XANNI BROWN
Racial and political identities affect peoples' attitudes toward demographic change
The U.S. population is becoming more racially diverse over time. In previous research, raising the prospect of a “majority-minority nation” has been shown to provoke threat reactions among White Americans, increasing intergroup bias. In my research, we study how people’s political identities shape their reactions to information about a diversifying U.S., with an eye toward understanding what identities can be leveraged to mitigate backlash against the prospect of a diversifying nation.
The effect of offensive symbols on community and belonging
Organizations and civic spaces use all kinds of symbols to represent themselves, from sports mascots and school names to public art and statues. While many of these symbols are positive or neutral, some use caricatured portrayals of marginalized peoples or elevate proponents of racialized oppression. My work looks at what drives support for these kinds of symbols, their impact on community and belonging, and how to have productive conversations about removal or replacement.
Perceived shifts in racial hierarchy are linked to anti-democratic attitudes
Recently, my work focuses on the implications of threat over racial hierarchy change for support for democracy itself. With correlational and experimental data, I examine how anxiety over political, cultural, and demographic change relates to support for voting, civil rights, and speech.