Perceptions Of Racial Climate Research Articles

A survey to assess experiences and social support of underrepresented minority doctor of pharmacy students

IntroductionThere is little data regarding the experiences of underrepresented minorities in pharmacy school. The objectives of this project were to describe the perceived racial and social climate at a diverse college of pharmacy (COP) and to determine areas of opportunity to improve the experiences of underrepresented minority students. MethodsAn electronic survey was administered to students from all four professional years at a COP in Houston, Texas. Students anonymously self-identified demographic information along with perceptions of racial climate using modified versions of previously validated survey instruments. The institution's social climate was assessed via several measures comprising composite survey scores. ResultsA total of 126 students completed the survey. Overall, Black students had more negative racial experiences and fewer positive social experiences as compared to their peers. Hispanic/Latino student perceptions of the racial and social climate at our institution were more positive than average. Student recommendations were also captured. ConclusionsNot all students experienced the same level of inclusion in the college of pharmacy. The diversity and inclusion initiatives undertaken at this COP appear to have been effective in the Latino student population. There is a need for further investigation and qualitative research to determine the best strategies for inclusion of Black students in COPs with diverse populations.

The 3-I Process: A Career-Advising Framework

The 3-I Process: A Career-Advising Framework

Parents’ Racial Beliefs and Ethnic–Racial Socialization in African American Families

We investigated relations among African American parents' reports of ethnic–racial socialization received during their own childhood, their racial attitudes (i.e., perceptions of U.S. racial climate and valuing of intergroup contact), and their 12th-grade children's reports of parents' use of racial pride socialization and preparation for bias. Parents' (N = 193) reports of received racial pride and preparation for bias socialization were related to their children's reports of parents' current use of those types of socialization. The parents' received preparation for bias was positively related to their perceptions of a hostile U.S. racial climate, and parents' perceptions of racial climate predicted adolescents' reports of their parents' use of preparation for bias. Valuing of intergroup contact was unrelated to adolescent reports of either type of racial socialization. Findings support the intergenerational transmission of ethnic–racial socialization in African American families and show that parents' attitudes and behaviors are related in theoretically predicted ways.

Defining diversity: Ethnic differences in Black students’ perceptions of racial climate.

This qualitative study addresses the potential range of perspectives within the Black student community, focusing specifically on differences by ethnicity and nativity. Narratives were collected from 43 Black students (15 native, 28 immigrants) enrolled at a predominantly White research institution,

Tests of the theory of work adjustment with economically distressed African Americans.

The present study tested 2 competing, extended models of the theory of work adjustment (TWA) with a sample of 100 economically distressed working African Americans receiving services at a nonprofit community center. Model 1 depicted a mediated model consistent with postulations of the TWA's original theorists. Model 2 depicted a moderated mediation model consistent with cultural critiques of the TWA. Bivariate correlations indicated that perceptions of person-organization (P-O) fit were positively related to job satisfaction and negatively related to turnover intentions, and job satisfaction was negatively related to turnover intentions. Furthermore, perceptions of racial climate were positively related to perceptions of P-O fit and job satisfaction and negatively related to turnover intentions. Moreover, results of the path analyses indicated stronger support for Model 2, the moderated mediation model, in which the indirect link of P-O fit with turnover intentions through job satisfaction was conditional on levels of racial climate. Specifically, when racial climate was perceived as less supportive, the indirect link of P-O fit with turnover intentions was nonsignificant, but when employees reported moderate and more supportive levels of racial climates, this indirect relation was significant. Research and career counseling implications of the present study's findings for financially distressed African American employees are discussed.

Extending campus life to the Internet: Social media, discrimination, and perceptions of racial climate.

Despite the fact that more college student interaction now takes place online, researchers have yet to examine the role the Internet plays in perceptions of campus racial climate. Using an online survey of a sample of 217 African American and European American college students, this study explored online factors including intergroup interaction as well as online and offline factors associated with campus racial climate. Hierarchical regression results revealed a final model explaining perceptions of campus racial climate that included ethnicity, individual online racial discrimination, and online stress. African Americans experienced more online racial discrimination and online stress and had a significantly more negative view of campus racial climate. Regardless of one’s ethnicity, online victimization was associated with negative perceptions of the racial climate, yet the relationship was significantly stronger for African Americans. Time on social networking sites and discussions of school-related issues were not associated with these perceptions. This study provides additional evidence that campus life is moving online, and interaction, particularly negative experiences, in these spaces warrants more attention.

Exploring the Relationships Among Race, Class, Gender, and Middle School Students' Perceptions of School Racial Climate

Although school climate has been thought to be especially important for racial minority and poor students (Booker, 2006; Haynes, Emmons, & Ben-Avie, 1997), little research has explored the significance of racial climate for these students. Furthermore, research in the area has tended to treat race, socioeconomic class, and gender separately, ignoring the ways in which they interact. Using quantitative survey data from 842 African American and white middle school students, this study examined the associations of race, class, and gender with school racial climate perceptions. Results indicated students’ perceptions of racial climate differed by race, class, and gender. African American, poor, and female students perceived the racial climate in more negative terms than their white, non-poor, and male counterparts, respectively. Results also indicated joint associations between race and class and climate perceptions. Non-poor, African American students perceived a more negative racial climate than did non-poor Whites. There was limited support for a race and gender interaction. African American females tended to perceive less racial fairness in school than African American males. We discuss the conceptual and methodological tradeoffs of examining students’ school racial climate perceptions from a perspective that considers race, class, and gender jointly.

Closing the Achievement Gap: The Association of Racial Climate with Achievement and Behavioral Outcomes

This study investigated the relationship between school racial climate and students' self-reports of academic and discipline outcomes, including whether racial climate mediated and/or moderated the relationship between race and outcomes. Using the Racial Climate Survey-High School Version (M. Aber et al., unpublished), data were gathered from African American (n = 382) and European American students (n = 1456) regarding their perceptions of racial climate. About 18% of the respondents were low-income and approximately 50% were male. Positive perceptions of the racial climate were associated with higher student achievement and fewer discipline problems. Further, race moderated the relationship between racial climate and both achievement and discipline outcomes. Finally, racial differences in students' grades and discipline outcomes were associated with differences in perceptions of racial climate. Results suggest careful attention should be given to the racial climate of secondary schools, particularly for adolescents who perceive schools as unfair.

Asian American Students' Perceptions of Racism, Reporting Behaviors, and Awareness of Legal Rights and Procedures

The study investigated Asian American students’ perceptions of racial climate in comparison with those of White counterparts at a large public university. It also examined students’ reporting behaviors upon encountering incidents of racial harassment as well as their awareness of reporting procedures, the Student Code of Conduct, and civil rights. The results indicated that Asian American students were more likely to report negative perceptions and were found to be less aware of their rights and procedures. The study included several implications for student affairs practitioners in order to better understand and serve this population of students.

Asian American Students' Perceptions of Racism, Reporting Behaviors, and Awareness of Legal Rights and Procedures

The study investigated Asian American students’ perceptions of racial climate in comparison with those of White counterparts at a large public university. It also examined students’ reporting behaviors upon encountering incidents of racial harassment as well as their awareness of reporting procedures, the Student Code of Conduct, and civil rights. The results indicated that Asian American students were more likely to report negative perceptions and were found to be less aware of their rights and procedures. The study included several implications for student affairs practitioners in order to better understand and serve this population of students.

Psychological Aspects of Racism in Organizations

In this study a multilevel conceptual framework is developed for the study of racism in organization as seen by African-Americans. Three levels are defined: institutional racism, racial climate, and personal discrimination. Perceptions of racism on each of these levels are related to racial identity, using the Racial Identity Attitudes Scale, to determine if racial identity is associated with perceptions of racism. The results, based on a sample of Blacks in a state bureaucracy, indicated that racial identity was the best predictor of perceptions of racial climate and personal discrimination. For example: Blacks who reported Pre-Encounter racial identity attitudes (i.e., those who were White-identified and Black-rejective) saw less racism in the workplace, whereas those who endorsed Internalization attitudes (i.e., those who were Black-identified but not anti-White) saw more. In addition, two factors were identified in racial climate: (a) Experience and Intensity of Racism and (b) Management Power and Policy. These themes were consistent with the literature, and they were found throughout the data. Implications for organizational consultation and change are considered, especially the implications of African-American intragroup diversity.