The effects of a high school workshop that teaches about the racial slur 'nigger/a' on participants' understanding and use of the racial slur.

摘要

The global marketing of the racial slur "nigger" / "nigga" has been a steady stream of business for the entertainment industry for decades. Entertainment is the United States' second biggest export. The racial slur "nigger" / "nigga" is at the core of America's savage history. However, many young people and adults have no knowledge of the history and negative connotations of the derogatory racial slur.;This study focused on whether the workshops presented to 30 high school students in three schools in the northern United States would impact their understanding of the racial slur "nigger"/ "nigga" and if they would report that they are using the racial slur less or not at all after attending these workshops. Would the workshops give high school students a better understanding of the legacy of this debilitating racial slur and the impact it continues to have on the mindset of millions of people? Did the workshops help the high school students understand the negative effects of the use of the racial slur "nigger" / "nigga" through not only news, but also films/movies, music, video, song, and dance?;Data were collected using pre- and post-intervention anonymous questionnaires with all of the participants and videotaped post-intervention interviews with two students from each of the three high schools.;The results supported the hypothesis that after attending the workshops, students did have more knowledge of the origins of the racial slur "nigger" / "nigga" and they reported that they would use the term in its historical context as opposed to using it as a term of endearment.