The subtle–blatant distinction of ethnic prejudice among ethnic majority chidren

Abstract

Research on ethnic prejudice among children is important for contemporary multicultural schools seeking to enhance communication among students from different ethnic groups and provide effective intercultural education. Current scientific discourse points to the appearance of new implicit forms of prejudice, witnessed in modern multicultural societies, while traditional explicit prejudice tends to decline. However, empirical studies concerning the blatant–subtle distinction of prejudice in children are scarce. This paper examines ethnic prejudice in 329 ethnic majority preadolescents (aged 10–13 years) attending 10 urban and rural schools in central Greece. Data were collected using questionnaires constructed on the basis of focus group discussions with children, in addition to sociometric tests. Findings support the subtle–blatant distinction of prejudice in children and indicate that although blatant prejudice expressed as personal rejection is indeed low, perceptions of ethnic minority groups as a ‘problem’ for school life, as well as subtle prejudice, are substantial. Ethnic minority children are less popular and stigmatizing behaviour is common. Intimacy with an ethnic minority classmate is associated with lower levels of blatant prejudice at the individual level but the other forms of prejudice are not affected.

Keywords:

• subtle prejudice
• blatant prejudice
• multicultural school
• primary education
• preadolescents

Acknowledgement

Financial support for this study was provided by the Research Committee of the University of Thessaly, Volos, Greece.

Notes

A first version of the paper was presented at the European Conference on Educational Research ’Education and Cultural Change’, Helsinki, Finland 25–27 August 2010.

1. Data were analysed using SPSS.v17. Exploratory factor analysis was employed to determine dimensions of ethnic prejudice and stigmatization. Means, SDs and 95% confidence intervals as well as intercorrelations were calculated for the subscales produced. For comparisons with respect to gender or personal contact with ethnic minority classmates, t-test was used and effect sizes were calculated as Cohen’s d.

2. That is, ethnic majority girls, compared to boys, perceive ethnic minority children less as a threat to interpersonal contact or to the school environment.