russellsagefoundation,lbobo,j.kluegel,r.smith.docVIP

!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC -//SQ//DTD HTML 2.0 HoTMetaL + extensions//EN Copyright 1996. Preferred Citation: Lawrence Bobo, James R. Kluegel, and Ryan A, Smith, Laissez-Faire Racism: The Crystallization of a Kindler, Genter Anti-black Ideology (Russell Sage Foundation: June 1996 [/sage/rsbobo1.html]). LAISSEZ FAIRE RACISM: The Crystallization of a Kinder, Gentler Anti-Black Ideology* Lawrence BoboDepartment of SociologyUniversity of California, Los Angeles James R. KluegelDepartment of SociologyUniversity of Illinois, Urbana Ryan A. SmithInstitute of Management and Labor RelationsRutgers University 11 June, 1996 To appear in Racial Attitudes in the 1990s: Continuity and Change, edited by Steven A. Tuch and Jack K. Martin. Westport, CT.: Praeger. *The authors wish to thank Howard Schuman for his comments on an earlier version of this paper. This research was partly supported by The Russell Sage Foundation and by the National Science Foundation (SBR-9515183). Introduction Racism in the Modern Era Is Racism an Appropriate Label? Does Laissez Faire Racism Differ from Symbolic Racism? Patterns of Change in Racial Attitudes The Decline of Jim Crow Racism Opposition to Progressive Social Policy Conventional Explanations of the Trends Demographic Lag Myrdals Hypothesis The Decline of Biological Racism The Emergence of Laissez Faire Racism Growing Power Resources in Black Communities Mobilizing Black Power Resources for Change Defeating Jim Crow The Link to Mass Racial Attitudes Laissez Faire Racism and the Sense of Group Position Conclusions References Racism today is like carbon monoxide. You cant see it or smell it, but its deadly. -- Elaine Jones, Director, NAACP Legal Defense Education Fund I. INTRODUCTION Studies of racial attitudes in the U.S. present a difficult puzzle. On the one hand, several recent studies point to the steadily improving racial attitudes of whites toward African Americans (Steeh and Schuman 1992; Firebaugh and Davis 1988). These atti