- Bill Anderson, Family & Consumer Sciences Department, Illinois State University
- Nathan D. Wood, Department of Family Sciences, University of Kentucky
- Morgan Diederich, Data Analytics and Information Systems, Utah State University
- Miranda Pfeijda, Child and Family Studies, Southeast Missouri State University
Abstract
Teaching race-related content in higher education remains a persistent challenge, intensified by political polarization and misinformation that foster resistance and self-censorship among educators. Despite these obstacles, addressing racial inequity is essential for preparing students to engage critically with systemic injustice. This study examines the utility of King’s (1991) dysconscious racism model, a framework describing uncritical acceptance of dominant social norms, in understanding and mitigating these challenges. Building on Anderson et al.’s (2018) theoretical proposition, we tested whether integrating King’s categories with Perry’s positions of intellectual development and Dweck’s implicit theory of personal attributes provides a more robust explanatory continuum. Using a pre-/post-test design with 110 undergraduates in a Multicultural Family Studies course, we assessed changes in dysconscious racism categories and explored predictors of movement. Results indicate that dysconscious racism persists, with most students initially in Category II (partial understanding of inequity). However, post-test findings revealed significant improvement: Category I responses decreased by over 50%, and Category III (systemic understanding) tripled from 10.9% to 32.7%. Logistic regression confirmed that higher intellectual positions and incremental beliefs significantly predicted changes in dysconscious racism categories. These findings support Anderson et al.’s continuum model, suggesting that cognitive complexity and flexible belief systems are critical for advancing racial understanding. The study underscores the necessity of theory-informed pedagogy and offers practical implications for designing interventions that foster critical consciousness and equity-oriented learning in higher education.
