Question

Summary of NELSON DEVELOPMENT OF RACIAL AND ETHNIC PREJUDICE AMONG CHILDREN

Summary of the reading you chose (no more than 300 words or three minutes for oral discussion)

Three agreement points with the author with brief explanation (no more than 500 words or five minutes for oral discussion)

Three disagreement points with the author with brief explanation (no more than 500 words or five minutes for oral discussion)

Synthesis and conclusion detailing your learning from the reading (no more than 200 words or two minutes for oral discussion)

Answer 1

Racism appears among children as young as five, suggesting that children often enter school with prejudiced views. With increases in the racial and ethnic diversity of youth, understanding how prejudice develops and can be changed is urgent. Researchers, educators, parents, and other concerned individuals have long tried to understand the atrocious acts of racism that capture headlines and also those that do not make headlines, for example, when a five-year-old girl refuses to work on a puzzle with a new classmate of a different racial or ethnic group, or when an eight-year-old boy mutters a racial slur under his breath. Some suggest that these acts do not represent the children’s true attitudes, but, rather, simply reflect mimicry of others’ behavior. Thus, there is no prejudice to reduce and the acts should be ignored. In contrast, these behaviors may reflect children’s true attitudes; consequently, children could be taught new, tolerant attitudes. An additional interpretation is that children’s attitudes and behaviors in part reflect their lack of social sophistication; thus, reducing their prejudice requires developmentally appropriate training in more sophisticated thought processes. These interpretations reflect some of the main theories on prejudice among children.

The Racial Attitudes Index (RAI) measures a child’s racial attitudes. Designed for children aged 5–9 years, the RAI is delivered over the Internet using Audio Computer Assisted Self-Interviewing (ACASI). Unlike traditional binary forced-choice instruments, the RAI uses an expanded response format permitting a more nuanced understanding of patterns of children’s racial attitudes. In addition to establishing psychometric evidence of the RAI technical adequacy, hypotheses about RAI item response patterns were tested. The racial attitudes of 336 Black and White children in grades K–3 were assessed using a forced-choice instrument (Preschool Racial Attitudes Measure II) and the RAI. Findings from this study indicate measures obtained with the RAI are technically adequate, and the measure functions invariantly across racial groups. Also, patterns of children’s racial attitudes measured with the RAI are more nuanced than those obtained using the forced-choice response format.

Three agreement points are as follows:

1. The racial development in children are not inherited,they develop this by the environment in which they are living,pursuing their day to day life.

2. If children are used to non-racial environment, then they will develop a mindset good for them and also for the society.

3. This can be inherited if they are being taught from their chidhood,then they will develop this discrimination in their mind.

Three disagreement points are as follows:

1.All children doesnt develop this attitude of racism and the age to develop racism is not confirmed,it may vary from 5 -9 years.

2. This is not acceptable to justify that children are not developing this habit of racism automatically.This has become a common phenomenon in todays generation.

With this i conclude that white children are developing this racism.This is proved through various tests conducted by different researchers on various children of different color,religion,cast.This must be stopped because if children develop this phenomenon ,this will be harmful for them and as well as for the society,as they will not treat others with equality and this will develop hatered againts them and this can be more dangerous for them.So that is why it is important for all of us to eradicate this problem from the society and our coming generations dont suffer because of this ill mentality, as all are equal and all have equal ritghs and have a purpose to be solved in this world.