Ethnic identity and discrimination among children
Author
Friesen, J.
Arifovic, J.
Wright, S. C.
Ludwig, A.
Giamo, L.
Baray, G.
Date
2012-12Source Title
Journal of Economic Psychology
Print ISSN
0167-4870
Electronic ISSN
1872-7719
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Volume
33
Issue
6
Pages
1156 - 1169
Type
ArticleItem Usage Stats
112
views
views
132
downloads
downloads
Abstract
We engaged over 430 Canadian children in a series of activities designed to reveal their
evaluations of three ethnic groups (White, East Asian and South Asian), their identification
with these groups, and their behavior towards them in a dictator game. Our experiments
took place at the children’s schools during their normal school day, allowing us to evaluate
the salience and effects of ethnic identities on economically relevant behavior in an important
natural setting. We find that children from the dominant White category have a clear
sense of White ethnic identity, and tend to favor White recipients in the dictator game relative
to East Asian or South Asian recipients. Minority East Asian children reveal a more
complex ethnic identity; they perceive themselves to be equally similar to White and East
Asian children. Unlike Whites, East Asian children do not favor recipients from their own
East Asian category, nor do they favor recipients with whom they tend to identify. If anything,
East Asian children show out-group favoritism.