Content area

Full Text

Abstract: The topics of racism, prejudice, and discrimination remain important issues within society, significantly impact individuals' lives in the United States, and assess continued bias within the social structure of society. Within the field of deviance, there remains continued research on the topic of positive deviance or altruism, which assesses an individuals' level of selflessness. However, there is presently no research which combines the topics of racial bias with the topic of positive deviance. This study examines the relationship of altruism relative to the study of racial bias using secondary data analysis from the 2002 General Social Survey. This data suggests there is a weak inverse relationship between racial bias and level of altruism. Individuals who are low on prejudicial attitudes tend to be higher on altruism, while individuals who are high on prejudicial attitudes tend to be low on altruism. This suggests these two approaches can be examined within the context of each other, which has not been considered within the academic research before.

Keywords: positive deviance; racial bias; altruism

Marginalized groups continue to experience discrimination and prejudice in key areas, such as in education (Delgado & Stefanci, 2012), businesses (Gold, 2010) and health care (Delgado & Stefancic, 2012). Marginalized individuals also pay more for goods and services, have shorter life spans, and occupy more menial jobs (Delgado & Stefancic, 2012). Marginalized individuals are also subject to worsening mental health conditions as a result of experiencing prejudice and discrimination (Williams, Neighbors, & Jackson, 2003). Altruism is seen as the positive form of deviance in which individuals go out of their way to support or aid someone else in need. Democratic altruism argues White Americans can remove obstacles, which give White Americans privilege at the expense of marginalized group members, however, this form of altruism does not take place currently (Pratkins & Turner, 1999). The present study examines the topic of racial bias relative to the topic of deviance, specifically positive deviance or altruism. Presently, this research topic has not been examined within the academic research and there is no literature, which combines or discusses these approaches within the United States. As a result, this is the first quantitatively focused study to examine level of prejudice relative of level of altruism within society and suggests...

Show less