Chapter 13
Perceptions of Intergroup Discrimination
Christia Spears Brown,
Christia Spears Brown
Search for more papers by this authorChristia Spears Brown,
Christia Spears Brown
Search for more papers by this authorBook Editor(s):Adam Rutland,
Drew Nesdale,
Christia Spears Brown,
Adam Rutland
Search for more papers by this authorDrew Nesdale
Search for more papers by this authorChristia Spears Brown
Search for more papers by this authorSummary
This chapter focuses on research on discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, gender, immigration status, and sexual orientation that is perceived by both children and adolescents. When children and adolescents perceive discrimination, they most commonly perceive direct, concrete peer discrimination occurring at school. The school context-such as, the ethnic and gender composition of schools, as well as the explicit and implicit ways in which schools and teachers value diversity-plays a critical role in children's and adolescents’ perceptions of discrimination. Beyond children's and adolescents’ overall tendencies to perceive certain types of discrimination, perceiving a particular instance of negative feedback, social exclusion, or unfair treatment as discrimination is influenced by several factors. These include: the child's cognitive developmental abilities to detect the discrimination; the specific situational cues present that suggest discrimination is likely; and the characteristics of the individuals that affect their knowledge of and salience of discrimination.
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