Intergroup Attitudes and Social Ascent Among Negro Boys

Abstract

Over the years two conflicting appeals have been directed toward black yourth: the achievemet of racial equality through integration on the one hand, and black power or solidarity on the other. The first is consistent with an approach to social change that views personal achievement in terms of the individual's performance within a context providing opportunity; racial change is thus reflected in the aggregate accomplishments of individual Negroes. In the nationalist appeal, self-improvement is linked to group achievement through consciousness of white oppression, and occurs by means of dedicated involvement in a collective struggle. Though support for each cause is commonly assumed to be negatively related, no correlation was obtained in a high school sample of Negro boys. Cross-tabulation of attitudes toward black solidarity and racial integration generated four attitude groups: support for only integration (integrationist) or balck solidarity (nationalist), and endorsement of both causes (pluralist) or neither (uncommitted). With some exceptions, hypothesized between-group differences were obtained on racial attitudes and experience, differential life opportunity, and individual competence.