This is the study that my post is based on:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/05/13/doll.study/index.html?hpt=C1
Today we see multiculturalism sweeping over the world. There is an appreciation and acceptance for many cultures as we all become more familiar with what use to be foreign. But then we must also remember that there was a time of segregation. There were ideas and thoughts that white cultures were more superior to black cultures. Sometimes I wonder that although multiculturalism is being more widely accepted, how much has the world really changed in terms of the individual thought. People say that humans are all equal, no matter what skin color they have, but does everyone really think that? As human beings, our childhood is the foundation on which we build most of how we see the world. In order to find the root of how people develop thoughts of race, especially whiteness and blackness, most likely begins during childhood, where parents pass on their thoughts to their children.
White supremacy was a way for white people to rationalize colonialism, imperialism, class exploitation, and slavery. Racism was a way to justify and allow white supremacy. I was curious to find out how much of this white supremacy still exists, especially in children. I found this study through CNN, which explores this thought.
Child psychologist and University of Chicago professor Margaret Beale Spencer, did a study on the ideas and thoughts of race on children from the ages of 5 – 10 years old.
Spencer, who was hired to direct the study by CNN, interviewed 133 students from eight schools in New York and Georgia. These states were selected because they met the economic and demographic requirements in order to conduct the research. At each school two children were selected from the age groups of 4-5 and 9-10.
This study was meant to recreate a 1940’s study by psychologists Kenneth and Mamie Clark to see how segregation affected black children. They asked white and black children to choose between a white doll and a black doll. The majority of the children chose the white doll, claiming it “looks better,” than the black doll.
The new study done by Spencer shows that white children are more inclined to maintain the stereotypes over the black children. They all showed a biased towards white skin, and most of the black kids desired lighter skin. Overall, the black picture was seen as dumb and dirty, while the white doll was the good child, the one that everyone wanted to have in his or her class. However, most of the older black children found that it’s what is inside of us that matters the most, not what our appearance looks like. A child’s experience is redefined by what their parent tells them. If a child of color goes to a white dominated school, they would wonder why their skin looks different than most of their classmates. The parent will often discuss with their child that skin color does not matter, and that everyone is equal no matter what they look like on the outside. However, a white child in a white dominated environment does not necessarily experience the same situation, and will not have the same conversation with their parents about skin color. White privilege is a set of customs and practices that re-enforce a system of white supremacy. Part of white privilege, as discussed by Hartigan, is that white people do not have to think much about race at all, no do they acknowledge that they have this advantage (Hartigan, 86). If multiculturalism is becoming part of many societies, how come we never hear praise or many positive images being associated with people of color? Not to long ago, racism was a big part of society, if there is multiculturalism, how come white parents are not having conversations with their children explaining to them that skin color should not define who we are? I think that it is important to acknowledge that before the 17th century there was no “white race,” it was not until Europeans started to arrive in America that they came together and formed the white race. It is also important to be aware that there are many different shades of white, such as Jews, Italians, and Irish.
As seen with the CNN study, there are still places where white skin is still seen as superior to dark skin. However, it can be argued that the study was done in a way as to manipulate the results that CNN wanted. This can be seen in the way they asked the questions, and that the pictures were put in order according to lightest to darkest skin which can have a certain effect on children. On a happy note, I think that it is clear that there definitely has been progress in the individual thought on race and ethnicity since the early 20th century. Many people are seeing different races and ethnicities as being part of who we are, and that they are not superior or inferior to other cultural practices and beliefs.
I also found this website on the study of whiteness. There are some articles on how whiteness plays a role in people's everyday lives and of current events:
https://pantherfile.uwm.edu/gjay/www/Whiteness/
-Jennifer Thompson
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