Racial Differences in Women's Role-Taking Accuracy: How Status Matters
Date
2021
Authors
Love, Tony
Davis, Jenny L
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Volume Title
Publisher
Society for Sociological Science
Abstract
Role-taking is the process of mentally and affectively placing the self in the position of another, understanding the world from the other’s perspective. Role-taking serves an expressive function within interpersonal interaction, supporting others to pursue instrumental tasks that are recognized, valued, and rewarded. In the present work, we compare role-taking accuracy between white women and black women across status-varying interactional arrangements. Data for this study come from a series of two laboratory experiments. Experiment 1 establishes racial differences in white and black women’s role-taking accuracy, showing that women of color are significantly more attuned to others within social encounters. Experiment 2 implements an intervention to undermine racial disparities in role-taking accuracy, showing that expressive labors equalize when black women are empowered within the social structure. Findings highlight the entwinement of status structures with interpersonal processes while demonstrating the efficacy and value of structural reforms.
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Keywords
race, status, inequality, role-taking, empathy, emotional labor
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Source
Sociological Science
Type
Journal article
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Access Statement
Open Access
License Rights
Creative Commons Attribution License
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Restricted until
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