Sociocultural Influences on the Sociopolitical Development of African American Youth

Sociopolitical development (SPD) is the process by which individuals become aware of social inequality, recognize the status of their social identities, and engage in activism. For racially marginalized youth, race is an important aspect of their SPD. Yet few studies have considered the connections between racial factors and youth’s SPD. In this article, we introduce an integrative model situating racial sociocultural processes (i.e., racial identity, racial socialization, and experiences of racial discrimination) within current SPD theory. In particular, we look at African American youth as a case study to discuss how sociocultural factors can contribute to youth’s awareness of structures of social inequality (i.e., critical social analysis) and engagement in action against social inequality (i.e., sociopolitical action). We conclude with suggestions for research.National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program under Grant DGE1256260Ford Foundation Predoctoral FellowshipPeer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/150683/1/Anyiwo Banales Rowley Watkins Richards-Schuster 2018 Sociocultural influences on the sociopolitical development of African American youth.pdfDescription of Anyiwo Banales Rowley Watkins Richards-Schuster 2018 Sociocultural influences on the sociopolitical development of African American youth.pdf : Journal articl

Black Adolescentsâ Critical Reflection Development: Parentsâ Racial Socialization and Attributions About Race Achievement Gaps

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154280/1/jora12485_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154280/2/jora12485.pd

Media Representations of Popular Culture Figures and the Construction of Black Masculinities

The present study explores the construction of masculinity among young Black men. Of central concern is young Black men’s subjective reflections on the role that popular culture and media have in informing how they understand and define their ideas of masculinity. The study uses interview data from a larger pilot study, the Young Black Men, Masculinities, and Mental Health Project, where participants sought to elucidate perceptions of the intersections between manhood and mental health. Study participants included 18- to 26-year-old Black men (n 11) enrolled at a university in the Midwest. When asked to describe and identify their definitions of manhood, participants referred to well-known male media figures of the past and present, and specifically identified various social movement leaders, athletes, and entertainers who were central to their conceptualization of manhood. Moreover, men identified both positive and negative qualities of these popular figures to determine aspects they either aspired to adopt or reject when forming their own ideas about manhood. Study findings show that popular culture figures play complex roles in Black men’s constructions of masculinity while uncovering that Black men use the images of these figures to deconstruct harmful, antiquated stereotypes and tropes associated with Black masculinity. Popular culture figures are also used to highlight and grapple with complex messages about the disposability of Black men’s lives.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/150678/1/Goodwill Anyiwo Williams Johnson Mattis Watkins 2019 Media Representations of Popular Culture Figures and the Construction of Black Masculinities.pd

"We gon' be alright": Racism, Media, and the Sociopolitical Development of Black Youth

Racism is a persistent sociopolitical force that adversely impacts Black youth’s development. However, many Black youth resist racism through racial justice activism using both traditional (e.g., attending a protest or rally) and online action (e.g., creating or sharing political and social issues online) (Hope & Jagers, 2014; Hope, Keels, & Durkee, 2016; Watts, Diemer, & Voight, 2011). Nevertheless, limited work has empirically examined the factors that promote Black youth’s sociopolitical action. My dissertation addresses the gaps in the literature by examining both theoretically and empirically: 1) the sociocultural factors that may shape Black youth’s race-focused sociopolitical action and 2) the impact of sociopolitical action on Black youth’s mental health. Sociopolitical development (SPD) describes the process of developing an awareness of and engaging in action to address the systems that contribute to inequality (Watts, Williams, & Jagers, 2003). Previous work on SPD examined a broad awareness of the presence of structural inequity without focusing on a specific type of oppression like race. In study one, I introduce an integrative model that identifies the racial sociocultural factors that could prompt Black youth’s SPD about race. In the model, I demonstrated that Black youth’s racial identity, experiences of racial discrimination, and the messages they receive about race (e.g., racial socialization) could: 1) inform how they make meaning of racial barriers on a structural level and 2) lead to their activism against racism. I test components of this model in studies two and three with a sample of 500 Black adolescents (ages 13-17) from across the United States recruited through a Qualtrics Research Panel. Study two examines the relationship between racial discrimination and Black youth’s race-focused sociopolitical action and the impact of sociopolitical action on mental health. The findings suggest that youth’s direct racial discriminatory experiences may be more impactful in facilitating their traditional and online sociopolitical action than their vicarious racial discriminatory experiences. Although sociopolitical action has often been conceptualized as a protective factor against racism, study two found evidence that online sociopolitical action can be associated with more anxiety and depressive symptoms and may exacerbate the relations between vicarious discrimination and symptomology. The findings highlight a need to examine further the impact of sociopolitical action on youth well-being. Hip-hop has a historical significance as a cultural art form that Black Americans have used to promote cultural pride and resist structural inequity (Rose, 1994). Study three examines hip-hop culture as a form of racial socialization that could promote Black youth’s SPD. The findings reveal that rap music videos and youth’s engagement with hip-hop media (e.g., blogs, video shows, artists’ social media) were more influential than exposure to rap music in promoting youth’s agency and sociopolitical action. Furthermore, youth’s perceptions of the content of rap music (e.g., beliefs that hip-hop is empowering or violent) had differential effects on SPD outcomes. The findings suggest that Black media and arts can be a context for youth’s SPD. Collectively, this dissertation advances research on sociopolitical development by examining theoretically and empirically the role of racialized and cultural experiences in shaping Black youth’s racial sociopolitical beliefs and actions. This work can be impactful in identifying the mechanisms to promote Black youth’s social awareness and advocacy and in developing strategies to promote their psychological well-being as they engage in action.PHDSocial Work & PsychologyUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/151743/1/nanyiwo_1.pd

Thriving Futures

This study seeks to identify the interpersonal and communal factors that support Black youth thriving

Racism and COVID Impacts on Student Mental Health

Amidst racial disparities in COVID-19 and global uprisings advocating for Black lives, there has been increased public discourse about the realities of racism in America. Decades of research have documented the prevalence of racism and its negative impacts on Black youth psychosocial, physical, and mental health. Today, Black youth are tasked with navigating the realities of multiple forms of racism during both global pandemics. Thus, it is critical to understand how Black youth are navigating their current racial and political climate. Moreover, racial coping strategies and cultural protective factors can mitigate the adverse impact of racism and promote healthy development. As such, the proposed longitudinal study aims to: 1) Examine the patterns of Black youth’s racism experiences, sociopolitical development (e.g., critical consciousness), and psychological well-being; and 2) Identify the efficacy of cultural protective factors and racial coping strategies (e.g., racial socialization; activism) in minimizing racism’s negative effect on youth’s psychological well-being

What’s Race Got to Do With It? Racial Socialization’s Contribution to Black Adolescent Coping

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/152709/1/jora12440_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/152709/2/jora12440.pd

They raised me to resist: Examining the sociopolitical pathways between parental racial socialization and Black youth’s racial justice action

In a sample of 500 self-identified Black adolescents from across the United States, this study investigated the pathways between youth’s experiences of parental racial socialization (RS) and their sociopolitical development. Findings from structural equation modelling reveal that RS messages and actions were positively associated with youth’s awareness of racial inequality (critical reflection) and confidence and motivation in addressing racism (critical agency). Further, there were direct and indirect associations between RS and multiple forms of racial justice actions (interpersonal, political/communal, and online). Racial barriers messages were directly positively associated with political/communal and indirectly positively associated with interpersonal and online action, while cultural socialization actions were directly positively associated with all three forms of action. These findings support theoretical contentions that RS messages and actions may be powerful tools for cultivating Black youth’s understanding and capacity to transform racially unjust systems. Further, parents’ behaviours to racially socialize their children may be more impactful than their verbal messages in cultivating multiple forms of racial justice action. Finally, recommendations for future research and practice related to Black youth’s consciousness and activism are presented. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article’s Community and Social Impact Statement.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/176015/1/casp2652_am.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/176015/2/casp2652.pd

A 21st Century Take on Racial-Ethnic Socialization: Patterns of Competency and Content among Diverse Parents of Color

Racial-ethnic socialization is a process where parents pass beliefs and behaviors to their children, including critical reflections on race and racism. Currently, it is not well known across racial/ethnic groups in the U.S how parents’ socialization competency (confidence, skills, and stress surrounding the delivery of racial-ethnic socialization) coalesces with the frequency with which they deliver different types of socialization messages (socialization content). The current study utilizes latent profile analysis to examine racial-ethnic socialization content and competency patterns among 203 Black, 194 Latinx, and 188 Asian American parents (n = 585, Mage = 44.46, SD = 9.14, 59.70% mothers) with children 10–18 years old (Mage = 14.30, SD = 2.49, 50.3% female). Furthermore, we relate profiles to sociodemographic and relevant factors posited to impact socialization competency and content delivery, namely, discrimination and critical consciousness dimensions (reflection, motivation, action). We observed three parental profiles: Less Prepared Stressed Low Frequency (LPSLF; n = 285), Prepared Low Stress Frequent (PLSF; n = 204), and Prepared Stressed Frequent (PSF; n = 96) socializers. Profile differences emerged on parental and youth sociodemographic factors, lifetime discrimination exposure, and each parental critical consciousness dimension. This study lays a foundation for the combined study of racial-ethnic socialization competence and content in diverse groups, a practice crucial to understanding 21st century parenting

A 21st Century Take on Racial-Ethnic Socialization: Patterns of Competency and Content among Diverse Parents of Color

Racial-ethnic socialization is a process where parents pass beliefs and behaviors to their children, including critical reflections on race and racism. Currently, it is not well known across racial/ethnic groups in the U.S how parents’ socialization competency (confidence, skills, and stress surrounding the delivery of racial-ethnic socialization) coalesces with the frequency with which they deliver different types of socialization messages (socialization content). The current study utilizes latent profile analysis to examine racial-ethnic socialization content and competency patterns among 203 Black, 194 Latinx, and 188 Asian American parents (n = 585, Mage = 44.46, SD = 9.14, 59.70% mothers) with children 10–18 years old (Mage = 14.30, SD = 2.49, 50.3% female). Furthermore, we relate profiles to sociodemographic and relevant factors posited to impact socialization competency and content delivery, namely, discrimination and critical consciousness dimensions (reflection, motivation, action). We observed three parental profiles: Less Prepared Stressed Low Frequency (LPSLF; n = 285), Prepared Low Stress Frequent (PLSF; n = 204), and Prepared Stressed Frequent (PSF; n = 96) socializers. Profile differences emerged on parental and youth sociodemographic factors, lifetime discrimination exposure, and each parental critical consciousness dimension. This study lays a foundation for the combined study of racial-ethnic socialization competence and content in diverse groups, a practice crucial to understanding 21st century parenting