Racialized Politics: The Debate about Racism in America / Edition 1

by David O. Sears, James Sidanius, Lawrence Bobo

Overview

Are Americans less prejudiced now than they were thirty years ago, or has racism simply gone "underground"? Is racism something we learn as children, or is it a result of certain social groups striving to maintain their privileged positions in society?

In Racialized Politics, political scientists, sociologists, and psychologists explore the current debate surrounding the sources of racism in America. Published here for the first time, the essays represent three major approaches to the topic. The social psychological approach maintains that prejudice socialized early in life feeds racial stereotypes, while the social structural viewpoint argues that behavior is shaped by whites' fear of losing their privileged status. The third perspective looks to non-racially inspired ideology, including attitudes about the size and role of government, as the reason for opposition to policies such as affirmative action. Timely and important, this collection provides a state-of-the-field assessment of the current issues and findings on the role of racism in mass politics and public opinion.

Contributors are Lawrence Bobo, Gretchen C. Crosby, Michael C. Dawson, Christopher Federico, P. J. Henry, John J. Hetts, Jennifer L. Hochschild, William G. Howell, Michael Hughes, Donald R. Kinder, Rick Kosterman, Tali Mendelberg, Thomas F. Pettigrew, Howard Schuman, David O. Sears, James Sidanius, Pam Singh, Paul M. Sniderman, Marylee C. Taylor, and Steven A. Tuch.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780226744070
Publisher:	University of Chicago Press
Publication date:	02/15/2000
Series:	Studies in Communication, Media, and Public Opinion
Edition description:	1
Pages:	439
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

David O. Sears is distinguished professor of psychology and political science at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the author of numerous books.

Table of Contents

Preface and Acknowledgments
List of Contributors
One: Race in American Politics: Framing the Debates
David O. Sears, John J. Hetts, Jim Sidanius, and Lawrence Bobo
Two: Individualism Reconsidered: Principles and Prejudice in Contemporary American Opinion
Donald R. Kinder and Tali Mendelberg
Three: Egalitarian Values and Contemporary Racial Politics
David O. Sears, P. J. Henry, and Rick Kosterman
Four: The Significance of Racial Context
Marylee C. Taylor
Five: Race and Beliefs about Affirmative Action: Assessing the Effects of Interests, Group Threat, Ideology, and Racism
Lawrence Bobo
Six: How Beliefs about Poverty Influence Racial Policy Attitudes: A Study of Whites, African Americans, Hispanics, and Asians in the United States
Michael Hughes and Steven A. Tuch
Seven: It's Not Affirmative Action, It's the Blacks: The Continuing Relevance of Race in American Politics
Jim Sidanius, Pam Singh, John J. Hetts, and Chris Federico
Eight: The Politics of Race
Paul M. Sniderman, Gretchen C. Crosby, and William G. Howell
Nine: Systematizing the Predictors of Prejudice
Thomas F. Pettigrew
Ten: The Perils of Correlation, the Lure of Labels, and the Beauty of Negative Results
Howard Schuman
Eleven: Lumpers and Splitters, Individuals and Structures: Comments on Racialized Politics
Jennifer L. Hochschild
Twelve: Slowly Coming to Grips with the Effects of the American Racial Order on American Policy Preferences
Michael C. Dawson
Notes
References
Index