Verified Document

Does Racial Discrimination Affect Us Psychologically  Term Paper

Racism Does racial discrimination affect us psychologically?

Studies concerning the effects of racial discrimination have become prevalent over the years, with researchers seeking whether there really is a significant relationship between racial discrimination and psychological effects on the individual. This research looks into existing literature about the topic, and posits that indeed, racial discrimination, particularly among African-Americans in the United States, experience not only psychological, but also physical distress due to racial discrimination in the society.

Social and psychological researches on this topic showed that an individual's perceived discrimination by others in terms of race differences results to psychological distress. According to Robert Sellers and Nicole Shelton (2003) in their study, The Role of Racial Identity in Perceived Racial Discrimination, there is a "complex role racial identity plays in the lives of African-Americans." Perhaps the most significant result of the authors' study is the tendency for African-Americans to perceive themselves as discriminated even before the act or behavior illustrating discrimination happens. Development of perceived discrimination,...

Low self-esteem developed after being 'enculturated' in a society where discrimination is prevalent, and many African-Americans and other ethnic minorities manifest this adverse psychological effect in the most immediate social group an individual involves with, the educational institution. In schools, an individual's self-esteem is either increased or decreased; depending on the social environment s/he is cultivated. If the school environment encourages a positive attitude towards race differences, then an individual would have a better assessment of himself/herself. Otherwise, a discriminated individual would develop low self-esteem, thereby resulting to low expectations and performance on educational achievement (Pilkington, 1999).
More than self-esteem, a racially-discriminated individual can also develop worse psychological problems, such as "race-related stress," which results to an individual's lack of coping strategies in which s/he can…

Sources used in this document:
Bibliography

Brown, T. (2001, July). Measuring Self-Perceived Racial and Ethnic Discrimination in Social Surveys. Sociological Spectrum [Online Serial]. Available: EBSCO Item No. 4974783.

Pilkington, A. (1999, September). Racism in schools and ethnic differentials in educational achievement: A brief comment on recent debate. British Journal of Sociology of Education [Online Serial]. Available: EBSCO Item No. 2976973.

Sellers, R. And N. Shelton. (2003, May). The role of racial identity in perceived racial discrimination. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology [Online Serial]. Available: EBSCO Item No. 9837175.

Utsey, S. And J. Ponterotto. (2000). Racial discrimination, coping, life satisfaction, and self-esteem among African-Americans. Journal of Counseling and Development [Online Serial]. Available: EBSCO Item No. 2701511.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Racial Prejudice
Words: 966 Length: 3 Document Type: Research Paper

retain racial prejudices and how can we break such molds? Racism and prejudices, just like reading and speaking, are taught. This is one of the easy ways to develop and retain racial prejudices. Babies, toddlers, children, and even adolescents are highly susceptible to their environments. Yes, as children age into adolescents, they begin to think and act with more independence and defiance, yet they are not outside of the

Review of a Current Homeland Security Issue That Affects the US
Words: 1647 Length: 5 Document Type: Case Study

Transportation Security and Intrusiveness of Security Screenings America's land, seaways, and air transportation systems are structured in such a manner that enhances efficiency and enables easy access, the two features that also at the same time make these transportation systems susceptible to attacks. The expenses and difficulty of protecting the entire transportation systems from attacks raises a critical issue for legislators and other policymakers in the government: in that how much

Sociology and African Diaspora
Words: 1541 Length: 5 Document Type: Term Paper

four-year college, California State University Long Beach (CSULB) was my first choice. However, since CSULB could not accept my application, I decided to apply to California State University Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), which was listed as an alternative location option on the CSULB application. I took this decision independently after examining CSUDH's Human Services Program material. In fact, I did not even attend an orientation meeting, although I had received

African-American History Sharecropping Was Not
Words: 2799 Length: 10 Document Type: Term Paper

Thus, the New Negro Movement refers to the new way of thinking, and encompasses all the elements of the Negro Renaissance, artistically, socially and politically (New). The Harlem Renaissance changed the dynamics of African-American culture in the United States forever, for it was proof that whites did not have a monopoly on literature, arts and culture (Harlem). The many personalities of the era, such as composer Duke Ellington, dancer Josephine

Psychosocial Development Case Study Analysis
Words: 2490 Length: 7 Document Type: Case Study

Psychosocial development theory was developed by Erikson and it is the best theory in psychology. He believed that personality progresses are a continuous series of stages. His theory also believes in the influence of social experience across the lifetime. Ego identity is one of Erikson's main elements in psychosocial theory. This is the self-conscious that we develop through the daily social interaction. Everyday's experiences and information in life cause major

Theatre Art
Words: 1343 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

Shape of Things: Theatrical Convention from Class: Suspension of Disbelief -- the audience is made to believe that a man or any person for that matter could become so obsessed with a single person that they are willing to completely change themselves, including having plastic surgery and destroying their interpersonal relationships for a person whose only appeal to them is a sexual one. Potential Convention: Given the subject matter of the

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now