Not all beliefs against focusing on race are the same: It may depend on whether race is conceptualized as a social reality or as an essentialized entity

Abstract

Statements expressing the idea that society should minimize attention to race are considered to reflect colorblind ideology. However, while many studies found strong and positive correlations between endorsement of these statements and racial bias and anti-egalitarianism, other studies have found the opposite. In addition, perceptions of a person who declares she is “colorblind” can be seen as prejudiced, yet in other situations, a call to pay less attention to race can be seen as a commitment to eradicate racial inequality. Why are there such conflicting associations among colorblind beliefs? In Part 1 of this dissertation, we examined the possibility that what are traditionally called colorblind statements actually represent multiple, distinct constructs. Study 1 tested and rejected the null hypothesis that statements commonly used to measure colorblind ideology all reflect a single latent factor. Studies 2a and 2b identified distinct clusters of these statements based on their associations with various race-relevant attitudes and beliefs (e.g., race bias, social dominance orientation, multiculturalism). Both studies provide consistent evidence for at least two clusters of items from measures of colorblind ideology, with different and often opposite relations to race-relevant attitudes and beliefs. Specifically, minimizing race in terms of emphasizing common humanity is separate and distinct from minimizing race in terms of avoiding discussion of race. Study 3 further demonstrated that these clusters predict different race-relevant behavioral intentions (e.g., voting for race-conscious policy, budgeting priorities, and interracial interaction intentions). Finally, Study 4 identified one potential factor underlying the difference between these clusters: the aspect of “race” that these statements refer to. One refers to race as an essentialized quality, and the other, as an aspect of social reality. In Part 2 of this dissertation, we extend this framework to understand the perceptions of a person who expresses a colorblind belief. Specifically, we propose that reactions to a speaker who expresses a colorblind belief depends on the particular conceptualization of “race” that the speaker is seen attempting to minimize—a meaning that is largely inferred from the topic of the larger conversation. To test this hypothesis, participants read (Study 5) and listened to (Study 6) various interviews in which White interviewees responded to different interview prompts with a colorblind statement. The prompts either highlighted the existence of structural inequality (i.e., the social realities of race), suggested that racial differences are rooted in biology (i.e., race-essentializing), or simply asked their thoughts on race (i.e., control). Results showed that interviewees who made a colorblind statement in response to a person acknowledging the social realities of race were perceived as more prejudiced compared to interviewees who responded with the same statement to a race-essentializing prompt. Study 7 tested the hypothesis that this is because a colorblind response is seen as disagreeing with the conception of race expressed in the interview prompt. Study 8 further extended this framework to explore the possibility that a Black individual making a colorblind statement and a White individual making the same statement are perceived to reflect different attitudes. The results suggest that not all efforts to minimize race are the same; a person can simultaneously be aware of racial disparities, committed to fight injustice, and value and appreciate diverse backgrounds (i.e., acknowledge the social realities of race), while at the same time also hold a belief that all people, regardless of race, are fundamentally similar and share common humanity (i.e., oppose the essentialist view of race). This work also shows that the context in which the colorblind belief is expressed can determine its meaning. These findings add to the growing body of literature that clarifies when colorblind ideology is seen as reflecting racial prejudice, and when it is not.