Racial/ethnic socialization and identity development in Black families: the role of parent and youth reports

Abstract

Racial/ethnic (R/E) socialization is widely practiced in R/E minority families. However, only recently have models been developed to understand how parents' R/E socialization messages influence adolescent development. The primary goal of the present study was to clarify and extend existing work on R/E socialization in African American (Black) families by distinguishing between parent and youth reports of parents' R/E socialization messages and examining the extent to which adolescents and their parents agree about these socialization messages. In addition, we tested a theoretical model in which parent-reported R/E socialization messages have an indirect effect on the development of youth R/E identity through youth reports of their parents' R/E socialization messages. Using a combination of open- and close-ended data from a longitudinal study of self-identified Black adolescents and their parents, we found statistically significant parent-youth agreement about whether parents send both general R/E socialization messages and, for daughters, specific R/E socialization messages. R/E socialization messages focused on promoting cultural pride and history were associated positively with R/E identity development, whereas messages focused on preparing youth for discrimination tended to be unrelated to R/E identity development. The results largely supported the hypothesis that parent reports of parents' R/E socialization messages are related indirectly to the development of adolescent R/E identity via youth reports of parents' R/E socialization messages.

Figure 1

Structural equation model predicting 11^th grade racial/ethnic identity among females. Note: Path coefficients are unstandardized. Standard errors are shown in parentheses. * p < .05, ** p < .01, *** p < .001.

Figure 2

Structural equation model predicting 11^th grade racial/ethnic identity among males Note: Path coefficients are unstandardized. Standard errors are shown in parentheses. † p < .10, * p < .05, ** p < .01, *** p < .001.