Conceptual review of symbolic cultural practices in children's racial/ethnic identity: Making room for mixed methods inquiry

• Published date: 01 February 2024
• Author: Amber B. Sansbury,Megan G. Stutesman,Divya Varier
• Date: 01 February 2024
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12985

RESEARCH

Conceptual review of symbolic cultural practices in

children’s racial/ethnic identity: Making room for

mixed methods inquiry

Amber B. Sansbury

1

|Megan G. Stutesman

2

|Divya Varier

1

1

School of Education, College of Education &

Human Development, George Mason

University, Fairfax, VA

2

Department of Psychology, College of

Humanities and Social Sciences, George

Mason University, Fairfax, VA

Correspondence

Amber B. Sansbury, College of Education &

Human Development, George Mason

University, 4400 University Drive, Thompson

Hall, Suite 2300 Fairfax, VA 22030, USA.

Email: asansbu2@gmu.edu

Abstract

Objective: Children are shaped by familial, cultural, societal,

and environmental factors that impact development across

multipledomains,contexts,andecologicalsystems.This

conceptual review examines studies that address how sym-

bolic cultural practices shape racial/ethnic identity develop-

ment in early childhood (ages 3–6).

Method: Twelve key extant studies across qualitative

(n=4), quantitative (n=5), and mixed (n=3) methodo-

logical approaches that concern the use of symbolic cul-

tural practices for early childhood racial/ethnic identity

development were reviewed. Our review adopted an inter-

disciplinary approach, bringing perspectives from develop-

mental psychology, family science, research methods, and

education policy. We oriented our review to address the

contributions of symbolic cultural practices to children’s

hope and happiness undergirded by their racial/ethnic

identity development.

Results: Studies across all methodological disciplines were

useful in moving the field forward however, we argue that

mixed methods studies are particularly consequential due

to their ability to account for the highly contextualized

experiences of healthy early childhood racial/ethnic sociali-

zation via symbolic cultural practices.

Conclusion: We also suggest that mixed methods lend

more holistic explanations of connections between early

childhood racial/ethnic socialization and symbolic cultural

practices and promote mixed methods approaches as the

most promising way to investigate the role of symbols in

Author note: The first two authors have chosen to share first authorship.

Received: 28 June 2023Revised: 8 November 2023Accepted: 15 November 2023

DOI: 10.1111/fare.12985

This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits

use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or

adaptations are made.

© 2023 The Authors. Family Relations published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of National Council on Family Relations.

Family Relations. 2024;73:561–577. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/fare 561

positive racial/ethnic socialization and identity develop-

ment of young children in future research.

Implications: Henceforth, we suggest that practitioners’

understanding of the racial and ethnic identities of young

children will be more holistic when approached from a

mixed methods lens, and therefore, practitioner–child

interactions will be more constructive.

KEYWORDS

early childhood, identity, mixed methods, racial/ethnic socialization

Children’s identity development includes several domains across cognitive, social and emotional,

physical, and language development (Hughes et al., 2016). Racial and ethnic identity develop-

ment is especially pertinent and can be a challenge for families to navigate given pervasive dis-

criminatory societal messages that can influence development even at an early age. The challenge

of positive, healthy racial and ethnic identity development given societies’discriminatory messag-

ing is exemplified in the classic doll studies by Clark and Clark (1947), which posited that Black

children between ages 3 and 7 years old preferred a White doll toa Black doll. Spencer (1982,

1984) then challenged and built on Clark and Clark’s(1947) work, emphasizing that early child-

hood socialization experiences can influence children’s interpretations and meaning-making of

racial bias throughout racial identity and stereotype development. In more recent work for Black

children as young as three, strong parent–child relationships and family scaffolding of early racial

socialization is fundamental as young children begin to perceive what it means to be Black in

America (Anderson et al., 2018; Blanchard et al.,2019; Dotterer et al., 2012).

In this conceptual review, we focus on the intersection of what we term symbolic cultural prac-

tices—expressions of cultural, ethnic, or racial meaning that occur through spiritual, ritual, or artistic

domains (further defined below)—and young children’s racial and ethnic identity development. The

use of symbolic cultural practices in early childhood is key to instilling hope, happiness, and health,

and the aim of this article is to examine studies on symbolic cultural practices along this vein to then

comment on the potential for mixed methods inquiry on this topic. We focus on ages 3 to 6 because

of the importance of parents, extended family members, and fictive kin networks in early socialization

processes and how young children feel, interpret, and form a sense of belonging with their racial back-

ground and ethnic culture in home and early education environments (Coard et al., 2007; Guerrero

et al., 2010; James et al., 2018). By mixed methods, we refer to the intentional merging of qualitative

and quantitative philosophical assumptions and research methods to answer questions about the role

of symbolic cultural practices in children’s racial and ethnic identity development (Greene, 2008). It

requires researchers to develop “a philosophical mindset along with a valuing of diverse voices”

(Creamer, 2017, p. 11) to harness the power of quantitative and qualitative approaches.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AND TERMINOLOGY

Racial/ethnic socialization

In a foundational study on identity development with Black children and parents, Hughes and

Chen (1997) described racial socialization as “a broad class of parental behaviors that transmit

attitudes, values, and information regarding their racial group memberships and intergroup

relations to children”(p. 202). Key themes of socialization messages include preparation for

bias,promotion of mistrust, and cultural or racial pride. Cultural pride refers to the ways in

which families communicate celebration and knowledge of culture, race, and ethnicity. For

562 FAMILY RELATIONS