O papel protetivo da socialização étnico-racial dos pais na identidade étnico-racial de crianças negras

Abstract

Ethnic-racial socialization encompasses a set of practices that convey messages about race and ethnicity to children and young people. There is evidence that some ethnic-racial socialization practices carried out by parents have significant consequences for the well-being and development of children and young people, leading to an increased focus on research in this area internationally. Among the most beneficial practices, cultural socialization stands out, referring to a set of strategies that teach children about the history and cultural traditions of their ethnic-racial group, aiming to promote the strengthening of the ethnic-racial identity of children, especially those often subjected to racism, such as black children. In Brazil, literature on parental ethnic-racial socialization and its protective role in the ethnic-racial identity of black children is scarce. Given this scenario, the general objective of this thesis is to analyze parental ethnic-racial socialization and its protective role in the ethnic-racial identity of black children. The thesis comprises four chapters. The first chapter aimed to gather the main findings from international literature on parental ethnic-racial socialization, with a focus on the consequences of this type of socialization for the well-being and developmental outcomes of children and adolescents. The second chapter aimed to explore the primary practices of ethnic-racial socialization conducted in Brazilian families through a systematic review of national literature. In the third chapter, an empirical study involving 528 parents was conducted to adapt an ethnicracial socialization scale for Brazil and analyze a set of factors associated with parents' engagement in this type of socialization. In the fourth chapter, the second empirical research was conducted with the aim of analyzing the protective role of parental ethnic-racial socialization in the ethnic-racial identity of black children, in a sample consisting of 112 children and their parents. The results highlighted that the more parents promote cultural socialization, the more their children take pride in being black, and children with curly and kinky hair appreciate the texture of their own hair. These findings are very promising and can serve as a foundation to empower parents and other caregivers in promoting ethnic-racial socialization in a protective and beneficial manner for the ethnic-racial identity of black children. Overall, this thesis provides a comprehensive understanding of parental ethnic-racial socialization and presents evidence of its protective role in the ethnic-racial identity of black children, thereby promoting their psychosocial well-being and contributing to addressing the effects of racism in childhood.