Responsiveness in interracial interactions

Perceived responsiveness-feeling understood, validated, and cared for-is critical for wellbeing and successful relationships, yet these feelings are experienced less frequently in interracial interactions than in same race-interactions. In this article, we synthesize recent research on responsiveness in interracial interactions and relationships. We first highlight how responsiveness differs in interracial versus same-race contexts. We next discuss the role of cross-race partners' goals and motivations in responsiveness, with particular attention to the ways in which self-presentation goals undermine responsiveness as well as emerging research on goals and motivations that may facilitate responsiveness in interracial interactions. Finally, we discuss how a contextual factor, the salience of race, influences responsiveness in interracial interactions.

Multiculturalism and Colorblindness as Threats to the Self: A Framework for Understanding Dominant and Non-Dominant Group Members' Responses to Interethnic Ideologies

Both multiculturalism (which involves recognizing and appreciating differences) and racial/ethnic colorblindness (which can involve emphasizing similarities or individual characteristics) are intended to promote intergroup harmony. Nevertheless, these ideologies can backfire when salient. Although this work has sometimes been interpreted to suggest that dominant group members may perceive salient multiculturalism, and non-dominant group members may perceive salient colorblindness, as threatening, it is unclear what about these interethnic ideologies poses a threat and why. The present article draws upon theories of the self-concept to introduce a framework of Multiculturalism and Colorblindness as Threats to the Self. Specifically, it is proposed that multiculturalism (colorblindness) is potentially threatening to dominant (non-dominant) group members' collective, relational, and personal selves. Dispositional and contextual variables that may moderate perceptions of threat among members of dominant and non-dominant groups, alternative interethnic ideologies to multiculturalism and colorblindness, and potential future research directions are discussed.