ABSTRACT
A number of current theories of racism include a common underlying theme—an emphasis on values as contributors to both White antipathy and sympathy toward Blacks. For example, both the theories of Modern Racism (McConahay, 1986; McConahay & Hough, 1976) and Symbolic Racism (Kinder, 1986; Kinder & Sears, 1981; Sears, 1988) suggest that racism is largely based on Whites’ perceptions that Blacks violate their cherished values. For McConahay and Hough (1976), the relevant values are “derived from the secularized versions of the Protestant Ethic: hard work, individualism, sexual repression, and delay of gratification” (p. 41). Similarly, for Kinder and Sears (1981), these values include “individualism and self-reliance, the work ethic, obedience, and discipline” (p. 416).
