Racial identity development during childhood

n this chapter, we explore the development of racial identity and its implications during childhood, focusing on preschool through late childhood. The primary purpose is to review psychosocial processes that facilitate competent development of African American children. The overall review provides developmental perspectives in facilitating the synthesis and interpretation of the presented themes and issues. The chapter is organized into five sections. The first section is devoted to a historical overview of research on racial identity processes in childhood. In the following section, we address the developmental progression of racial identity during this period of development. In the next section, we focus on theoretical perspectives and research that has shaped the field of study, addressing implications of children’s racial attitudes on general school experiences and behavioral outcomes. In the fourth section, we address academic and behavioral implications for African American children, and in the final section we explore promising areas of research that remain underdeveloped. Racial identity refers to the attitudes, perceptions, and beliefs that an individual holds toward his or her racial group in relation to the majority racial group (Arroyo & Zigler, 1991). Racial identity among children is conceptualized, and generally assessed, as racial awareness, attitudes, preferences, and socialization (Katz & Kofkin, 1997). Racial awareness subsequently influences racial preferences and attitudes but, as research since the 1940s reflects, is also developmentally and culturally influenced. Differ entiating between early knowledge of the self and later identity-formation processes provides an understanding of these constructs relevant to children’s development.