The Colors of the Rainbow: Children\u27s Racial Self-Classification

Abstract

In this paper, I argue that children\u27s racial self-classification and their views of their friends reflect much more complex social reality than adult conceptions may acknowledge. This research emphasizes that in certain spheres, children have much less racist conceptions of the world than do adults. In general, social psychologists have argued that adults develop cognitive categories to simplify or categorize, but in so doing they lose a sense of the individual\u27s qualities in the process. This work argues that life experiences can be a negative factor in social development, and that children\u27s racial self-classification and racial attitudes are more socially holistic than adults\u27 perspectives. By not categorizing people on the basis of their skin color, children allow other\u27s actions to speak louder than their physical appearances