Assessing and Extending Colorblind Racism Theory Using National Survey Data

Amber M. Hamilton, Douglas Hartmann, Ryan P Larson

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

Eduardo Bonilla-Silva’s work on colorblind racism has become a prominent theoretical framework for analyzing racial attitudes, ideologies, and discourses in the contemporary United States. However, the scholarship has yet to produce an empirically rigorous, quantitative assessment of colorblind racism to document the theory’s generalizability and assess it as a theory of racial attitudes. In this article, we build upon the rich body of qualitative research to develop a novel measurement model of colorblind racism using nationally representative survey data. We then use the model to estimate the impact of adherence to colorblind beliefs on support for affirmative action policies and awareness of structural disadvantage. Our findings indicate a good model fit, and that awareness of structural disadvantages acts as a mediator between colorblind racism and affirmative action support. We use our findings to develop colorblind racism theory, especially regarding structural disadvantage, both empirically and theoretically; we also consider the implications of these findings and colorblind theory more generally for the study of racial attitudes in the post-Trump era.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)267-283
Number of pages17
JournalSociology of Race and Ethnicity
Volume8
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the Edelstein Family Foundation and the National Science Foundation [grant numbers 1258926, 1258933]

Publisher Copyright:
© American Sociological Association 2022.

Keywords

  • colorblind racism
  • critical race theory
  • race
  • racial attitudes
  • survey methods

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Assessing and Extending Colorblind Racism Theory Using National Survey Data'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this