The Tie That Binds: Identity and Political Attitudes in the Post-Civil Rights Generation

Appendix B: Survey of Political Attitudes of Young African-Americans

Appendix B Survey of Political Attitudes of Young African-Americans I. Familial and Environmental Influences A. Family Background . Where are you from originally? How did you make your decision to attend school here? What do you think about this (college, university)? . Could you tell me a little about where you grew up? For example, was the neighborhood all or mostly black, or mostly white? . What kind of work did your parents do? . Do you have any siblings? How old are they? Have any of them attended college or are attending college now? What are their occupations? . How would you describe your family’s financial situation when you were growing up? What was your neighborhood like? B. Educational Background . Was the elementary school you attended integrated? . What about junior high or middle school? What was it like? . And high school, what do you remember about your high school? Was it integrated? What year did you graduate ? . What kind of student were you in high school? What about now?  C. Church and Organizational Memberships . Did your family attend church? What denomination? Was the church integrated? Were you active in church? . Would you consider yourself religious? What about your family members? . Were your parents active in any organizations outside of church? . What about now? What organizations are you a member of? II. Political Socialization A. Family . What do the terms conservative, moderate, and liberal mean to you in regards to political views? . How would you characterize your parents’ political views? Are they conservative, liberal, moderate, or a combination of some sort? . What about you? How would you define your views? . Can you think of anyone who has influenced your views? What about events? Can you think of any events that have influenced your views? . Were your parents, or any members of your family politically active? In what way? B. Friends . Do any of your close friends have strong political views? How would you characterize those views? . How many of your close friends are white? . Do you and your friends ever discuss politics or political events? What has been the latest topic of discussion? III. Strength of Group Identity A. Recognition of Racial Differences . Do you remember when you first became aware of racial differences? For example, how old were you? Was it in the neighborhood, at school, or somewhere else? B. Experiences with Racism . Have you ever experienced racial discrimination? Appendix B |  . Have you ever been called a name by a white person? If so, what was that name and how old were you at the time? Did you know what it meant? What was your response ? Where did this occur? . What about your family members and friends? Have they had any experiences of racial discrimination? C. Racial Identity . What do you prefer to be called, black, African American , or something else? Why? . People differ in whether they think about being black— what they have in common with other blacks. What about you—do you think about this a lot, fairly often, once in a while, or hardly ever? . Do you think what happens generally to black people in this country has anything to do with what happens in your life? If yes, will it affect you a lot, some, or not very much? . Which would you say is most important to you—being black, being American, or are both equally important to you? . Do you think there is such a thing as a black identity? . Do you think that the civil rights movement made a difference in your life? If so, how? If not, why not? . What do you think the larger society believes about black identity? . What do you think about portrayals of blacks in the media? . Can you think of any book or movie that you believe is an accurate portrayal of any aspect of black life? IV. Attitudes on Issues Related to Race . What factors do you believe contribute most to the social and economic state of poor black communities? . How do you think problems in poor black communities can be solved most effectively? . Do you believe that in the past five years things have improved, remained the same, or gotten worse for blacks?  | Appendix B For the following statements I would like for you to tell me whether you agree, disagree, or are neutral: . Because of past discrimination, minorities should be given special consideration when decisions are made about hiring applicants for...