The origins of symbolic racism.

TLDR

Symbolic racism is theorized to arise from a blend of anti‑Black affect and conservative individualistic values. The authors clarify and directly test the hypothesis that symbolic racism originates from anti‑Black affect and individualism. The studies reveal that symbolic racism loads equally on separate prejudice and conservatism factors, is largely explained by anti‑Black affect and individualism, best fits a combined Black‑individualism construct whose influence on racial policy is largely mediated by symbolic racism, and is distinctively racial compared to gender or race‑neutral individualism.

Abstract

The theory of symbolic racism places its origins in a blend of anti-Black affect and conservative values, particularly individualism. We clarify that hypothesis, test it directly, and report several findings consistent with it. Study 1 shows that racial prejudice and general political conservatism fall into 2 separate factors, with symbolic racism loading about equally on both. Study 2 found that the anti-Black affect and individualism significantly explain symbolic racism. The best-fitting model both fuses those 2 elements into a single construct (Black individualism) and includes them separately. The effects of Black individualism on racial policy preferences are mostly mediated by symbolic racism. Study 3 shows that Black individualism is distinctively racial, with effects distinctly different from either an analogous gender individualism or race-neutral individualism.