White Discusses His Research on History of Racial Inequality in Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

March 27, 2023

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

Steven White

Political Science Department

Campbell Public Affairs Institute

Race & Ethnicity

United States

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

Steven White

Steven White, assistant professor of political science, recently co-wrote a paper, “Historical Information and Beliefs About Racial Inequality,” that addresses whether learning about history can prompt individuals to think in systemic ways about issues like racial inequality.

“We sort of show at least some suggestive survey evidence that talking to people very explicitly and straightforwardly about these historical reasons why inequality persists can at least at the margins make people more open to thinking about race in a more structural way [and] taking inequality seriously,” says White.

“It made me at least marginally hopeful that this sort of information can matter,” he says.

Read more in the Diverse: Issues in Higher Education article, “Thinking Critically With Straightforward Talk on History of Racial Inequality.”