Mothers' and Fathers' Racial Socialization in African American Families: Implications for Youth
This work was funded by a Grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, RO1-HD32336-02, Susan M. McHale and Ann C. Crouter, Co-Principal Investigators. We thank Marni Kan, Ashleigh May, Jaime Marks, Carolyn Ransford, Cindy Shearer, Shawn Whiteman, Megan Winchell, Sandee Hemman, and Kristen Johnston and Temple University's Survey Research Center for their help in conducting this study and the participating families for their time and insights about their family lives.
Abstract
Mothers' and fathers' cultural socialization and bias preparation with older (M=13.9 years) and younger (M=10.31 years) siblings were studied in 162 two-parent, African American families. Analyses examined whether parental warmth and offspring age and gender were linked to parental practices and whether parents' warmth, spouses' racial socialization, or youth age or gender moderated links between racial socialization and youth outcomes. Parental warmth was linked to parents' socialization. Mothers engaged in more socialization with older offspring, and fathers more with sons. Mothers' cultural socialization was positively related to youth ethnic identity and fathers' was negatively related to youth depression symptoms. Youth exhibited a lower locus of control when mothers were high but fathers were low in racial socialization.
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