Abstract

FRANCA, Dalila Xavier de  and  MONTEIRO, Maria Benedicta. Racial identity and preference in 5 to 10 years old brazilian children. Psicologia [online]. 2002, vol.16, n.2, pp.293-323. ISSN 0874-2049.  https://doi.org/10.17575/rpsicol.v16i2.482.

This paper analyses the effects of skin colour and age on social identity and racial preference among 238 white, mulatto and black brazilian children aged from 5 to 10 years old. Racial categorisation, racial self-identification, emotional evaluation of racial belonging and peer-preference were used as dependent measures. Results showed that the majority of children categorise their peers correctly, according to their race. Racial self-categorisation was mostly biased in black and mulatto children. Other analyses showed that black children, aged from 5 to 8, perceived themselves mostly as Blacks, while older black children perceived themselves as mulatto and liked to be what they thought they were. Concerning emotional evaluation, black children, aged 5 to 6, identified less with their ingroup than older ones. Concerning social preference, the white target was the most preferred, followed by the mulatto one, while the black target was the less preferred. These results are discussed within the social identity theory framework and racism in childhood.

Keywords : Identidade racial; autocategorização; preferência social; branqueamento.

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