Navigating Emotions in the Face of Anti-Black Racism: Protecting Health and Promoting Change
Year: 2024
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Anti-Black racism is a systemic issue that harms Black individuals and the fabric of society. Given that the effects of anti-Black racism on its targets and its bystanders are highly emotional, adopting an affective science lens can help unpack the powerful costs of anti-Black racism and identify possible pathways forward. Using this lens, my thesis addresses three broad aims: (a) examine how Black individuals cope with experiencing racism; (b) explore which emotional responses motivate collective action among racially diverse individuals witnessing anti-Black racism; and (c) identify how White people can effectively manage their emotional responses when witnessing anti-Black racism to motivate systemic change via collective action. Specifically, after discussing the conceptual background of this empirical work (Chapter 1), I first examine how Black individuals use emotion regulation to protect their health when facing racial discrimination (Chapter 2, N= 504), finding that emotional acceptance (but not cognitive reappraisal or expressive suppression) consistently buffered the link between racial discrimination and health. Given that structural change benefits from the collective action of different members of society, I then examined which emotions motivated anti-racist collective action of racially diverse participants witnessing anti-Black racism (Chapter 3, N=424). I found that self-transcendent positive emotions (e.g., compassion, gratitude) may be a sustainable pathway to change, contributing to emotional well-being while also promoting collective action. To further understand and address possible barriers to collective action, I then examined which forms of emotion regulation may interfere with (vs. promote) action amongst White individuals, who disproportionately hold high positions of power and can experience discomfort when witnessing anti-Black racism (Chapter 4, N=521). Finally, in the general discussion (Chapter 5), I discuss how using the lens of affective science can help address important questions regarding racial discrimination, anti-Black racism, and collective action, by bridging areas of research that have remained largely separate. Together, this research underscores which forms of emotion regulation can be leveraged to promote individual well-being (i.e., resilience among Black individuals) and collective well-being (i.e., promoting collective action), which can help inform psychosocial interventions and foster systemic change.
Source: TSpace (University of Toronto)
Author: Gatchpazian, Arasteh
Institution: University of Toronto
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7132875524