Mentor
Dr. Mary Campbell
Participation year
2009
Project title

Multiracial Attitudes within Primary and Secondary Relationships

Abstract

As the number of multiracial individuals (those with parents of different races) in the United States rises, the implications for public opinion about this demographic shift become important in light of the racial stratification of our society. Studying student attitudes towards multiracial individuals permits us to predict future group behavior as well as to comprehend the social racial structure in which young people are immersed. Using a survey data, I analyze college students' attitudes towards multiracial individuals and how these attitudes may vary within their primary and secondary relationships. I also investigate how these attitudes are shaped by the contact the person has had with multiracial individuals. In addition, I compare these results by the student's identification of belonging to a majority or minority group. Results indicate that attitudes towards secondary relationships with multiracial people tend to be more racially tolerant than primary relationships, and that those who live in more racially diverse settings and who have close relationships with multiracial individuals are more likely to have stronger favorable attitudes towards this group.

Maritza  Loaiza
Education
University of Costa Rica