Children Aware of Voter Prejudice in US
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AFP, October 5, 2008
Children are aware white males have monopolized the US presidency, and most attribute the trend to racial prejudice, according to a study published Sunday.
Calling into question the idea children live in a color- and gender-blind world, researchers at the University of Texas, Austin, reveal “most elementary-school-aged children are aware there has been no female, African-American, or Hispanic President.”
In addition, “many of the children attribute the lack of representation to discrimination,” said Rebecca Bigler, professor of psychology at the University of Kansas, and lead author of the study, published in the journal Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy.
The research team interviewed 205 children aged five to ten in 2006, a year before Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama began their historic bids for the White House. Clinton lost to Obama in the primary fight for the Democratic nomination.
The study asked the children, from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, about their knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about the US presidency, and specifically about similarities between presidents and the absence of female, African-American and Hispanic presidents.
A third of the children said the white male monopoly was due to “racial and gender bias,” and another third believed members of the excluded groups “lacked the skills to hold the position,” according to the study.
One in four participants told researchers they thought it was “illegal for women and minorities to hold the office of president.”
The study found children were generally optimistic about the possibility that they could be president.
Girls who attributed the lack of female presidents to discrimination, however, were more likely to believe they could not become president.
“The US presidency is a high profile case of racial and gender exclusion,” Bigler said in a statement.
“And because this topic is not typically explained to children, they appear to create their own explanations for the exclusion,” she said.
The 2008 presidential election between Republican candidate John Mcain and Obama, who is black, has the potential to significantly alter children’s view, said Bigler.
“If Obama loses his bid for the presidency, there may be little change in children’s attitudes, but it could fuel their perception that American voters are racially prejudiced,” she said.
“In contrast, if Obama wins children may believe that exclusionary laws and racial prejudice no longer shape the outcomes of the presidential elections.”
(Posted on October 7, 2008)
Comments
It’s clear that the marxist brainwashing has set in. For those of you who remember, Kruchev was right. He said we would be destroyed from the inside out. He has now been vindicated. There is no escape from the reality that our enemies have won by disinformation and by a slow and methodical progression. There is only one avenure left for whites. Which way now western man?
Posted by John Davis at 6:46 PM on October 7
No kiddies. It’s because people who look like you do not build functioning societies. These psychologists should do a survey of children’s attitudes about why they think they belong in a nation they had no role in developing.
Posted by Civilized Neighbor at 6:48 PM on October 7
““And because this topic is not typically explained to children, they appear to create their own explanations for the exclusion,” she said.”
This author must be living in a cave to actually believe that children are not exposed to the racial propaganda that permeates society. You can’t turn on the T.V., listen to radio, attend school or open a magazine without being exposed to the dogma that whites hold down other groups through discrimination. Adults speak of it all the time and children hear those conversations. What should be explained to these children is that, since whites are not allowed to hold their own racial loyalties, those presidents are, in effect, race nuetral. At least over the last 40 years or so.
Posted by jewamongyou at 6:54 PM on October 7
Children “appear to create their own explanations…” No, they are propagandized to accept the views of Marxists. Get your White kids out of public schools, it’s the most important investment you will ever make.
Posted by Schoolteacher at 7:16 PM on October 7
Now I wonder where the elementary school kids got the idea the the political system is racially biased? From their wide readings in political science? I wonder how well versed the same kids are in American history? What have they been taught about the American Revolution and the Founding Fathers? AmRen readers already know the answers…..
Posted by Lex Concord at 7:25 PM on October 7
“A third of the children said the white male monopoly was due to racial and gender bias, and another third believed members of the excluded groups lacked the skills to hold the position”, according to the study.
Most elementary children wouldnt know what “racial and gender bias” meant, much less give it as an answer to a question. And how many kids do you know that would say there havent been any female or minotiry presidents because “members of the excluded groups lacked the skills to hold the position”?
More pc nonsense from the left.
Posted by Mike Harrigan at 7:26 PM on October 7
“‘The US presidency is a high profile case of racial and gender exclusion,’ Bigler said in a statement.
‘And because this topic is not typically explained to children, they appear to create their own explanations for the exclusion,’ she said.”
Then these children (ages 5 to 10 mind you) are not much different from your average Commie professor or other bleeding hearted freak, when it comes to inventing fantasies that excuse nonwhite social pathologies and failures. This Comrade Bigler certainly illustrates that point, and with: mustard, ketchup, and relish to boot.
Her study is a joke, much like her highly politicized extrapolations from her “research’s” data. What sort of controls were included in this so-called “study,” to evaluate and weed out the influences of public school teachers on these students, on these kindergartners through 4th graders? Probably none, since the anti-white and multicultural laced curriculums and opinions of these teachers would all too likely reflect the author’s own views; thus, why would she even stop to think (or whatever passes for such in her head) that this might have an impact on these children’s views?
This is just more of the usual multicultural junk social science that academia dishes up like so many bratwursts at an Oktoberfest!
As always, God help all!!!
Posted by John PM at 7:33 PM on October 7
Blacks and Liberals are pushing the idea that if America does not vote for Obama it can only be because America is racist but if Black vote more than 90% for Obama, even Blacks who hold Republican Offices, that is not racist.
Blacks and Liberals are the real racists and cannot believe that anyone could decide that Obama’s policies are wrong.
It is time for Affirmative Action to end or to change it so only white men get preferences because they were systematically discriminated against by the government of the USA since 1965.
If Blacks cannot accomplish with 48 years of government help and preferences what Asians and Whites accomplish without preferences then the preferences are not working and should be stopped.
Posted by Oldman at 7:34 PM on October 7
That is not something a child “knows” or even thinks about. A child has to be told this over and over. He or she must be indoctrinated by teachers, parents etc. etc.
The article makes it seem as if little kids sit around and worry about politics. Crazy. Just another attempt to “shame” us into voting for Obama.
Posted by Ron at 7:54 PM on October 7
I read about a classroom exercize some well meaning liberal teacher put his class of 5th graders through. This was in the early 1990’s and the class was using an encyclopedia on CD rom. The assignment started out with the teacher telling the students to write a report on a person who had “fought for justice” One student wrote about Thomas Jefferson and another wanted to write about Harriet Tubman. When they printed out the articles they noticed that the article about President Jefferson was quite a bit longer than the article on Harriet Tubman.
The teacher then proposed a group based classroom project where, broken down by race, the students measured the print outs from the CD rom. They soon discovered that white men had the longest printouts and Puerto Rican women the shortest. Not taken into account were the US presidents which weighted the list in favor of white men. Of course the teacher, who admitted to the author of the book, did not tell the students that this project was in no way scientific.
The teacher used this complete waste of time to indoctrinate the students on the supposed “bias” against women and “people of color” in books about famous people. The teacher then led a discussion session where the students discussed their feelings about the bias. He then had the kids write letters to the manufacturer of the CD rom. Not surprisingly the letters took a very angry tone and one student threatened to sue.
Posted by Spartan24 at 8:22 PM on October 7
“‘The US presidency is a high profile case of racial and gender exclusion,’ Bigler said in a statement.
‘And because this topic is not typically explained to children, they appear to create their own explanations for the exclusion,’ she said.”
Then these children (ages 5 to 10 mind you) are not much different from your average Commie professor or other bleeding hearted freak, when it comes to inventing fantasies that excuse nonwhite social pathologies and failures. This Comrade Bigler certainly illustrates that point, and with: mustard, ketchup, and relish to boot.
Her study is a joke, much like her highly politicized extrapolations from her “research’s” data. What sort of controls were included in this so-called “study,” to evaluate and weed out the influences of public school teachers on these students, on these kindergartners through 4th graders? Probably none, since the anti-white and multicultural laced curriculums and opinions of these teachers would all too likely reflect the author’s own views; thus, why would she even stop to think (or whatever passes for such in her head) that this might have an impact on these children’s views?
T
his is just more of the usual multicultural junk social science that academia dishes up like bratwursts at an Oktoberfest!
As always, God help all!!!
Posted by John PM at 9:00 PM on October 7
So each demograhic gets it’s own turn in the most powerful job on earth, because it is fair and it teachs a good example to the kiddies and makes everyone feels good.
Sounds very idealistic and socialistic
So pygmy dwarves represent 0.1% of the population(made up figure) so they get 36.5 days of the century in office, good idea for the school crossing guard not the highest office in the land.
What ever happened to being the most qualified person for the job, getting what you deserve through hard work.
Not just because it’s your turn, it sounds immature.
Posted by Gen X in Oz at 9:13 PM on October 7
It is obvious that Rebecca Bigler has to much time on her hands….Racial and Gender attitudes is the typical feminist hogwash to brainwash people about how horrible and evil the white male really is oppressing the white women and other minorities….yak, yak, yak.
http://www.psy.utexas.edu/psy/faculty/Bigler/bigler.html
Posted by Lisette at 9:29 PM on October 7
Children have been given incorrect ‘information’, especially incorrect, 50 years now. We see the results in how attitudes have changed, and how social problems have changed. Of course, thinking the way they do, they perceive social problems as being caused by a callus-elite or, the small minority who don’t think the way they do (people like us), oblivious to the fact these social problems didn’t even exist in the first place 50 years ago. This is where an American Renaissance will have to begin.
Posted by at 10:19 PM on October 7
Spartan24, I am studying to be a teacher and I can’t help noticing that the experiment you mentioned is in our textbooks as a recommended classroom activity. It is just one of dozens of classroom activities just like it.
The most important thing to understand about this is that the students cannot say no to this activity. They can’t even disagree with it; the teacher makes up their mind for them. This is a very, very effective means of political indoctrination, especially with young children. It even works in higher education too … everyone in our teaching certification class (which, incidentally, is as white as a fresh roll of toilet paper) is going to be writing an essay on how they, personally, have benefited from white privilege. There is no way to say no to this; in order to even do the assignment we must all adopt the professor’s cultural marxist ideology.
Fortunately, it is my observation that, at present, the social studies departments in public schools across the nations are the ones most likely to be staffed by stubborn conservative white males. Which means that absent some new great centralized mandate from the federal government, not all that many schools are going to be teaching this ideology any time soon.
Posted by Sleep at 10:20 PM on October 7
Google this woman and you’ll see where she’s coming from.
Her undergraduate courses are Psy 304, Introduction to Child Psychology and Psy 365G, Gender and Racial Attitudes.
Scroll down. Bigler, R. S., A developmental intergroup theory of social stereotypes and prejudice (2006), Developmental intergroup theory: Explaining and reducing children’s social stereotyping and prejudice (2007), The nature and origins of children’s racial attitudes.
If I had to draw conclusions I would assume she’s trying to perfect the manipulation of young minds by institutions.
Posted by at 10:21 PM on October 7
OK, well, “minorities” are about to have their big day. We’re all going to find out just how good those forever-dissed minorities are when Obama takes the helm. It’s obvious Obama will take the White House and we only have the goof-ball “republicrats” to thank by choosing arguably the WORST man for the job, John ‘whack-job’ McCain. I was thinking Boobus Goofus would pick either Mitt “I Love Torture” Romney because he was so smooth and polished (like a car salesman) or perennial on again-off again actor/politician Fred Thompson (because, well…,he’s an ACTOR). But noooo, Boobus didn’t disappoint. John ‘Bomb, bomb, bomb’ McCain, that troubled, frightening man who has deep, dark secrets of torture, mayhem, and death continually lurking somewhere in the deepest recessed of his tortured mind just waiting to blast to the surface one day in a maniacal orgy of war-lust! I honestly don’t think even die-hard republicrats had an easy time going along with that one. Never mind that Ron Paul could have swept the Presidency for the GOP since he was the ONLY candidate to poll support from EVERY STRIPE IMAGINABLE! We are about to be handed our duly-appointed medicine for our never-ending STUPIDITY.
Posted by P Norman at 10:23 PM on October 7
Goodness, I didn’t know 5 to 10 year olds obsessed about racism and sexism.
Then again, maybe they don’t. Maybe it’s the adults projecting their views on pre-teens.
Posted by sbuffalonative at 10:47 PM on October 7
Growing up a little girl in the 50’s I was certainly aware that I wasn’t going to grow up to be president, but I can’t ever being upset about this, because nobody told me it was unfair or that I needed to be upset about it. There were a few other things I knew and wasn’t particularly worried about, for instance, I knew I wasn’t going to grow up to become an African witchdoctor, and that didn’t overly concern me either… I wasn’t going to grow up to be a giraffe… Children have to be indoctrinated into believing something is unfair before they think it is. Somebody asked these children if they thought it was “racist” that all the former presidents have been white, and THEN they nodded and said, “Oh, Yeah.” That is NOT scientific social research.
Posted by at 10:48 PM on October 7
This makes me laugh, because the ones who know the truth, cannot be allowed to tell these kids, why blacks like them, cannot rule. You see kiddies…they can’t even lead a parade much less lead a nation like ours. If you kiddies want a black to rule over you, go to africa and do us all a big favor!!
Posted by lucylou at 11:00 PM on October 7
“If Obama loses his bid for the presidency, there may be little change in children’s attitudes, but it could fuel their perception that American voters are racially prejudiced,” she said.
“In contrast, if Obama wins children may believe that exclusionary laws and racial prejudice no longer shape the outcomes of the presidential elections.”
This is too funny. Little children using words like “exclusionary laws” and “racially prejudiced”? These children have been coaxed to say this propaganda to influence some Democrat and Independent voters. I think it’s disgusting how the Obama supporters will manipulate innocent minds to spew their own world view of politics. Did anyone see that Youtube video of children singing praise to Obama? It was downright creepy.
Posted by at 11:04 PM on October 7
After doing a bit of research into the lead author of the study, I found that she’s a proponent of indoctrinating children to shape their minds. From the website of the U of T (note that white children are the focus, and they’re called ‘European American’):
“we gave European American children (ages 5 to 11) history lessons about famous African and European Americans that made (1) no reference to the race of the individuals (race-blind), (2) explicit reference to the race of the individuals (race-based), or (3) explicit reference to race and the racism experienced by each African American figure (racism). Lessons about racism produced significantly more positive and less negative attitudes toward African Americans than the race-based lessons.”
Posted by at 11:46 PM on October 7
“The US presidency is a high profile case of racial and gender exclusion,” Bigler said in a statement.
What an historically ignorant comment. What about the lack of Jewish Popes?
It’s just plain stupid. But that doesn’t keep studies like this from being dressed up and presented with all of the seriousness and pomp of a REAL Intellectual study.
It’s simply another case of judging history from an extra-ordinarily narrow point of view.
I remember first hearing these kinds of arguments in the late 80’s while in College and thinking to myself that it will never last because it’s just too stupid.
20 years later it hasn’t just endured, it has thrived and is now the dominant way of thinking.
This is not a “success” it is a very real, and depressing, regression.
“And because this topic is not typically explained to children, they appear to create their own explanations for the exclusion,” she said.
Posted by Dedalus at 12:20 AM on October 8
The modern liberals are in a frenzy brainwashing generation after generation. I can only imagine what the terrible consequences will one day be.
Posted by Unemployed WASP at 1:00 AM on October 8
Even though I plan to vote for Obama, I agree that seeing those kids sing the Obama song was really creepy, kind of like watching that movie “Jesus Camp.”
Having just recently gone through a teaching credential program in California, I can testify that A) About half the program was devoted to PC indoctrination into Multiculturalism, and B) Almost all of the students heading for elementary credentials were devotees of the “social transformation” philosophy of education. In other words, their top priority was to get in there and start brainwashing the kids with the PC ideology. Reading, writing, and math would be taught, but you can find a way to use even those subjects as vehicles to push the PC agenda. Imagine race-conscious math word problems: “If there are 30 kids in the class, but 8 of them are Latinos, and 4 of them are African-Americans….” You can imagine the rest.
Posted by Paul at 1:07 AM on October 8
“And because this topic is not typically explained to children, they appear to create their own explanations for the exclusion,” she said.
And, because the Parents aren’t explaining it the responsibility should fall into the hands of The State. Well, perhaps parents ARE explaining it. But just not in ways satisfactory to The State.
“The 2008 presidential election between Republican candidate John Mcain and Obama, who is black, has the potential to significantly alter children’s view, said Bigler.”
In the first place, Obama is not Black. He’s half Black. Yes, I know that doesn’t matter to most. But it’s still true. Now we all know that since he abandoned the White side of his family and only mentions them to dupe the incurably sentimental and easily frightened Whites (of which, as it turns out, there are legions) he will just as easily turn his back on those sentimental and frightened Whites. Sometimes I think he must talk to his wife and say, “Geez, I didn’t think it would be THAT easy. Like taking candy from a baby.”
Secondly, these people, like Bigler, are ALL about Propaganda. There is no real substance to their world view. None actually. It’s extra-ordinarily shallow. They fear exposure so much they have to slander and blackmail everyone who doesn’t agree with them. They are anxious to totally eliminate Free Speech exactly because they know it would be so easy to reduce their explanation of the world to rubble. So what do they do? Gun straight for the children and break thier will before they are able to exercise some common sense.
It’s nothing short of child abuse. Disgusting.
Posted by Dedalus at 1:15 AM on October 8
These kids are going to crash headlong into reality when they hit their 20’s or 30’s and suddenly realize what they have always considered “sacred truths” just don’t work. At that point they will either 1) self destruct and hopefully rebuild themselves or 2) enter into a truly frightening hard-core devotion to their cause.
I’m 38 and know from my own experience that up until I was in my late 20’s I pretty much bought into most of the PC pseudo-Marxist
crud available. (And it wasn’t nearly as heavily shoveled down the throats of the unsuspecting back then either in the culture or the classroom.) Feel good leftist platitudes appeal because they stroke young egos so well; “Look how good I am, I believe in diversity!”.
But when reality hits she hits hard. I went the objective route and tried to evaluate everything, well, objectively. While true objectivity is impossible, just the attempt blows away a great deal of the New-speak fog. There is hope.
Posted by Lost In The Present at 3:59 AM on October 8
We must remeber that more then half of school children are now non-white. This was also tooken in 2005/2006. Whites have been elected because America has always been a majority white up until recently.
This is kind of desprate that the media has to go and look at 2 or 3 year old data. Most whites are brainwashed are just won’t talk openly about their beleifs. While most minority kids will openly say whites this or that. I know this because I am still in school. When you brainwash kids to think that whites are evil of course you will have kids say that.
Posted by brainwashing at 6:02 AM on October 8
I guess this proves how effective neo-Marxist brainwashing is in education and our popular culture. It looks like Obama will be the next president.
Posted by Sardonicus at 7:44 AM on October 8
Did anyone ask those kiddies why there has ever been a black or Caucasian president in Mexico? How about a Caucasian, black or mestizo ‘leader’ on the Asian continent?
Posted by at 11:39 AM on October 8
I taught my child that “prejudice” is not the same as “bias”. “Bias” can be a logical conclusion of knowing the facts unlike “prejudice” is is all feeling. EVERYONE is biased on every issues unles they’re totally tolerant of all views in which case they have no values at all.
Unfortunately most Americans don’t know the Black facts and are “prejudiced” against those of us who do know the facts and have a resultant “bias”. That sounds like double talk but it’s true. Actually, there is something to be said for “prejudice”, and I’d suggest “In Praise of Prejudice” by Theodore Dalrymple for enlightenment.
Posted by factualist at 12:39 PM on October 8
Demographics is destiny. That’s all you need to know.
Posted by Jupiter at 1:43 PM on October 8
Our public schools no longer teach children the tools
towards a successful life. Public schools no longer
teach common sense or critical thinking skills. Is it
any wonder why America is falling behind in the world ?
But who cares they figure. as long as the kids can
spout off masterfully the rubbish of political
correctness. Please if you can , take your children
out of these Marxist re-education camps.
Posted by Dr. Caligari at 2:14 PM on October 8
“In contrast, if Obama wins children may believe that exclusionary laws and racial prejudice no longer shape the outcomes of the presidential elections.”
So this article was just a long-winded way of saying, “Vote for Obama, or else you’re racist!”
Posted by at 3:39 PM on October 8
Has it ever dawned on people that white males have worked harder to succeed that any other ethnic, racial, religious etc. group?
Posted by Dennis at 4:43 PM on October 8
A black can no more be a credible representative of a white nation than a white can be a credible representative of a black nation.
If Obama were “anointed” to the White House his communist anti-white unconstitutional policies would quickly lead to a race war followed by or preceded by his incarceration, trial and execution.
Blacks could no more survive a race war anymore than Obama could likely survive his first term. If the ruling elites believe whites will tolerate this African Islamic racist communist traitor as their president they are grossly mistaken…
Posted by at 5:55 PM on October 8
Children are also “aware of” Santa Claus and the tooth fairy. Children are told these things and believe them because they don’t know any better.
Posted by at 11:13 PM on October 8
This is news? I’m 22, and I remember being taught stuff like this when I was in fifth grade.
Posted by Aaron at 12:46 AM on October 9
Goodness, I didn’t know 5 to 10 year olds obsessed about racism and sexism.
Then again, maybe they don’t. Maybe it’s the adults projecting their views on pre-teens.
Posted by sbuffalonative at 10:47 PM on October 7
You said it….the pre-conceived notions of the adults such as this professor who has a twisted sense of superiority use their positions in the public arena to pervert the minds of these innocent souls to keep the vicious cycle going….typical Marxist method of mind control.
Posted by Lisette at 1:35 AM on October 9
“Children are aware white males have monopolized the US presidency, and most attribute the trend to racial prejudice, according to a study published Sunday.”
Cow patties.
This is why we homeschool. We tell our children about their race, their IQ, their culture, and what ‘propaganda’ means. An why they will lead when they come of age.
Frankly, My ten year old is smarter than your local Democrat.
At least he sees things ‘in black and white.’
Posted by Fr. John at 9:19 AM on October 10
Paul, just out of curiosity, why would you vote for Obama? Didn’t he attend a racist church for twenty years, with a racist preacher, and was married by that racist preacher to boot. Do you believe maybe, that during these twenty years Obama didn’t inhale? What is it for you, if the above bothers you, that counterbalances all of this to make you want to vote for him? I’m really curious.
Posted by Bobby at 5:53 PM on October 19