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Perceptions of Racial Inequality in America

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The Psychology of Racial Colorblindness

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Chapter Overview

Chapter 6 presents a review of research examining inequality perceptions, framed by the previously described Disparities-Focused Model. Available evidence suggests that Whites dramatically underestimate the extent of present-day racial inequalities, and are also typically ignorant regarding the mechanisms that foster inequality—beliefs that predict support for racial colorblindness, as well as opposition to progressive racial policies. In addition to evidence suggesting that Whites’ inequality perceptions are largely inaccurate, factors that moderate inequality perceptions are also considered.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    We also asked participants in all samples how much they would need to refrain from watching television for the rest of their lives. Here, the median requests ranged from $100,000 to $1,000,000 across samples.

  2. 2.

    Although the research above primarily focused on general perceptions of racism or structural opportunity gaps, similar interracial perceptual differences have been documented in specific contexts. For example, Blodorn and colleagues (2016) demonstrated that Whites perceived of less racism in the events following Hurricane Katrina than Blacks.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ohio State University, Mansfield, Ohio, USA

    Philip J. Mazzocco

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  1. Philip J. Mazzocco
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Mazzocco, P.J. (2017). Perceptions of Racial Inequality in America. In: The Psychology of Racial Colorblindness. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-59302-3_6

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