An African-Centered, Black Feminist Approach to Understanding Attitudes That Counter Social Dominance

Abstract

We used an African-centered model of male-female equality, Black feminist theory, racial identity theory, and findings from the rape myth acceptance literature to explore male dominant and White racial dominant attitudes among antirape activists and a comparison group of nonactivists. As predicted, activists and sexually nonaggressive men rejected rape myths and possessed more egalitarian attitudes toward women than did nonactivists and sexually aggressive men. Activists also rejected White racial dominance more than nonactivists at the internalization-stage leveL Attitudes related to White racial dominance did not predict rape myth acceptance. However, preencounter racial attitudes and internalization of racial attitudes are significantly associated with rape myth acceptance and attitudes toward women. Implications are discussed and recommendations put forward to include educational materials in manhood training programs that counter White supremacist and male supremacist ideologies.