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Children Associate Racial Groups With Wealth: Evidence From South Africa
Author(s) -
Olson Kristina R.,
Shutts Kristin,
Kinzler Katherine D.,
Weisman Kara G.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2012.01819.x
Subject(s) - racial group , psychology , status quo , white (mutation) , de facto , social status , value (mathematics) , hierarchy , racial hierarchy , social hierarchy , social psychology , developmental psychology , race (biology) , gender studies , sociology , political science , social science , biochemistry , chemistry , machine learning , computer science , law , gene
Group‐based social hierarchies exist in nearly every society, yet little is known about whether children understand that they exist. The present studies investigated whether 3‐ to 10‐year‐old children ( N = 84) in South Africa associate higher status racial groups with higher levels of wealth, one indicator of social status. Children matched higher value belongings with White people more often than with multiracial or Black people and with multiracial people more often than with Black people, thus showing sensitivity to the de facto racial hierarchy in their society. There were no age‐related changes in children’s tendency to associate racial groups with wealth differences. The implications of these results are discussed in light of the general tendency for people to legitimize and perpetuate the status quo.