The ironic consequences of Obama’s election: Decreased support for social justice

Posted in Articles, Barack Obama, Media Archive, Politics/Public Policy, Social Science, United States on 2013-01-23 05:10Z by Steven

The ironic consequences of Obama’s election: Decreased support for social justice

Journal of Experimental Social Psychology
Volume 45, Issue 3 (May 2009)
pages 556–559
DOI: 10.1016/j.jesp.2009.01.006

Cheryl R. Kaiser, Associate Professor of Psychology
University of Washington

Benjamin J. Drury
Department of Psychology
University of Washington

Kerry E. Spalding
Department of Psychology
University of Washington

Sapna Cheryan, Assistant Professor of Psychology
University of Washington

Laurie T. O’Brien, Associate Professor of Psychology
Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana

Do Americans think that, because of Barack Obama’s election, affirmative action and other policies that address racial injustice are no longer necessary? In this study, we examined this question by assessing participants’ perceptions of racial progress and support for remedying racial injustice both prior to and after Barack Obama’s presidential victory. Following the election, participants increased their perception that racism is less of a problem in the US today than in times past. They also expressed less support for policies designed to address racial inequality. Given the continued prevalence of racial disparities in virtually all aspects of American society, these results raise important implications for the status of policies aimed at eliminating racial injustice.

Read the entire article here.

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