Cultural Socialization

Cultural socialization, the messages parents teach their children about their own race and ethnicity, is a salient aspect of child-rearing among ethnic minority families and is important for fostering a strong sense of identity and belonging to a child’s cultural group. Cultural socialization, also referred to as ethnic–racial socialization, is important because it helps children learn about what it means to be a member of a racial or ethnic minority group and learn to cope with discrimination.

In addition, social science research has linked cultural socialization practices to myriad developmental outcomes, including academic performance, ethnic and racial identity, and socioemotional adjustment. This entry reviews cultural socialization, the various factors that predict the process of cultural socialization, and how cultural socialization relates to child development. It also ...