Why Can't People Just Put Prejudice Behind Them? Filed under ( Adolescence News ) by edy-koerniawan

adolescence in girls ~ Why Can't People Just Put Prejudice Behind Them? : Very little research has been conducted on the unique lives of adolescent girls of color. Given the challenges and experiences of ethnic minorities in the United States, ethnic minority adolescent girls are differentially affected by the socialization process. An adolescent's ethnicity has intense influence on her development, as it effects her sense of belonging in a world that often determines inclusion and exclusion on the basis of skin color. For psychologists to understand these experiences, it is important for them to assess the interplay of what occurs within families and what occurs in the political, economic, social, and racial climates in which young girls are challenged.

Perhaps the most resilient factor common to all ethnic minority groups is identification with family and community. The bonding and sharing of values for families of people of color can provide strength and resources for adolescent girls of color. Strong, persistent families "inoculate" adolescent girls against the ravages of ethnic and gender discrimination. The degree to which families have incorporated the positive messages of their culture and heritage despite a history of poor treatment is a predictor in the healthy development of an adolescent girl of color. Research must continue to focus on diversity and especially the intersection of gender and ethnicity.