Prof. Scott & Colleagues Develop Model Examining How Skin Color Affects Race/Ethnicity Messages & Youth Development
How can a youth of color’s phenotype–or skin color–affect the messages they receive about their place in an ethnic-racial group? How can those signals affect their development? In a recent study led by Prof. Judith Scott at BU School of Social Work, researchers are expanding the understanding of Ethnic-Racial Socialization (ERS) to explore just that. While ERS has long been used to better understand the connection between social cues and the development of youths of color, incorporating their physical appearance into the type of social cues they receive may provide a more holistic approach for researchers and practitioners who work with youth and families of color.
“At an early age, Black and Latino youth become aware of skin color and make meaning of it,” say the authors. “Around age three or four, Black children can categorize race based on skin color, and by five or six, they are able to use racial labels.” Since ERS considers how youth development is connected to “histories, traditions, values, a sense of belonging, and pride in that group(s); and beliefs about other groups,” it can help professionals understand how these social cues affect everything from a child’s sense of self-worth to how they interact with their families and the greater world and cope with racism.
In the past, researchers have not considered how skin color affects ERS, even though it’s generally accepted that there is a connection between skin color and youths of color’s development. By considering phenotype within a conceptual model, the authors add several layers of necessary complexity to ERS. For instance, in one of many examples given by the authors, a Latino youth with dark skin can experience a wide variety of social influences filtered through the lens of their phenotype. “Negative family messages about dark skin may cause ethno-racial dissonance among Afro-Latino youth,” resulting in:
- Feeling they have to prove their Latino authenticity
- Making stronger connections with Black rather than Latino communities
- Equating lighter skin with family love, feeling that if they were lighter, they would be loved more
The researchers also took great care to consider how phenotype interacts with many other intersecting identities such immigrant identity and cues–from racial discrimination to how families emotionally process how skin color may affect their child in social contexts.
Future research can use this study as a jumping off point to consider how other identities, such as gender or sexuality, affect ERS and youth development. In addition, while this paper focused on skin color, more research is needed around how other phenotypic factors (eye shape, hair texture, etc.) interact with ERS.