`Two souls, two thoughts', two self-schemas : positive social and academic consequences of double consciousness in African-Americans
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- African-Americans have long been theorized to experience double consciousness— a two-ness characterized by a sense of self as American and African-American. Six studies examined the hypothesis that this double consciousness, although forged and fueled by racism and inequality, can facilitate positive social and academic consequences for African-Americans. First, Studies 1-3 provided evidence that double consciousness can function as two self-schemas, two ways of thinking about the self that develop through elaborated engagement with two American cultures. Specifically, African-American participants were shown to shift their social behaviors (i.e., giving a speech, making cooperative decisions) in schema-relevant ways from more independent when primed with mainstream-American culture to more interdependent when primed with African-American culture. Study 3 showed that self-construal mediated this capacity to cultural frame-switch. Then, Studies 4 and 5 tested and supported the prediction that mainstream university settings that encourage frame-switching, through the inclusion of African-American ideas and practices, can enhance academic motivation and performance (i.e., persistence, verbal and creative problem solving) for African-Americans. Finally, using a national data set, Study 6A/B provides further evidence that educational settings which are inclusive of diverse cultural practices can promote achievement behaviors, as well as belongingness (positive interdependence), among African-American undergraduates. The discussion examines double consciousness as a basic psychological phenomenon that may arise with subordinate status (e.g., female or working class identities, situational positions of low power), and suggests the benefits of mainstream settings that promote frame-switching through the inclusion of non-dominant cultural ideas and practices.
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Form | electronic; electronic resource; remote |
| Extent | 1 online resource. |
| Publication date | 2013 |
| Issuance | monographic |
| Language | English |
Creators/Contributors
| Associated with | Brannon, Tiffany Nicole |
|---|---|
| Associated with | Stanford University, Department of Psychology. |
| Primary advisor | Markus, Hazel Rose |
| Thesis advisor | Markus, Hazel Rose |
| Thesis advisor | Eberhardt, Jennifer L. (Jennifer Lynn) |
| Thesis advisor | Walton, Gregory M. (Gregory Mariotti) |
| Advisor | Eberhardt, Jennifer L. (Jennifer Lynn) |
| Advisor | Walton, Gregory M. (Gregory Mariotti) |
Subjects
| Genre | Theses |
|---|
Bibliographic information
| Statement of responsibility | Tiffany Nicole Brannon. |
|---|---|
| Note | Submitted to the Department of Psychology. |
| Thesis | Thesis (Ph.D.)--Stanford University, 2013. |
| Location | electronic resource |
Access conditions
- Copyright
- © 2013 by Tiffany Nicole Brannon
- License
- This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 3.0 Unported license (CC BY-NC).
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