Schools' Role in Shaping Race Relations: Evidence on Friendliness and Conflict

Abstract

This study uses macrostructural theory, contact theory, and group threat theory to examine how schools influence interracial friendliness and interracial conflict. Using perceived measures of both interracial friendli-ness and interracial conflict with data from the High School Effects Study, results from multilevel models show partial support for all three theories. As predicted by macrostructural theory, school integration raises percep-tions of both friendliness and conflict, with conflict increasing more rapidly. Consistent with contact theory, segre-gated tracks, fewer minority teachers, less group work, and segregated extracurricular activities worsen racial relations. In support of group threat theory, evidence suggests that students are especially likely to avoid interra-cial contact in biracial schools with equally-sized groups. These results emphasize the importance of researching both negative and positive outcomes simultaneously when studying racial relations. The research also alerts school personnel that integration will likely result in more conflict than friendliness unless proactive steps are taken. In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court deemed racially segregated schools unconstitutional Brown v. the Board of Education). This Supreme Court decision triggered a shift in the percep-tion of schools; schools came to be regarded as institutions with potential to improve racial and ethnic group relations (Khmelkov and Hallinan 1999) by diversifying students ’ social