Opportunities and Constraints: Black-White Differences in the Formation of Interracial Friendships

Abstract

In this article, we examine the effects of classroom characteristics on the interracial friendliness of students in desegregated classrooms. We argue that social psychological processes that affect cross-race sociability are set in motion by the classroom climate, the organization of instruction, and the class racial composition. The effects of these variables on the likelihood of cross-race friendships are observed in longitudinal data from 455 students in 16 fourth- through seventh-grade desegregated classrooms. The results show that classroom characteristics associated with "status-leveling" effects operate differently for black and white students. Ability grouping influences the interracial sociability of white students more than that of blacks, while the academic status of peers affects the cross-race friendships of blacks more than of whites. Race differences in the effects of classroom climate on interracial friendships are also observed.