Introduction
School integration is crucial in the struggle for social justice and racial equality. Although the historic choice to integrate public schools was a turning point in the fight for civil rights, the integration itself was far from flawless. The social identity theory heavily influenced the implementation of school integration, which harmed African Americans. Compared to more intentional and collaborative types of integration, including students and instructors, forcing kids into integration without the necessary tools and support is likely to heighten emotions of stereotype threat and self-fulfilling prophesies.
Opposition and Consequences for Black Students
The opposition of white communities, especially in the South, to desegregation was one of the main problems in its implementation. White parents routinely removed their children from integrated schools or sent them to private schools to stop integration. Black pupils were disproportionately negatively impacted by underfunding and frequent overcrowding in public schools and were left behind. The academic achievement disparity between black and white pupils was maintained by the absence of resources and assistance for these kids, which hampered their academic progress.
The busing of pupils to integrated schools was another problem. While busing was intended to achieve racial balance in schools, it frequently led to the transportation of Black pupils far from their homes and communities (Gladwell, 2017). Their everyday lives were disturbed and exposed to racist and violent behavior by white students and parents who opposed integration. Additionally, black pupils were occasionally assigned to institutions with inadequate facilities or unqualified professors, exacerbating educational inequities.
Impact on African American Educators
Despite their years of experience and qualifications, African American teachers and staff were often laid off or demoted from their jobs at integrated schools. This was because of the assumption that white instructors were more qualified to instruct in mixed classes and the presumption that Black teachers were unable to teach White students. These instructors’ livelihoods were negatively harmed by this unfair treatment, which also hurt the Black pupils who looked up to them as mentors and role models. Various theories on the social, psychological, and cognitive causes of prejudice influenced the implementation of school integration.
Social Identity Theory and Resistance to Integration
The social identity theory was central to school integration. According to this hypothesis, people form a sense of who they are based on the groups to which they belong (Verkuyten et al., 2019). Segregation in public schools was ruled unlawful in the landmark case of Brown v. Board of Education, which threatened the social identities of white people who had long been used to attending all-white institutions. Many white parents’ emotions of status and belonging were impacted when they sent their children to integrated schools (Gladwell, 2017). The government resolved integration to preserve the students’ sense of self and group membership.
The social identity theory contends that individuals characterize the world into in-groups and out-groups in light of their social characters. It can be utilized to explain why the combination is against it. In this situation, white people felt entitled to and superior to Black people because they perceived them as belonging to an out-group. Preconceived ideas about Black people being inferior, uneducated, or aggressive fostered this superiority complex and served to strengthen their ethnic group membership (Verkuyten et al., 2019). As a result, accepting the idea of integration became difficult since it endangered their sense of social identity.
The social identity theory also emphasizes social comparison as a key element in comprehending the resistance to integration. White individuals may have compared themselves to Black people in the setting of school integration, and their sense of moral superiority, civilization, or intelligence may have had a significant role in their self-esteem (Gladwell, 2017). Tolerating integration would have tested their sensation of prevalence, which might have impacted their confidence and, thus, dissolved their feeling of social identity. As a result, the process of social influence was crucial to implementing school integration.
Psychological Effects
Compared to more intentional and collaborative modes of integration, forcing children to integrate without enough support and resources may exacerbate emotions of stereotype threat and self-fulfilling prophesies. The worry or dread one feels when their behavior is likely to confirm a negative stereotype regarding their group is known as a stereotype threat (Gladwell, 2017).
Contrastingly, self-fulfilling prophesies relate to how people’s opinions of themselves or others might affect how they act and perform. For instance, black students may have experienced stereotype threats if placed in predominantly white classrooms without adequate support or resources. They may have been aware of negative stereotypes about their intelligence or academic abilities and feared their performance would confirm them. This could have led to lower academic achievement, decreased motivation, and low self-esteem.
The unfavorable attitudes and low expectations of white instructors and students for black kids may have influenced self-fulfilling prophecies. Black children might have internalized the negative stereotypes and low expectations held by others if they were placed in classes where they were not respected, supported, or encouraged. This may have decreased self-esteem, academic performance, and motivation (Gladwell, 2017). It is feasible to establish a friendly, inclusive, and culturally sensitive atmosphere that is not limited by stereotype threat and subsequent self-fulfilling prophecies by including students and instructors in the integration process.
Conclusion
To conclude, the social identity theory substantially influenced the adverse effects faced by African American children and adults. To lessen the adverse effects on African Americans and provide an inclusive and encouraging learning environment for all students, more intentional and collaborative forms of integration, including students and instructors, were required. It is crucial to keep up the struggle for racial equality and social justice in education to ensure that all students have access to equal opportunities and assistance.
References
Gladwell, M. (2016-2023). Revisionist History [Audio podcast]. Pushkin Industries. Web.
Verkuyten, M., Thijs, J., & Gharaei, N. (2019). Discrimination and academic (dis) engagement of ethnic-racial minority students: A social identity threat perspective. Social Psychology of Education, 22, 267-290. Web.