Public beliefs about the black/white socioeconomic status gap: What's “upbringing” got to do with it?

• Published in: Social science quarterly 2022-01, Vol.103 (1), p.82-89
• Main Authors: Hunt, Matthew O., Croll, Paul R., Krysan, Maria
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Attitudes; Beliefs; Black people; Black white differences; black/white inequality; Cultural sensitivity; Ethnic groups; Ethnicity; Families & family life; Polls & surveys; Public opinion; Race; race/ethnicity; racial attitudes and public opinion; Racial inequality; racial stratification beliefs; Racism; Respondents; Socioeconomic factors; Socioeconomic status
• ISSN: 0038-4941; 1540-6237
• DOI: 10.1111/ssqu.13103

Objective Citing the black family as the locus of responsibility for black disadvantage has a long history in the United States; however, only limited research has examined the place of family upbringing in studies of Americans’ beliefs about the causes of racial inequality. Methods We use data from the 2010, 2012, and 2014 General Social Surveys (GSS) to examine the prevalence and selected correlates of a newly offered (by the GSS) and culturally centered explanation of the black/white socioeconomic status gap focusing on “differences in upbringing.” Results The “upbringing” explanation is the most popular of the five reasons offered by the GSS in all three waves of data available for examination. Three‐quarters of GSS respondents endorse this view, while less than half endorse the next most popular explanation. Upbringing is also the most popular explanation among all three race/ethnic groups we examine, though non‐Hispanic whites endorse this view most strongly. Conclusion Our results offer important insights for future survey design and investigations of public beliefs about racial inequality.