Abstract
The debate on race has occupied a central position in American public discourse for generations. It is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that impacts communities around the world. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the matter is white people’s desire to identify as black. While many reasons have been proposed explaining why this behavior is becoming common, few of these discussions are convincing. In order to clarify this problem, this paper aims to present possible explanations for this trend. Views from renowned theorists such as Sigmund Freud, Skinner, and Carl Rogers are used to expose the psychological underpinnings of an individual’s desire to abandon their socially assigned race.
Introduction
The number of people choosing to identify with a race other than their own is on the rise. For instance, a doctoral student relinquished various positions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison after reports indicated that they falsely claimed to be black (Shastri, 2020). The student swore that they went along with people’s misconceptions of their race and embraced the new identity. Even though race is a socially constructed phenomenon, people do not often have the luxury of denying their ethnicities because these identities come with real consequences and benefits. However, some people feel that their cultural heritage fails to capture their true nature. While the adoption of a different race may be misconstrued as a simple act of defiance, there are complex psychological processes that determine the expression of such behavior.
Choosing to be black
White individuals who pretend to be black are often fascinated by race from an early age; fantasies sometimes drive the desire to perfect as they mature. As these individuals learn more about the African American culture, they develop their ideal selves and work on techniques to see these visions become a reality. As adults, encounters with racial diversity prompt their re-invention and the expression of feelings and thoughts hidden as a result of restrictive home environments. These individuals seek social alignments with Black communities and often adopt traditional African-American clothing and mannerisms. Their ability to create an Afrocentric appearance prompts society to assume that the White individuals are potentially black. Passing for black is subsequently used to indicate the authenticity of their actions because people can see their true identities.
The desire to adopt blackness may be the result of close physical and emotional contact with individuals from the African American population. Relationships with black individuals affect identity formation, especially when initiated at an early age. The emotional connections that characterize these interactions determine the boundaries that people create. Therefore, white people often feel the urge to identify with the people with whom they connect strongly in an attempt to be part of their community. It should be noted that physical proximity to Blacks impacts the white self-image and affective constitution. The opportunity to participate in certain cultural activities yields empathy, which forms the foundation for these individuals’ claim to blackness (Seawell, 2018). They begin to imagine themselves as having a black sensibility and start evaluating society as though they were part of the black community.
The psychology of racial identity
Contemporary settings are characterized by racial fluidity where individuals quickly adapt to other people’s cultural practices. For instance, it is common for white teenagers to embrace black behavior and practices such as hip-hop, the use of slang, and modes of dressing. These trends have been accepted by society as a natural part of life. However, conflicting racial identities often lead to problems when individuals encounter challenges relating to people from their own race. It should be noted that individuals who eliminate their socially assigned races in an attempt to appear black are exercising white privilege. While they identify as black, they have the luxury to avoid all the challenges associated with their race. The visual ideology of race originates from racism, meaning that it is not a way of classifying differences in people but rather categorization through perception (Seawell, 2018). As such, placing people in groups results in race creation because specific features are deemed inherent, and non-existent differences are constructed. These taxonomies exist to justify the subjugation of particular groups of people.
Skinner’s perspective
The application of the operant conditioning theory to explain human behavior is common in psychology. However, Skinner’s definition of essentialism helps explain why people choose certain mannerisms concerning race. The concept is premised on the fact that human behavior is the result of underlying causes that may not be immediately apparent to affected individuals (Goddard, 2018). Skinner proposed that shaping is a mechanism through which successive approximations to a target behavior are progressively reinforced, which is an important aspect of selection by consequences (Goddard, 2018). Operant conditioning plays a critical role because it facilitates the reinforcement of specific mannerisms that facilitate the success of an individual’s plans. Therefore, a white individual may choose to identify as black because doing so is beneficial even if the person is unaware of the advantages in question.
Skinner’s discovery of shaping was a monumental event in psychology. The phenomenon informed his theories on behavior, which highlighted the fact that human practices developed as a result of selective behavior-environment interactions (Goddard, 2018). An individual’s surroundings influence their ability to craft an identity. Therefore, white people’s conflict with racial inequality or their fascination with black culture may prompt the creation of personas that fit with their conception of the real world. They are often encouraged to change their identities because, in their view, their circumstances demand the assumption of their real black nature.
Freud and racial identity
Freud’s psychoanalytic theory has helped answer a variety of psychological questions. Concerning racial identity, understanding the inner division in mental functioning and its impact on expressed behavior is the primary concern. Freud’s definition of the ego highlights how human beings develop an adaptive apparatus aimed at ensuring survival. It is, therefore, the point from which a person’s defensive mechanisms originate. The ego is responsible for a variety of conscious and unconscious representations of the self. Freud did not ascribe to the presence of a pre-existing identity because the ego is constructed through various interactions(Dajani, 2017). Its development is impacted by important voices and people with whom the individual interacts. Therefore, a close examination of the psychoanalytic theory highlights the fact that the experience of identity is not innate. It is a construct of an individual’s exposure to a variety of factors, including influential people and situations.
The psychoanalytic theory’s description of the ego’s impact on identity proffers possible explanations for an individual’s decision to identify as black. The ego’s dependence on external modifiers implies that white people may choose to change their race as a result of exposure to intriguing aspects of African American culture. In addition, their association with influential black figures may spark the desire to adopt certain cultural habits. The impact of these experiences on the inner separation of mental functions is manifested as a strong urge to embrace a different race. These firm beliefs are then translated into actions when white people start to dress, talk, and relate to others as black.
Carl Rogers’ viewpoint
Carl Rogers takes a humanistic approach in his evaluation of human behavior. He proposes that human beings’ subjective and varied mechanisms when evaluating different experiences determine their behavior (Willmott et al., 2018). In addition, he posits that an individual’s refusal to accept truths about themselves leads to the creation of unhealthy self-concepts. Social influences result in distortions between a person’s ideal concept, which is what they would prefer to be, and their self-concept which refers to their current state (Willmott et al., 2018). Therefore, a white person’s exposure to varied views on what it means to be black may choose to embrace this new identity because their subjective experiences present the race as ideal. They subsequently draw parallels between their idyllic lives and their black identity. As a result, transitioning into the African American culture becomes a necessary behavioral aspect of their personality.
Alternative perspective
The article was reviewed by a colleague who proposed that traumatic experiences may prompt individuals to seek refuge in a race that they believe has learned to deal with strife. I agree with this opinion because, as highlighted above, childhood experiences during the process of identity formation impact how people see themselves. It is critical to review all aspects of an individual’s physical and social interactions to determine why they choose to identify as black.
Conclusion
There are a variety of psychological explanations as to why white people choose to identify as black. On the one hand, Skinner’s theories propose that such behavior is designed to achieve specific benefits that individuals from a particular race treasure. On the other hand, Freud posits that the ego, which plays a critical role in the manifestation of behavior and identity, is impacted by external influences. Finally, Rogers highlights the fact that the prejudiced ways in which people interpret various experiences determine their behavior. The motivation behind an individual’s desire to adopt another race is a complex phenomenon that requires extensive exploration.
References
Dajani, K. G. (2017). The ego’s habitus: An examination of the role culture plays in structuring the ego. International Journal of Applied Psychoanalytic Studies, 14(4), 273–281. Web.
Goddard, M. J. (2018). Extending B. F. Skinner’s selection by consequences to personality change, implicit theories of intelligence, skill learning, and language.Review of General Psychology, 22(4), 421–426. Web.
Seawell, S. (2018). Feeling black, reproducing whiteness: A sensory analysis of Rachel Dolezal’s identity claim.Junctions: Graduate Journal of the Humanities, 3(1), 45. Web.
Shastri, D. (2020).University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate student apologizes for falsely claiming to be black. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Web.
Willmott, D., Ryan, S., Sherretts, N., Woodfield, R., & McDermott, D. (2018). Motivation: A critical consideration of Freud and Rogers’ seminal conceptualizations.Polish Psychological Bulletin, 49(2), 229–234. Web.