Browsing by Subject "racial discrimination"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    Arabophobia and Arab-Conscious Hip-Hop
    (Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2014-04-11) Arron, Ryan
    Designation of Arabs as the quintessential Other in America is considered in response to events witnessed on September 11, 2001. Cowardly, menacing, violent – are words used to describe 9/11. American popular culture, not surprisingly, has used the same words to describe Arabs for decades. American popular culture has always undermined Arabs’ existence. Distorted images of Arabs have become a part of the American visual psyche, influencing education, politics and policies. Therefore 9/11 to an extent provided the framework for systemic discrimination against Arabs and those assumed to be Arabs. My essay advances a definition of Arabophobia, calling for differentiation between racial discrimination and religious discrimination, i.e., Arabophobia and Islamophobia. Arab hip-hop artists in response to criminalisation of Arabs and wars in the Middle East, I argue, have taken up a quintessential American medium to enter the popular discourse surrounding Arabs and counter the dominant narrative dictating Arab lives. Arab-conscious hip-hop is the actualisation of a cultural protest by Arabs for better representation. Instead of being portrayed by apathetic popular culture, Arab artists challenge the same culture and create conditions and possibilities for social change. Arab-conscious hip-hop counters Arab stereotypes with potential to educate audiences and (re)construct the Arab identity. In the essay I discuss the song “P.H.A.T.W.A.” by The Narcicyst. Elements of the song I present reconstructs the Arab identity by reclaiming symbols of discrimination, the same way African Americans did with hip-hop in the 80’s, and berating American for using 9/11 as an excuse for fascist wars and institutional discrimination. The Narcicyst, through “P.H.A.T.W.A.,” creates a sense of consciousness for socio-political transformation.
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    Locus of Control and Depression as Mechanisms in the Relationship between Racial Discrimination and Substance Use
    (2020-12) Khazvand, Shirin; Zapolski, Tamika C.B.; Cyders, Melissa A.; Pietri, Evava S.
    Exposure to racial discrimination has been consistently linked with risk for substance use. However, outside of affect-based factors, few other mechanisms have been examined in the literature. One potential candidate is locus of control (LOC). LOC is a learning processes that involves the degree to which an individual attributes rewards as resulting from their own control (internal LOC) versus outside control (external LOC). There is evidence that exposure to stressors is associated with LOC, with a separate body of literature linking LOC with substance use. Thus, it is plausible that LOC may be a mechanism underlying the relationship between racial discrimination and substance use. Additionally, there is evidence that depression is related to LOC. Thus, the relationship between racial discrimination, locus of control, and substance use may also be serially mediated through depressive symptoms. The current study investigated these two pathways among 503 racial/ethnic minority adults aged 18-35 who completed an online questionnaire that included measures on racial discrimination related stress, locus of control, depressive symptoms, and substance use. Results indicated a significant indirect effect of racial discrimination related stress through external locus of control, specifically the chance orientation, on substance use. Moreover, for both domains of external locus of control (i.e., chance and powerful others) a significant serial indirect effect was found through depressive symptoms within the racial discrimination-substance use pathway among racial/ethnic minority adults. These findings expand our understanding on potential mechanisms that underlie the racial discrimination-substance use risk pathway among racial/ethnic minority adults, which may in turn provide important targets for substance use intervention programming for this population
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    The Promotive and Protective Role of Racial Identity Profiles
    (2020-05) Clifton, Richelle Lee; Zapolski, Tamika C.B.; Pietri, Evava S.; Wu, Wei
    AIM Racial identity has been shown to buffer against the effects of racial discrimination among African Americans. Recently, researchers have developed a more comprehensive assessment of racial identity through the construction of profiles. These profiles help better identify combinations of racial identity that are most protective, as well as those that have the potential to increase risk. To date a majority of the research has been conducted on internalizing and academic outcomes, with limited research on externalizing outcomes, such as substance use. The current study aimed to fill this gap in the literature. METHODS 345 African American college students (80.0% female, 88.4% USA-born, and Mage=21.56) completed measures on racial identity, racial discrimination, internalizing symptomology, academic motivation, and substance use. RESULTS Four racial identity profiles were identified and labeled race-focused (n=228), multiculturalist (n=64), integrationist (n=38), and undifferentiated (n=15). Several direct effects were observed. Multigroup analysis, stratified by profile, revealed several direct relationships between racial identity profiles and outcomes. The probability of being in the multiculturalist profile was negatively associated with depression and stress and positively associated with academic motivation. The probability of being in the race-focused profile was positively associated with cannabis use and the probability of being in the integrationist profile was negatively associated with academic motivation. Being in the undifferentiated profile was not significantly related to any of the outcomes. Two specific moderating effects were also observed; individuals in the integrationist profile were significantly lower in academic motivation as a result of racial discrimination than individuals in the race-focused profile (b=0.10, SE=0.05, p=0.046). Individuals in the integrationist profile were also higher in stress as a result of racial discrimination than individuals in the race-focused profile, however this effect was only trending toward significance (b=-0.14, SE=0.08, p=0.080). CONCLUSION Based on these results, there is evidence for the differential direct and moderating associations of racial identity profiles with various health and behavioral outcomes, such that some appear protective whereas others increase risk. These findings can be used to inform future research related to racial identity and interventions for African Americans experiencing racial discrimination.