Attitudes Toward Affirmative Action: A Comparison of Color-Blind Versus Modern Racist Attitudes

Abstract

In the hotly contested issue of affirmative action, detractors maintain that the use of raceconscious policies to remedy past discrimination is contraindicative of a color-blind society. Supporters of affirmative action maintain that while a color-blind society may be desirable, acts of past discrimination and current institutional racism make it necessary to use race-conscious policies. Past research has shown that the demographic variables of race and sex, as well as modern racist attitudes predict attitudes toward affirmative action. This investigation examined the relationship between color-blind attitudes, modern racist attitudes, and attitudes toward affirmative action. Results confirmed a positive relationship between modern racism and color-blind attitudes. After controlling for race and sex, colorblind attitudes emerged as the strongest predictor of attitudes toward affirmative action, followed by modern racism. Perhaps no other public policy mandate has come under as much scrutiny and controversy as affirmative action. Originally hailed as a way to ensure equal educational and employment access for ethnic minorities and women, affirmative action increasingly has been characterized as giving minorities an unfair advantage over Whites. This characterization has been used as a political tool to foment negative attitudes toward the implementation of affirmative action policies. Given the widespread use of affirmative action policies, it is important that social scientists as well as the public have a thorough understanding of what influences attitudes toward affirmative action. Interestingly, while Whites agree that equality of opportunity is important, they also tend to have negative attitudes toward affirmative action. So, if affirmative action exists to increase equality, why do Whites often oppose it? As Kravitz and Platania (1993) contended, common misconceptions about affirmative action contribute to negative attitudes about the policy. The most common misconception involves the goals of affirmative action. Specifically, many individuals, most