Indoctrination into Hate: The Development of Racial Neuroses Resulting from Racist Socialization Under White Supremacy

Racial-ethnic socialization is critical to our unique and individual conceptualization of reality. This socialization occurs explicitly and implicitly across the lifespan and has significant implications for one’s behavior, social relationships, and ideological beliefs. Two of the most notable and impactful spheres in which racial-ethnic socialization occurs are within the family unit and schooling contexts. The treatment and teachings within these two spaces shape our social and psychological development. The first part of my project considers the neurosis of Whiteness as a psychological consequence of racist socialization within school settings and primarily White communities—as a macro example of the family unit—to understand the societal ramifications. The second part then seeks to formulate an action plan which addresses the role of racialized power in the psychological development of White people living under White supremacy. Investigation in this area is necessary to aid in efforts to prevent the cyclical re-creation of racial prejudice. It aims to provide valuable information regarding the process of adopting racially prejudicial perspectives and the development of the Neurosis of Whiteness. This project also aims to analyze the agents of racist socialization, specifically within Western colonial contexts of schooling and family development. Children and adolescents are highly impressionable and construct mental schemas daily based on the societal occurrences they observe. By taking an interdisciplinary approach to this investigation, I can consider both sociological agents of socialization (schools and families) and the subsequent psychological consequences of said socialization (racial neurosis).