Black, White, or Mixed: Identity Formation and Choice Among Black-White Biracial IndividualsPosted in Dissertations, Identity Development/Psychology, Media Archive, United States on 2014-08-18 20:32Z by Steven |
Black, White, or Mixed: Identity Formation and Choice Among Black-White Biracial Individuals
Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama
2014-08-02
82 pages
Madison Alayne Hinton
A thesis submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Auburn University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts
Identity is a term that is difficult to define, yet every human being has one. It is a strong indicator of how people will act and defines them in an important way and is a reflection of one’s self and self-understanding. Identity is an important aspect for all humans, but it is an especially interesting trait when describing biracial individuals due to their multiracial background. The biracial demographic is growing quickly from that of the past, so it is important that their unique situation be researched. This study explores the family influence on biracial identity choice by gathering data using both a questionnaire and a focus group. The findings concluded family does have a significant, yet indirect, impact on the racial identity choice of their biracial children by encouraging individuality and allowing the person to choose their racial category themselves.
Read the entire thesis here.