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Racial Socialization as Political Socialization? The Effect of Racial Socialization on African American Perceptions of Race and Trust in Government
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Racial Socialization as Political Socialization? The Effect of Racial Socialization on
African Americans’ Perceptions of Trust in Government
Shayla C. Nunnally
The Department of Political Science
Duke University
Box 90204
Durham, NC 27708, USA
## email not listed ##
Abstract: Current research on trust suggests that African Americans are the least trusting of others in general (social trust) and of political institutions (political trust) than any other racial group. Generally, it is assumed that this racial group’s historical experience with discrimination in the United States explains lower levels of trust. However, scant research has been done to test empirically this political phenomenon. This paper proposes a return to the study of political socialization in order to explain this phenomenon. The paper argues that lower levels of political trust are explained by African Americans’ racial socialization experiences, which determine perceptions of trust in race-specific others (racial trust) and eventual perceptions of racial actors within the context of political institutions (parties and local and national governments). As a consequence, racial socialization is a source of political socialization. Although survey data are limited that contain measures for these types of socializations within one dataset, the paper proposes the development of such a survey. The paper also argues that racial trust and political trust are learned as an outgrowth of these socializations. Thus, data analysis on political trust is generated from the 2000 Social Capital Benchmark Survey in order to test the covariation between racial and political trusts. Preliminary results from the Benchmark Survey suggest that racial trust has a minimal effect on political trust and that race affects trust in other ways that may be indicative of how people think about relating to others with different racial backgrounds. There is support, however, for the impact that discrimination experiences have on trust in government. The evidence from the survey may point to the complex way race operates in political trust. Hence, further research on racial socialization, political socialization, and political trust may uncover how racial and political perspectives are learned via socialization experiences that are transmitted generationally and that are externalized via political behavior.
Keywords: political socialization, racial socialization, political trust, racial trust
Prepared for delivery at the 2003 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, August 28 - August 31, 2003. Copyright by the American Political Science Association.An earlier version of this paper was presented at the 2003 Annual Meeting of the International Society of Political Psychology, Boston, MA. The author requests that you not cite the work without permission. Additionally, the author wishes to thank Professors Paula D. McClain, John Aldrich, Charles M. Payne, Robert O. Keohane (all of Duke University), Professor Melissa Harris-Lacewell (University of Chicago), and Professor Katina R. Stapleton (Syracuse University) for their continuing support.
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| | Authors: Nunnally, Shayla. |
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Racial Socialization as Political Socialization? The Effect of Racial Socialization on
African Americans’ Perceptions of Trust in Government
Shayla C. Nunnally
The Department of Political Science
Duke University
Box 90204
Durham, NC 27708, USA
## email not listed ##
Abstract: Current research on trust suggests that African Americans are the least
trusting of others in general (social trust) and of political institutions (political trust) than
any other racial group. Generally, it is assumed that this racial group’s historical
experience with discrimination in the United States explains lower levels of trust.
However, scant research has been done to test empirically this political phenomenon.
This paper proposes a return to the study of political socialization in order to explain this
phenomenon. The paper argues that lower levels of political trust are explained by
African Americans’ racial socialization experiences, which determine perceptions of trust
in race-specific others (racial trust) and eventual perceptions of racial actors within the
context of political institutions (parties and local and national governments). As a
consequence, racial socialization is a source of political socialization. Although survey
data are limited that contain measures for these types of socializations within one dataset,
the paper proposes the development of such a survey. The paper also argues that racial
trust and political trust are learned as an outgrowth of these socializations. Thus, data
analysis on political trust is generated from the 2000 Social Capital Benchmark Survey in
order to test the covariation between racial and political trusts. Preliminary results from
the Benchmark Survey suggest that racial trust has a minimal effect on political trust and
that race affects trust in other ways that may be indicative of how people think about
relating to others with different racial backgrounds. There is support, however, for the
impact that discrimination experiences have on trust in government. The evidence from
the survey may point to the complex way race operates in political trust. Hence, further
research on racial socialization, political socialization, and political trust may uncover
how racial and political perspectives are learned via socialization experiences that are
transmitted generationally and that are externalized via political behavior.
Keywords: political socialization, racial socialization, political trust, racial trust
Prepared for delivery at the 2003 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association,
August 28 - August 31, 2003. Copyright by the American Political Science Association.
An earlier version of this paper was presented at the 2003 Annual Meeting of the International
Society of Political Psychology, Boston, MA. The author requests that you not cite the work
without permission. Additionally, the author wishes to thank Professors Paula D. McClain, John
Aldrich, Charles M. Payne, Robert O. Keohane (all of Duke University), Professor Melissa
Harris-Lacewell (University of Chicago), and Professor Katina R. Stapleton (Syracuse
University) for their continuing support.
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