Skip to main content
eScholarship
Open Access Publications from the University of California

UCLA

UCLA Electronic Theses and Dissertations bannerUCLA

Spatialized Racial Progress Views: How Geography & Economic Restructuring Influence American Racial Progress Attitudes

Abstract

This dissertation addresses the relationship between economic development, place, and contemporary racial progress attitudes. Two phenomena drive this interest. First, survey analysis shows Americans are becoming increasingly disillusioned with progress towards racial equality and divided in their opinion of social welfare programs. Second, recent regional migration patterns of African Americans and Latinos have changed the demographic landscape of the country. These political attitudes and migration trends raise questions about the spatial dynamics of racial inequality and intra-group division. Scholars have addressed individual level effects on racial progress views. Yet, the question still remains, to what extent does socioeconomic context influence perceptions of racial progress? I argue American racial progress attitudes vary by place. Local socioeconomic context operates as a reference/comparison point used in assessments of upward group mobility and social policy aimed at alleviating racial inequalities. Using the American National Election Survey (ANES) Time-Series Cumulative File with data from 1964 to 2012 and the 2016 Collaborative Multi-racial Post-Election Survey (CMPS) the influence of contextual factors on racial progress attitudes are examined, for African-Americans, Latinos, and Whites. Racial progress attitudes are measured with survey question responses related to improvement in group position and racialized public policy. Opinions are analyzed through a framework of uneven socioeconomic development and local variation in settlement patterns, which I call a Spatialized Racial Progress Views (SRPV) model. By understanding the geography of racial progress attitudes, along with evolving inter and intra-racial complexities, this research helps fosters the creation of tailored strategies for achieving racial equality.

Main Content
For improved accessibility of PDF content, download the file to your device.
Current View