“African American” as a new Social Representation

Abstract

The use of African American as a new denomination for a group previously referred to as Black has rapidly become standard practice in American society. This paper analyzes how the introduction ofAfrican American in our ordinary language marks the elaboration of a new social reality. As the concept becomes part of our social life, it is transformed into a real "phenomenon" ofsocial representation that formalizes behaviour and orients communication. Such a transformation requires that the new term infiltrates people's everyday lives sufficiently to concretize it into a common reality. The analysis presented here outlines three key processes in the emergence and formation of the social representation of African American. The first one is anchoring which familiarizes the new object by linking it with preexisting categories in our minds. The second process is objertijcation which assures the crystallization ofthe object. A figurative core is created to allow the projection of images. At this point people can talk about the object, and through communication the object takes on meaning. This naturaliZation is the third process to conclude the transformation ofthe object into a social reality. These steps have allowed African American to become the carrier for a modification of cognitions and broadening of attitudes concerning the group.

Migration and Multiculturalism

“…Category labels make a statement about the norms, values and cultural history of the group, and they convey a sense of position of the group in the larger society (Reicher & Hopkins, 2001). Examples include the continuous debate about the use of "Latino", "Hispanic" or hyphenated category labels (e.g., "MexicanAmerican") to describe immigrant groups of Spanish and Portuguese descent in the U.S. (Deaux, 2006;Portes & Rumbaut, 2006) or the shift in usage from "Negroes" to "Blacks" to "African-Americans" (Philogène, 1999).…”

Fostering sense of belonging : a multi-case study of black male retention initiatives.

“…The terms Black and African American have emerged as racial markers to classify people of African descent residing within the U.S., many of whom were brought to this country as slaves in the early 1600s through the Transatlantic Slave Trade. As Philogène (1999) stated:…”

“…Furthermore, a wave of social, freedom movements in the U.S., including the Civil Rights Movement and Black Power Movement, strongly impacted individuals of African descent in this country (Philogène, 1999). These movements brought social and political transformation for the African descendants, resulting in individual and collective identity and pride.…”

“…These movements brought social and political transformation for the African descendants, resulting in individual and collective identity and pride. As Philogène (1999) stated, "the Negro became Black, and in the process the new name for the group became for the first time a catalyst for a positive group identity crystallized" (p.…”

“…According to Philogène (1999) unlike individuals who voluntarily migrated to this country, Black people were marginalized based on racial categorization and unable to fully integrate into the dominant culture; nor were they able to reconnect to their African culture that was eradicated by slavery. The group designation or term of African American emerged in the 1980s (Agyemang, Bhopal, & Bruijnzeels, 2005) upon the failure of Affirmative Action and with the presidential campaign of Jesse Jackson (Philogène, 1999). This distinction was an attempt for further integration and inclusion into "America.…”