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12 "YES, BUT . . .": PRINCIPLES AND CAVEAT S IN AMERICA N RACIA L ATTITUDE S JENNIFER L. HOCHSCHIL D and MONICA HER K Analysts o f Americans ' racia l attitude s agre e o n fou r points . Whereas a majorit y o f white s expresse d over t racis m i n th e 1950s, only a small minorit y d o i n the 1980s . Whereas a minor ity o f white s supporte d th e principle s o f racia l equalit y an d racial integration i n the 1950s , a large majorit y d o in the 1980s . White endorsemen t o f specifi c mean s fo r implementin g thos e principles stil l varies tremendously. Finally , blacks have becom e increasingly pessimisti c durin g th e pas t thre e decade s abou t ending racial prejudice an d discrimination , and blacks see muc h more persisten t white racism tha n white s do. Beyond thes e point s o f agreement , controvers y rages . Som e analysts, mostl y black , argu e tha t prejudic e ha s decline d littl e and discriminatio n hardl y a t all. 1 Others se e old-fashione d bio logical racism declining , but ne w forms o f prejudic e risin g in it s place. Attempts t o describe thes e ne w form s o f prejudic e evok e academic wa r amon g exponent s o f symboli c racism, grou p con flict , self-interest , o r stratification beliefs. 2 Debates over whethe r education reduce s racism or merely increases ideological sophis - Principles and Caveats in American Racial Attitudes 30 9 tication an d sophistr y occup y a slightl y differen t battleground . Still others change th e subject, claiming that the issue is not rac e at all, but th e federa l government' s o r courts ' illegitimate inter vention i n local or private choices. Scholars disagree on whethe r (especially well-off ) blacks ' increase d sensitivit y t o discrimina tion i s an accurat e perceptio n o r merel y a n emotiona l respons e to uncertainty , guil t ove r thos e lef t behind , o r a resul t o f ever rising expectations . In thi s chapter w e choose "no t t o have a dog i n that fight," a s a wis e dissertatio n adviso r onc e urged . W e believ e that , excep t for th e clai m tha t over t racis m ha s no t declined , al l o f thes e views ar e partl y right . Certainl y non e lack s eloquen t defender s flanked wit h powerfu l evidence . We ar e persuade d tha t endles s dispute s ove r th e natur e an d correlates o f changin g racia l attitude s ar e miscast . Th e impor tant questio n i s not "Doe s symbolic racism explai n whites ' racia l attitudes better than grou p conflict?" or "Which people are mos t prone t o symboli c racis m (o r grou p conflict)?, " bu t "Wha t i s implied b y th e fac t tha t whit e American s increasingl y accep t racial equalit y an d integratio n i n principle , bu t disagre e wit h each other , wit h blac k Americans , an d sometime s wit h them selves , o n ho w t o implemen t thos e principles? " I f th e questio n is unwieldy , i t simpl y reflect s th e unwieldy , eve n byzantine , nature o f American racia l attitudes . In short , i t i s th e ver y variet y o f whit e Americans ' racia l attitudes, th e ver y absenc e o f a n overarchin g explanatio n fo r the exten t an d conten t o f hesitatio n abou t racia l policie s tha t i s the issu e t o b e examined . Mor e precisely : mos t white s no w sa y "yes" t o racia l equalit y an d integration , the n ad d som e sor t o f "but . . ." t o thei r affirmation . I t i s tha t phalan x o f "bu...

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