Cooperative Games as an Intervention to Promote Cross-racial Acceptance

Abstract

A growing body of studies of social interaction among desegregated elementary school children reveals more cross-racial behavior among males than females (Rogers & Miller, 1980, 1981; Sagar & Schofield 1980; Schofield & Sagar 1977; Silverman & Shaw, 1973). Our own work reveals that at recess girls participate in physical games to a lesser extent than boys, and the games they do play (e.g., jump rope, hopscotch, tetherball) generally require interaction with only one or two other children. In contrast, the games boys play (e.g., basketball, softball) generally require more participants on a team than the number of same race classmates available. Thus, black and anglo boys need each other to form complete teams. There are three important things to note about this observation. First, the fact that girls play fewer physical games is consistent with the suggestion (Cohen, 1980) that they focus on physical attractiveness rather than physical abilities and that this in turn contributes to their continued racial encapsulation (by failing to discourage perceptions of unequal status). Second, the boys' playground activities force cross-racial interaction, whereas those of the girls do not. Third, the games the girls play do not encourage cross-racial cooperation, whereas the boys' games require it. In a game of basketball or softball each team member is expected to contribute his best effort to achieve a goal that all team members commonly share. Given the typical individual differences in athletic skill, when teams are chosen up they are normally mixed in their racial composition. In short, the boys' playground activity encourages increased contact between races and at the same time promotes cross-racial cooperative behavior and perceptions of equal status. These are thought to be the most crucial ingredients for increasing cross-racial social acceptance (Allport, 1954). Indeed, Slavin and Madden (1979) report that participation on a cross-racial sports team had a direct relationship with positive interracial behaviors and attitudes.