Hraba

Hraba and Grant (1970) Black dolls and White dolls

Black

IS beautiful

re-examination of racial preference and identification

Some background.
This

study replicates a classic study by Clark & Clark (1939) where children were asked to choose between black and white dolls

Some background.
Clark & Clark found that Black children preferred White dolls and rejected Black dolls when asked to choose which were NICE, which looked BAD, which they would LIKE to play with and which were a nice colour

Some background.

The Clark & Clark findings suggested that Black children had negative attitudes towards themselves and their cultural background The Clark & Clark study was replicated over a 20 year period with similar results

Hraba and Grant - Black is beautiful

THE TOPIC Racial identification, self awareness and preference in Black-American children

Hraba and Grant - Black is beautiful

THE QUESTION Do Black-American children demonstrate Black racial preference and racial self identification?

Hraba and Grant - Black is beautiful

KEY TERMS civil rights ethnocentrism identity race & racism role model segregation

Hraba and Grant - Black IS beautiful

What Hraba & Grant did

They replicated the Clark & Clark study & procedures as much as possible

Hraba and Grant - Black IS beautiful

The participants 160 children aged between 4 and 8

All attended primary schools in Lincoln Nebraska, USA 89 were Black and 71 were White

Hraba and Grant - Black IS beautiful

The ethnicity of the population of the town of Lincoln

1.4% of population were Black In the 5 schools used in the study 3%, 3%, 3%, 7%, 18% were Black

70% of Black child Ps had White friends

Hraba and Grant - Black IS beautiful

The procedure
Children interviewed individually using a set of four dolls

Two Black dolls and two White dolls They were identical except for colour

Hraba and Grant - Black IS beautiful

Each child was asked these 8 questions Give me the doll that you want to play with Give me the doll that is a nice doll Give me the doll that looks bad Give me the doll that is a nice colour Give me the doll that looks like a White child
Give me the doll that looks like a coloured child

Give me the doll that looks like a Negro child Give me the doll that looks like you

Hraba and Grant - Black IS beautiful

These

four questions were to measure RACIAL PREFERENCE

Give me the doll that you want to play with Give me the doll that is a nice doll Give me the doll that looks bad Give me the doll that is a nice colour

Hraba and Grant - Black IS beautiful

These

three questions were to measure racial awareness or knowledge

Give me the doll that looks like a White child
Give me the doll that looks like a coloured child

Give me the doll that looks like a Negro child

Hraba and Grant - Black IS beautiful

This

question measured RACIAL self-identification

Give

me the doll that looks like you

Hraba and Grant - Black IS beautiful

The

results

Give me the doll that you want to play with

83% white Ps chose White doll

70% Black Ps chose Black doll

Hraba and Grant - Black IS beautiful

The

results

Give me the doll that is a NICE doll

70% White Ps chose White doll

54% Black Ps chose Black doll

Hraba and Grant - Black IS beautiful

The
Give

results
me the doll that looks bad

34% White Ps chose White doll 36% Black Ps chose Black doll

Hraba and Grant - Black IS beautiful

The

results

Give me the doll that is a nice colour

48% White Ps chose White doll

69% Black Ps chose Black doll

Hraba and Grant - Black IS beautiful

The

results

Both Black and White children preferred dolls of their own race White Ps were more ethnocentric on questions 1 and 2, but there was no difference on question 3

Hraba and Grant - Black IS beautiful

The

results

Clark & Clark found that Black children at all ages preferred White dolls

Hraba

and Grant found that Black children at all ages preferred Black dolls and this preference increased with age

Hraba and Grant - Black IS beautiful

Categorisation of Ps
C

& C and H & G

light medium dark

(practically white)
(light brown to dark brown)

(dark brown to black)

Hraba and Grant - Black IS beautiful

Clark

& Clark found that the light children showed greatest preference for White dolls, and the dark children the least preference and Grant found no such

Hraba

trend

Hraba and Grant - Black IS beautiful

For

questions 5 to 8

Children

made FEW errors of racial identification

Race of the interviewer had no effect on choices of either W or B children

Hraba and Grant - Black IS beautiful

There was no relationship between choice of doll and the race of the respondents friends 23 black children answered questions 1 to 4 preferring the black doll; 20 of these had white friends 20 white children answered preferring the white doll; 12 had black friends

Hraba and Grant - Black IS beautiful

Conclusion

Great change between 1939 and 1969

Black

people more proud of their race in 1969 than in 1939

Hraba and Grant - Black IS beautiful

Conclusion

Great change between 1939 and 1969

The

growth of organisations in the Black community may have enhanced Black pride

Hraba and Grant - Black IS beautiful

Conclusion

Great change between 1939 and 1969

Inter

racial contact might create Black pride

Hraba and Grant - Black IS beautiful

But

Clark & Clark did not perform their study in Lincoln Nebraska Black children in Lincoln, unlike other cities, may have chosen Black dolls in 1939?

Perhaps

Hraba and Grant - Black IS beautiful

Discussion

point Can childrens preferences for dolls tell us anything about their racial identity?

Hraba and Grant - Black IS beautiful

Discussion

point Given the ages of the children what factor might have affected their answers [Think about Samuel & Bryant]

Hraba and Grant - Black IS beautiful

The

H & G replication shows us that social psychological findings are inevitably the product of a particular point in history
and how important it is to review the findings of classic studies

Hraba and Grant - Black IS beautiful

The

findings suggest that there had been a change in the consciousness of black children over the 20 year period

Hraba and Grant - Black IS beautiful

THE TOPIC Racial identification, self awareness and preference in Black-American children

THE QUESTION Do Black-American children demonstrate Black racial preference and racial self identification

Hraba and Grant - Black IS beautiful

Social history of USA in 1960s

The Civil Rights movement Martin Luther King Militant Black leadership Desegregation of schools and colleges

Hraba and Grant - Black IS beautiful

Methodology?
Ethical Issues? Ethnocentrism? Links with other studies?

Hraba and Grant - Black IS Beautiful

the end