Parental Racial Socialization and the Academic Achievement of African American Children: A Cultural-Ecological Approach

Abstract

Using a cultural-ecological approach, this study examined: (a) associations between parental racial socialization and child academic achievement and (b) variations in these associations across child gender and family socio-economic status. Participants were 134 fifth grade African American children and their mothers. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to examine associations between two components of parental racial socialization (preparation for bias, pride development) and academic achievement (GPA) and the moderating effects of gender and SES on these associations. Preparation for bias and pride development did not significantly predict academic achievement. However, gender moderated the association between preparation for bias and academic achievement. Greater frequency of preparation for bias messages delivered to boys increased GPAs. However, as the frequency of preparation for bias messages delivered to girls increased, GPA decreased. SES did not significantly moderate the associations between either dimension of racial socialization and academic achievement.

Exploring the process by which positive racial identity develops and influences academic performance in Black youth: Implications for social work

“…A number of studies have established direct positive links between racial-ethnic socialization and academic performance, including across both global and subdomain conceptualizations (Bowman & Howard, 1985;Friend, Hunter & Fletcher, 2011;Neblett et al, 2009;Wang & Huguley, 2012). Specifically, Friend, Hunter and Fletcher (2011) and Bowman and Howard (1985), found that preparation for bias messages were linked to higher grades in school, while Neblett et al (2009) found similar Racial-Ethnic Identity and African American Youth Academic Performance 5 effects among Black males for racial ethnic socialization practices emphasizing self-worth. Few studies however have simultaneously estimated the effects of multiple subdomains of racialethnic socialization subdomains on performance and among those that do, findings are mixed across these delineated constructs.…”

African American Autobiographer Accounts of Learning from Parents How to Deal with Racism

“…The literature on racial social socialization of African American children reports that many African American parents overtly teach their children about white racism (e.g., Barr and Neville 2008;Bowman and Howard 1985;Coard and Sellers 2005;Coard, Wallace, Stevenson, and Brotman 2004;Evans et al 2012;Friend, Hunter, and Fletcher 2011;Hughes et al 2008;Mosley-Howard and Burgan Evans 2000;Peters 2002;Neblett, Rivas-Drake, and Umaña-Taylor 2012;Ritterhouse 2006). Included in that might be education about racial codes and how to deal with them (Bowman and Howard 1985).…”

“…There is often a high priority on inculcating racial and personal pride (e.g., Berkel et al 2009;Bowman and Howard 1985;Evans et al 2012;Friend, Hunter, and Fletcher 2011;Hughes et al 2008;Peters 2002). Often a part of inculcation of racial pride is teaching children about African American history and family history (e.g., Suizzo, Robinson, and Pahlke 2008).…”

Black Parents as Advocates, Motivators, and Teachers of Mathematics

“…Parents often stress the importance of mathematics education for future educational and economic success (McGee, 2015;Friend, Hunter, & Fletcher, 2011). In particular, Martin (2006) reported on three ethnographic studies of over a hundred African American parents, students, and community members' experiences in mathematics-related contexts.…”