About this poster

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Panel information
Panel 8. Social Intergroup Processes

Abstract

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The police killing of George Floyd in March 2020 prompted mass demonstrations in support of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement across the United States (U.S.). The high visibility of the BLM movement brought public discourses regarding police brutality and racism to the fore, and fervent adolescent participation in the BLM movement was observed (Baskin-Sommers et al., 2021). Thus, the BLM movement was a formative sociohistorical context for adolescent development (Baskin-Sommers et al., 2021), yet research has not examined the influence of adolescents’ interactions with peers during the BLM movement, which is crucial as peers are important social agents for influencing viewpoints on diversity, civic engagement, and emotional well-being (Rossi et al., 2016; Edmonds & Killen, 2009; Moreira et al., 2021). Moreover, considering peers' racial/ethnic status is important, as youths' interactions with peers of other races can shape their racial attitudes (Edmonds & Killen, 2009). For example, cross-race friendships can spur dialogue about privilege and disadvantage, prompting White youth to question racial inequities (Atwell, 2014). Thus, the purpose of this exploratory sequential mixed-methods study was to 1) qualitatively examine the concurrent effects of conversations with same- and different-race peers about BLM and then 2) quantitatively assess the prospective impacts of conversations with same- and different-race peers to determine how those impacts persist over time.
Survey data from the current study were collected in Fall 2020 (11th/12th grade; W1) and Spring 2021 (W2) from a racially/ethnically diverse sample in the southern U.S. (N = 361; 56.8% female; 32.1% low-income; 44.0% White, 29.4% Latino/a/x, 8.0% Asian, 11.1% Biracial/other, 4.7% Black). Qualitative data were derived from participants’ written responses to open-ended survey questions at W1 that asked participants about their engagement in conversations with same- or different-race peers about BLM and the impact of those conversations. Following grounded-theory approaches, two researchers independently reviewed the data, generated potential codes, collaboratively created a codebook, and then independently coded the data. Interrater reliability demonstrated greater than 90% for all codes. The primary themes identified were then used to determine the W2 outcomes included within linear regression models to examine the influence of youth’s conversations about BLM over time. Within each model, the frequency of conversations with same- and different-race peers were included as predictors of interest, while controlling for race/ethnicity, gender, cohort, and economic disadvantage.
The emergent themes and subthemes capturing the immediate impacts of conversations with same- and different-race peers about BLM pertained primarily to three domains (see Table 1): 1) dimensions of mental health (i.e., emotional responses, future outlook), 2) inter-peer racial positionality and dynamics (i.e., White privilege, peer conflict), and 3) social responsibility (i.e., civic engagement, personal growth). Based upon the theme domains, we conducted analyses on the prospective associations between the frequency of conversations about BLM with same- and different-race peers and adolescents’ depressive symptoms, race relations worries, and intentions for civic engagement (Table 2). The results showed that the frequency of conversations with same-race (b = 0.15, p < .01) and different-race peers about BLM (b = 0.11, p = .03) was linked to higher race relations worries, but only conversations with same-race peers prospectively promoted civic engagement (b = 0.17, p = .04). Frequency of conversations with same- and different-race peers about BLM did not predict depressive symptoms.
The study findings suggest that conversations with same- and different-race peers about BLM were consequential for youth in the immediate and long-term across multiple domains. These findings highlight the need for scholars and practitioners to understand how conversations with same- and different-race peers are a formative aspect of social movements for adolescents, and have important implications for their well-being and critical consciousness.

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