Stereotype fissure: Katz and Braly revisited

Abstract

The recent switch from “Black” to “African American” symbolizes a transformation in the conceptualization of Americans of African descent away from race to culture. The tension between these two alternative social representations is examined by extending the attribution checklist procedure of Katz and Braly (1933) to show that subjects differentiate attributes associated with that group depending on the name used. A factorial analysis yielded three consistent (positive, negative, and boisterous) stereotype scales in juxtaposition with each other. An analysis of variance pertaining to these scales confirmed that those subjects using “African American” perceive the group more positively than those using “Black”. The contradistinction between a racially defined and a culturally defined group characterization, as crystallized in the competing denominations “Black” and “African American”, was further explored in a content analysis.