TY - JOUR
T1 - Exploring the impact of skin tone on family dynamics and race-related outcomes
AU - Landor, Antoinette M.
AU - Simons, Leslie Gordon
AU - Simons, Ronald L.
AU - Brody, Gene H.
AU - Bryant, Chalandra M.
AU - Gibbons, Frederick X.
AU - Granberg, Ellen M.
AU - Melby, Janet N.
PY - 2013/10
Y1 - 2013/10
N2 - Racism has historically been a primary source of discrimination against African Americans, but there has been little research on the role that skin tone plays in explaining experiences with racism. Similarly, colorism within African American families and the ways in which skin tone influences family processes is an understudied area of research. Using data from a longitudinal sample of African American families (n = 767), we assessed whether skin tone impacted experiences with discrimination or was related to differences in quality of parenting and racial socialization within families. Findings indicated no link between skin tone and racial discrimination, which suggests that lightness or darkness of skin does not either protect African Americans from or exacerbate the experiences of discrimination. On the other hand, families displayed preferential treatment toward offspring based on skin tone, and these differences varied by gender of child. Specifically, darker skin sons received higher quality parenting and more racial socialization promoting mistrust compared to their counterparts with lighter skin. Lighter skin daughters received higher quality parenting compared with those with darker skin. In addition, gender of child moderated the association between primary caregiver skin tone and racial socialization promoting mistrust. These results suggest that colorism remains a salient issue within African American families. Implications for future research, prevention, and intervention are discussed.
AB - Racism has historically been a primary source of discrimination against African Americans, but there has been little research on the role that skin tone plays in explaining experiences with racism. Similarly, colorism within African American families and the ways in which skin tone influences family processes is an understudied area of research. Using data from a longitudinal sample of African American families (n = 767), we assessed whether skin tone impacted experiences with discrimination or was related to differences in quality of parenting and racial socialization within families. Findings indicated no link between skin tone and racial discrimination, which suggests that lightness or darkness of skin does not either protect African Americans from or exacerbate the experiences of discrimination. On the other hand, families displayed preferential treatment toward offspring based on skin tone, and these differences varied by gender of child. Specifically, darker skin sons received higher quality parenting and more racial socialization promoting mistrust compared to their counterparts with lighter skin. Lighter skin daughters received higher quality parenting compared with those with darker skin. In addition, gender of child moderated the association between primary caregiver skin tone and racial socialization promoting mistrust. These results suggest that colorism remains a salient issue within African American families. Implications for future research, prevention, and intervention are discussed.
KW - African americans
KW - Parenting
KW - Racial discrimination
KW - Racial socialization
KW - Skin tone
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U2 - 10.1037/a0033883
DO - 10.1037/a0033883
M3 - Article
C2 - 24040901
AN - SCOPUS:84887534360
SN - 0893-3200
VL - 27
SP - 817
EP - 826
JO - Journal of Family Psychology
JF - Journal of Family Psychology
IS - 5
ER -