Color-evasiveness and white normativity: Examples set by parents in parent-child interactions in the Netherlands

Objectives: Parents can set examples of social norms about ethnic diversity and interethnic relations in interaction with their children. The present study examined whether and how parents set norms of colorevasiveness and White normativity when playing a social categorization game with their children. Method: In a sample of 141 White Dutch, 73 Turkish-Dutch, and 56 Black Dutch mothers of a 6- to 10-year-old child, behaviors reflecting color-evasiveness (avoiding skin color questions, asking about skin color late in the game, taking relatively long to formulate skin color questions) and White normativity (bias in ethnic–racial focus used) were observed. Two subsamples (mothers approximately 2 years later and fathers) were used to try to replicate results. Results: Color-evasiveness was most frequent among White Dutch mothers and during the version of the game including pictures of South West Asian/North African and Black adults, but did not depend on the ethnic–racial background of the researchers. All mothers who asked about skin color displayed patterns of ethnic–racial focus that reflect White normativity, by focusing on dark rather than light skin colors. This bias was irrespective of their own ethnic–racial background, ethnic–racial background of the researchers, and the version of the game. Patterns of color-evasiveness and White normativity were largely replicated in both subsamples. Conclusions: These results suggest that children might already learn societal norms that conflict with anti-racism in very basic parent–child interactions situations. Future research is needed to investigate how to foster more inclusive social norms such as color consciousness in the next generation and their parents.