prior to providing services to Black African international students, stakeholders are encouraged to be mindful of the personal and cultural needs of individual students, as well as where they might be in their racial identity development journey.

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This thesis explores how African American children in the North learned race and racial identity during the Jim Crow era. Influences such as literature, media, parental instruction, interactions with others, and observations are examined.

Thesis advisor: Sara Moorman / Thesis advisor: Eve Spangler / This research project explores the narratives of how and when young Black people came to understand their race, as well as the implications of it. In order to expand upon the existing studies regarding racial realization and provide specific stories of such instances, qualitative interviews with nine Black people (ages 18-22) were conducted. The upbringings of these young Black people were analyzed in depth in order to provide insight to different types of racial socialization. It was found that both colorblind upbringings and non-colorblind upbringings that center individuals rather than systems of oppression are not helpful in the racial identity formation of young Black people. They both result in the perpetuation of the idea that racially marginalized people should modify their behavior. Additionally, this project exposes some of the reasons why racial realization is often a jarring experience for Black people in America, and in turn, expose some of the ways it can be less so. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2021. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Departmental Honors. / Discipline: Sociology.

<p>  </p> <p>The following thesis is an autoethnographic study that looks at narratives about communicative events and the social context that impacted the formation of identity, the deconstruction of identity and the reconstruction and integration of multiple identities housed in one body. The focus of the autoethnography is the lived experience of a mixed ethno-racial woman of Mexican heritage and Caucasian identity and how communicative events of validation and invalidation impacted the perceived identity of the individual. The conclusions drawn from the analysis stands as such. First, current theories and methods used to explore identity have limitations and the language and labels we use are inadequate. Second, while external factors including a person’s in-groups and out-groups as well as the social context impact ones perceived identity, through integration of one’s multiplicity of identity, we choose how much we allow it to impact our chosen identity.</p>

This study was conducted to examine the impact of various social comparisons on stereotype threat for Black college students attending predominantly White colleges and universities (PWCUs). Additionally, explored was whether the student's Black racial identity would moderate the relationship between social comparison and academic achievement. Social comparison theory posits that to gain an accurate self-evaluation, individuals compare themselves to others who are similar; therefore, for Black college students attending PWCUs their comparison is most likely to occur with White students. Stereotype threat is being at risk of confirming a negative stereotype about one's group membership. Participants were 144 self-identified Black college students (including bi-and multiracially identified individuals), currently enrolled in college in the U.S. Data were collected in four phases, with the fourth phase utilizing a participant panel. The study was available for 7 months and was self-administered online through a popular survey software. Participants completed self-report measures, read statistics from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), completed two academic tasks, and viewed a slideshow presentation of images. Data patterns were similar for the White and neutral conditions and were similar for the matched minority and unmatched minority conditions; therefore, participants in the White comparison condition and neutral condition were grouped together to form one subordinate group (i.e., racial nonminority intervention group), and participants in the racially matched and unmatched minority comparison conditions were grouped together to form another subordinate group (i.e., racial minority intervention group). Results indicated a statistically significant effect for time by condition, F(1,142) = 4.776, p = .030, partial n2 = .033, with the racial nonminority group showing a greater impact on stereotype threat. Stereotype threat was positively impacted at a rate greater for the racial nonminority group than for the racial minority group.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Members of stigmatized racial groups who realize that they might face employment discrimination may engage in résumé whitening, whereby they downplay the role of their group identity in their résumés. Although it has been documented that this approach helps members of stigmatized groups, such as Black American and Asian American individuals, move forward in their pursuit of employment (Kang, DeCelles, Tilcsik, & Jun, 2016), little is known about how their ingroup members would perceive this behavior. The current study explores the potential backlash coming from their own ingroup members when Black targets engage in résumé whitening.

Oppression is often mentioned in multicultural literature as a cognate to Racial Identity Development and Multicultural Competence. However, to this point, no studies have empirically examined the oppression construct in terms of relevant characteristics, processes, or relationships to other multicultural constructs. This study presents a conceptual model of oppression and explores psychometric properties of a scale designed to assess oppression attitudes of Master's level counselor-trainees enrolled in CACREP accredited programs. Expert panel review of the original 78-item instrument produced strong content validity evidence for the Oppression Attitudes construct. A pilot study (N = 83) was conducted for which an Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) of the Oppression Attitudes Scale resulted in a 3-Factor solution representative of Personal Oppression Attitudes, Program-Related Oppression Attitudes, and Professional Identity-Related Oppression Attitudes of Master's level counselor-trainees. Construct validity evidence was supported during the field study (N = 248) via convergent and discriminant analyses, and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). Correlations between OAS scores (i.e., higher scores indicate anti-oppressive attitude) and Multicultural Competency scores (r = .59, p < .01) on the Multicultural Counseling Knowledge and Awareness Scale (MCKAS), and between OAS scores and Phase-2 Racial Identity Development Scores (r = .23 to .65, p < .01) on the White Racial Identity Attitudes Scale (WRIAS) provided evidence of convergent validity amongst the theoretically related constructs. Correlations between OAS scores and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale-Form C (r = .14, p < .05), along with correlations between the OAS and Phase 1 White Racial Identity Attitudes (r = -.22 and -.64, p < .01) indicated adequate discriminant validity between the OAS and unrelated constructs. Internal consistency reliability for OAS subscales was examined during the pilot study (α = .91, .88, and .90) and the field study (α = .89, .87, and .80) indicating high subscale item homogeneity. Racial Identity Development scores and Multicultural Competency Scores were found to be predictors of Oppression Attitudes, adding support for the conceptual model. Additionally, beginning counseling students were shown to have significantly lower OAS scores than more experienced students, suggesting benefits to CACREP training.

AN ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION OF Janette Howard, for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION, presented on APRIL 9, 2014 at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: HOW DOES RACIAL IDENTITY EFFECT AFRICAN AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENTS ABILITY TO ASSIMILATE In A PREDOMINANTLY WHITE COLLEGE CAMPUSES AND ITS IMPACT ON RETENTION: A MIXED METHOD STUDY MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. John McIntyre, Examination Committee Chair The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to determine how racial identity of African American college students can impact their ability to assimilate on predominately White college campuses to the point of hindering their retention. This study was a sequential explanatory mixed method study. Phase one of the study was a quantitative survey consisting of 25 questions that was completed by N=125 African American students attending a Predominately White University in the Mid-West. Phase two of the study was a convenience sample of thirteen African American students living on and off campus. The following research questions were addressed to explore the research topic. (1) How does racial identity impact African American college students' ability to assimilate at a predominately White university with a high enrollment of African American college students? (2) How do African American college students perceive their college/university's commitment to them? (3) How do African American college students perceive their racial identity impacting their lives? The findings of the study showed that the complexities of racism and stereotypical perceptions made the process of assimilating into the college environment holistic, including social, academic, internal and external variables that impacted their ability to assimilate and form relationships needed to have a well-rounded college experience. However, many of the students interviewed felt some of the stereotypical perceptions are sometimes perpetuated by the actions of their Black peers. During a few of the interviews, students (N=7) described their dismay with the behavior that some of their peers exhibited. The participants that were interviewed felt that the students' success should be a shared responsibility. It should be up to the students to be accountable; one participant stated "too often people want to blame others for things that happen to them." Furthermore, he explained that he takes full responsibility for the 2.0 grade point he had at the end of the last semester, but he is now looking at a 3.2 for this semester. Many of the students expressed that they did feel the faculty and staff ratio could be more representative of the African American population. The students also felt the administration could do more to bring the students together as a whole, the students of color and the White students. The consensus of the interviews was that Black people as a whole, in the eyes of the boarder society, are not respected nor looked at as assets. Many of the students interviewed felt that if the Black students and the White students had more opportunities to engage outside of the classroom, they may see Blacks beyond the stereotypical perceptions.