Has Racism Declined in America?

John B. McConahay, Betty B. Hardee and Valerie Batts
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John B. McConahay: Institute of Policy Sciences and Public Affairs, Duke University
Betty B. Hardee: Randolph-Macon Woman's College and Lynchburg College
Valerie Batts: Institute of Policy Sciences and Public Affairs, Duke University

Journal of Conflict Resolution, 1981, vol. 25, issue 4, 563-579

Abstract: In recent years as public opinion polls have shown a decline in racist responses, white Americans have strongly resisted school desegregation and affirmative action programs. Hence, there has been a debate over the extent to which racism has really declined. The theory of modern racism addresses these issues, distinguishing between old-fashioned racial beliefs recognized by everyone as racism and a new set of beliefs arising from the conflicts of the civil rights movement. The theory proposes that antiblack feeling remains high and has been displaced from the socially undesirable old-fashioned beliefs onto the new beliefs where the racism is not recognized. Three experiments were performed; results showed that, regardless of context, the old-fashioned items were perceived as more likely to reveal prejudice. The results are discussed in terms of their significance for opinion polling and continuing racial conflict in America.

Date: 1981
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:jocore:v:25:y:1981:i:4:p:563-579

DOI: 10.1177/002200278102500401

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