A Transactional/Ecological Perspective on Ethnic–Racial Identity, Socialization, and Discrimination

Abstract

We first review current literature on three ethnic-racial dynamics that are considered to be resources and stressors in the lives of ethnic-minority youth: ethnic-racial identity, socialization, and discrimination. Next, we propose that a more contextualized view of these ethnic-racial dynamics reveals that they are interdependent, inseparable, and mutually defining and that an ecological/transactional perspective on these ethnic-racial dynamics shifts researchers' gaze from studying them as individual-level processes to studying the features of settings that produce them. We describe what is known about how identity, socialization, and discrimination occur in four microsystems-families, peers, schools, and neighborhoods-and argue that focusing on specific characteristics of these microsystems in which particular types of identity, socialization, and discrimination processes cooccur would be informative.

The Intersection of Racial–Ethnic Socialization and Adolescence: A Closer Examination at Stage‐Salient Issues

“…This proposition is consistent with Hughes et al. 's () assertion that individual and contextual factors shape how youth understand and internalize parental RES messages.…”

“…Hughes et al. () review identifies the different microsystems that impact adolescents’ racial‐ethnic identity (REI) development and socialization processes. These microsystems are comprised of proximal daily contexts which include influences stemming from the school and neighborhood.…”

“…Parental messages of racial–ethnic socialization (RES) have long served as foundational to the study of how racial and ethnic minority youth develop competencies (i.e., positive self‐esteem and coping) in the face of social stratification and discrimination (Coll et al., ; Hughes, Watford, & Del Toro, ). Parental RES messages communicated implicitly or explicitly “consist of behaviors, practices, and social regularities that communicate information and worldviews about race and ethnicity to children” (Hughes et al., , p. 4).…”

“…Parental messages of racial–ethnic socialization (RES) have long served as foundational to the study of how racial and ethnic minority youth develop competencies (i.e., positive self‐esteem and coping) in the face of social stratification and discrimination (Coll et al., ; Hughes, Watford, & Del Toro, ). Parental RES messages communicated implicitly or explicitly “consist of behaviors, practices, and social regularities that communicate information and worldviews about race and ethnicity to children” (Hughes et al., , p. 4). Indeed, recent reviews highlight the critically important role parental RES plays in preparing diverse youth for an increasingly multicultural world because these practices typically predict stronger racial–ethnic identity, higher self‐esteem, better academic outcomes, and fewer symptoms of psychopathology in non‐White youth (Hughes et al., ; Priest et al., ).…”

“…Parental RES messages communicated implicitly or explicitly “consist of behaviors, practices, and social regularities that communicate information and worldviews about race and ethnicity to children” (Hughes et al., , p. 4). Indeed, recent reviews highlight the critically important role parental RES plays in preparing diverse youth for an increasingly multicultural world because these practices typically predict stronger racial–ethnic identity, higher self‐esteem, better academic outcomes, and fewer symptoms of psychopathology in non‐White youth (Hughes et al., ; Priest et al., ).…”