Group Images and Possible Selves Among Adolescents: Linking Stereotypes to Expectations by Race and Ethnicity

Abstract

The study is motivated by the differential alignment of educational achievement and aspirations along race and ethnic lines. Specifically, black and Hispanic students have comparable educational aspirations relative towhites, yet earn much lower grades and test scores. On the other hand, compared to white students, Asian youth overperform in their grades and test scores given their aspirations. Focus groups and interviews of high school students reveal prevalent stereotypes that link ethnic group membership to academic ability as well as other skills. Specifically, Asian youth are believed to be especially gifted in their academic abilities, while blacks are seen as less successful in academic endeavors. Stereotypes about Hispanics focused less on their academic performance and more on their occupational concentration in manual labor. These images form the reference point for the construction of success among ethnic youth; specifically, blacks speak of academic goals in terms of avoiding failure, Hispanic youth aim primarily to avoid factory or manual labor, and Asians focus on keeping up with high expectations of their academic pursuits. Hence, I argue that adolescents define their goals primarily in terms of the stereotypical images attached to their ethnic group. Specifically, minority youth focused on avoiding failure defined by prevalent group stereotypes. Moreover, these images maintain racially and ethnically segregated extracurricular activities that reinforce segregated peer groups. Finally, socialization with same-race peers promote comparable conceptions of success within racial groups.