Meritocratic Beliefs on Emerging Adults’ Explanations for Race-Related Income Inequality
Start Date
1-8-2024 11:15 AM
End Date
1-8-2024 11:30 AM
Location
ALT 211
Abstract
As racial inequalities and systemic racism persist in U.S. society, White Americans may fail to identify or accept how systemic racism affects racial inequalities. One factor contributing to differences in White Americans’ willingness to accept how systemic racism affects inequalities may be the belief that the U.S. is a meritocracy, which reflects an ideology that success is attained because of ability, talent, and effort rather than gender, race/ethnicity, or social class. Because meritocratic beliefs can be maintained between generations, children’s perceptions of their parents’ beliefs in meritocracy may influence their understanding of structural contributions to inequality. The current work examines if White emerging adults’ beliefs in (and their perceptions of their parents’ beliefs in) meritocracy are associated with their explanations (internal and external attributions) for systemic income inequality between White and Black people. White emerging adults, aged 18-29 years of age, and their parents were recruited to participate. Participants reported their beliefs (and their perceptions of their parents’ beliefs) in meritocracy and then provided explanations for an income-based fact in the U.S. Results revealed that emerging adults’ beliefs (and to a large extent their perceptions of their parents’ beliefs) in meritocracy were associated with greater internal and fewer external attributions for the causes of income inequality between White and Black people. Results will be accompanied with qualitative examples (i.e., written responses) of participants’ attributions for inequality between White and Black people.
Meritocratic Beliefs on Emerging Adults’ Explanations for Race-Related Income Inequality
ALT 211
As racial inequalities and systemic racism persist in U.S. society, White Americans may fail to identify or accept how systemic racism affects racial inequalities. One factor contributing to differences in White Americans’ willingness to accept how systemic racism affects inequalities may be the belief that the U.S. is a meritocracy, which reflects an ideology that success is attained because of ability, talent, and effort rather than gender, race/ethnicity, or social class. Because meritocratic beliefs can be maintained between generations, children’s perceptions of their parents’ beliefs in meritocracy may influence their understanding of structural contributions to inequality. The current work examines if White emerging adults’ beliefs in (and their perceptions of their parents’ beliefs in) meritocracy are associated with their explanations (internal and external attributions) for systemic income inequality between White and Black people. White emerging adults, aged 18-29 years of age, and their parents were recruited to participate. Participants reported their beliefs (and their perceptions of their parents’ beliefs) in meritocracy and then provided explanations for an income-based fact in the U.S. Results revealed that emerging adults’ beliefs (and to a large extent their perceptions of their parents’ beliefs) in meritocracy were associated with greater internal and fewer external attributions for the causes of income inequality between White and Black people. Results will be accompanied with qualitative examples (i.e., written responses) of participants’ attributions for inequality between White and Black people.
