Tables 1 and 2 bring us to the next step of our analysis by showing that when the most prejudiced and least prejudiced segments of survey respondents are compared, there are significant differences in blacks' perceptions of their negative racial contexts. The columns represent the three sets of contextual measures: perceptions that blacks are treated unfairly, perceptions that the respondents themselves have been treated unfairly due to their race (that is, the respondent has experienced discrimination), and perceptions that blacks have limited opportunities in housing, employment, or education. The rows represent the demographic categories that make up the segments.
The cell values are percentages of respondents who provided a negative response--such as having experienced unfair treatment--for each of the listed demographic categories. In the next to last row of cells are the mean values for the columns. They represent the descriptive values for each negative context in the segment. For example, the percentage of respondents who are prejudiced for the nine demographic categories that make up the most prejudiced segment is 58.6 percent.
TABLE 1. Most Prejudiced Segment and Negative Context
Demographic Category |
% Prejudiced |
% Blacks Treated Unfairly |
% of Blacks Experienced Discrimination |
% of Blacks Perceived Limited Opportunities |
N |
$55K or more |
66.5 |
86.7 |
54.3 |
78.1 |
475 |
$45K to LT $55K |
65.8 |
86.3 |
50.8 |
72.4 |
240 |
$35K to LT $45K |
61.5 |
86.5 |
52.0 |
70.5 |
342 |
College Graduate |
56.2 |
81.2 |
45.8 |
73.6 |
620 |
28-37 yrs |
55.8 |
82.8 |
55.1 |
68.8 |
681 |
Employed Full or Part Time |
55.7 |
82.8 |
52.1 |
69.6 |
2,298 |
Some College |
55.6 |
84.9 |
50.5 |
71.1 |
782 |
38-53 yrs |
55.3 |
81.9 |
48.5 |
72.7 |
1,035 |
Suburban residents |
55.2 |
80.4 |
47.3 |
66.4 |
827 |
Segment Mean (Average) |
58.6 |
83.7 |
50.7 |
71.5 |
|
Sample Total |
51.1 |
79.5 |
45.9 |
67.6 |
N ³ 3,207 |
Note: N sizes and percentages are based on unweighted counts; data are for black respondents only
The bottom row of the table contains the sample totals for all cases in the three years of data. This row is the same for both tables. Because of item nonresponse, some of the context measures have more respondents than others, and the sample total of 3,207 represents the number of respondents for the prejudice item, which is the minimum sample size for the context items.
TABLE 2. Least Prejudiced Segment and Negative Context
Demographic Category |
% Prejudiced |
% Blacks Treated Unfairly |
% of Blacks Experienced Discrimination |
% of Blacks Perceived Limited Opportunities |
N |
High Black Density-Urban |
49.5 |
80.5 |
47.4 |
70.9 |
1,098 |
Female |
49.1 |
78.6 |
44.0 |
66.5 |
2,044 |
All Others (non-Urban and High Black Density)
|
48.8 |
78.6 |
49.7 |
69.5 |
899 |
High Black Density Area |
48.7 |
79.6 |
47.3 |
70.3 |
1,671 |
LT High School education |
45.2 |
76.1 |
45.1 |
61.3 |
747 |
LT $25K |
41.3 |
77.4 |
42.6 |
65.4 |
1,295 |
54+ yrs |
40.4 |
71.2 |
27.0 |
67.3 |
884 |
Unemployed |
39.4 |
72.2 |
31.2 |
63.6 |
921 |
Segment Mean (Average) |
45.7 |
76.8 |
41.8 |
66.9 |
|
Sample Total |
51.1 |
79.5 |
45.9 |
67.6 |
N ³ 3,207 |
Note: N sizes and percentages are based on unweighted counts; data are for black respondents only
The most important observation from the tables is that those demographic groups in the most prejudiced segment perceive a more negative context in all three of the measures. On average, the most prejudiced demographic groups are more likely to perceive blacks as being treated unfairly; they have experienced discrimination; and they believe that blacks have limited socioeconomic opportunities relative to whites. The differences in the segmentation percentages may not appear very meaningful, until one considers that the analysis is based on over three thousand cases, meaning one percentage point approximates thirty-two cases.
It may be surprising that persons in the highest income category represent the most prejudiced category, until one considers that they have the largest percentages of respondents perceiving unfair group treatment, the second largest percentage (after twenty-eight to thirty-seven-year-olds) who have experienced discrimination, and the largest percentages who perceive limits on their housing, employment, and educational opportunities. This finding fits neatly into the logic of the group position model. While higher-income blacks perceive the most negative context they also represent the group who, presumably, should least have to deal with inequities. It also supports the view that those blacks attempting to live the American dream may also be disillusioned by it.
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