Abstract
This study examines the attribution of responsibility for the problematic response to Hurricane Katrina in the fall of 2005. Based on social identity theory, the study compared the attribution with racism and non-racism factors (situational vs. dispositional attributions) between African American and European American students (n = 505). As hypothesized, African American identity was related to greater racism attribution, even after controlling for demographics, faith factors, and cognitive-emotional reactions to the hurricanes. European American identity was associated with more executive-responsibility attributions, but the effect vanished after adjusting other factors. The study underscores the importance of acknowledging group identity rather than an overarching American identity in exploring the race effect after a national collective trauma. The consequential implications for disaster planning, future research investigation, and social service delivery are discussed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adams, G., O’Brien, L. T., & Nelson, J. C. (2006). Perceptions of racism in Hurricane Katrina: A liberation psychology analysis. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, 6, 215–235.
Ai, A. L., Bjorck, J. P., Appel, H., & Huang, B. (2011a). Ch. Asian American spirituality and religion: Inherent diversity, uniqueness, and long-lasting psychological influences. In K. Pargament, A. Mahoney, & E. Shafranske (Eds.), The APA handbook of psychology, religion, and spirituality, vol. II. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Ai, A. L., Cascio, T., Santangelo, L. K., & Evans-Campbell, T. (2005). Hope, meaning, and growth following 9–11. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 20, 523–548.
Ai, A. L., Lemieux, C., Richardson, R., Tice, N. T., Plummer, C., & Huang, B. (under review). Resilience in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: Pathways of strengths and spirituality in black and white student volunteers.
Ai, A. L., Peterson, C., Bolling, S. F., & Koenig, H. (2002). Private prayer and the optimism of middle-age and older patients awaiting cardiac surgery. The Gerontologist, 42, 70–81.
Ai, A. L., Tice, T. N., &. Kelsey, C. L. (2009). The paradox following September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks: The role of deep interconnectedness and deep conflict in posttraumatic growth and stress. In M. Morgan (Ed.), The day that changed everything? Looking at the impact of 9-11 at the end of the decade. New York, NY: Greenwood/Praeger International Security Press.
Ai, A. L., Tice, T. N., Lemieux, C., & Huang, B. (2011b). Modeling the meaning-laden paradox after 9/11: From deep connection and struggle to posttraumatic stress and growth. Archive for Psychology of Religion, 33.
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York: Freeman.
Bethel, E. R. (1999). The roots of African American identity: Memory and history in antebellum free communities. London: Macmillan.
Brewer, M., & Chen, Y. (2007). Where (Who) are collectives in collectivism? Toward conceptual clarification of individualism and collectivism. Psychological Review, 114, 133–151.
Carter, R. T. (1995). The influence of race and racial identity in psychotherapy: Toward a racially inclusive model. London: Wiley.
Chatters, L. M., Levin, J. S., & Taylor, R. J. (1992). Antecedents and dimensions of religious involvement among older black adults. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 47B, S269–S278.
Cross, W. (1978). The Thomas and Cross models of psychological nigrescence: A review. The Journal of Black Psychology, 5, 13–31.
Dach-Gruschow, K., & Hong, Y.-y. (2006). The racial divide in response to the aftermath of Katrina: A boundary condition for common in group identity model. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, 6, 125–141.
Devos, T., & Banaji, M. R. (2005). American = White? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 88, 447–466.
Erikson, E. H. (1959). Identity and the life cycle. New York: Norton.
Fischer, P., Ai, A. L., Aydin, N., Haslam, A., & Frey, D. (2010). Impacts of religious identity on coping strategies: An examination of Muslim identity and interpersonally-oriented coping mechanisms. Review of General Psychology, 14, 365–381.
Forgette, R., King, M., & Dettrey, B. (2008). Race, Hurricane Katrina, and government satisfaction: Examining the role of race in assessing blame. The Journal of Federalism, 38, 671–691.
Frable, D. E. S. (1997). Gender, racial, ethnic, sexual, and class identities. Annual Review of Psychology, 48, 139–162.
Haslam, S. A. (2004). Psychology in organizations: The social identity approach (2nd ed.). London: Sage.
Haslam, S. A., Jetten, J., O′Brien, A., & Jacobs, E. (2004). Social identity, social influence and reactions to potentially stressful tasks: Support for the self-categorization model of stress. Stress and Health, 20, 3–9.
Haslam, S. A., O’Brien, A., Jetten, J., Vormedal, K., & Penna, S. (2005). Taking the strain: Social identity, social support and the experience of stress. British Journal of Social Psychology, 44, 355–370.
Haslam, S. A., & Reicher, S. D. (2006). Stressing the group: Social identity and the unfolding dynamics of stress. Journal of Applied Psychology, 91, 1037–1052.
Heine, S. J. (2008). Cultural psychology. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company.
Helms, J. E. (1994). The conceptualization of racial identity and other “racial” constructs. In E. Trickett, R. J. Watts, & D. Birman (Eds.), Human diversity (pp. 285–311). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Hofstede, G. (1980). Culture’s consequences: International differences in work-related values. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Hofstede, G., & Hofstede, G. J. (2005). Cultures and organizations: Software of the mind. Hill: McGraw.
James, W. (1890). Principles of psychology. New York: Holt.
Lawson, E. J., & Thomas, C. (2007). Wading in the waters: Spirituality and older black Katrina survivors. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 18, 341–354.
Lazarus, R. S. (1966). Psychological stress and the coping process. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Lazarus, R. S. (1982). Thoughts on the relations between emotion and cognition. American Psychologist, 37, 1019–1024.
Lazarus, R. S. (1991). Emotion and adaptation. New York: Oxford University Press.
Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping. New York: Springer.
Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of motivation. Psychological Review, 50, 370–396.
McIntosh, P. (1989, July/August). White privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack. Peace and Freedom, pp. 8–10.
Monroe, K. R. (1996). The heart of altruism: Perception of a common humanity. Princeton, NJ: University Press.
Nisbett, R. E., Peng, K., Choi, I., & Norenzayan, A. (2001). Culture and systems of thought: Holistic vs. analytic cognition. Psychological Review, 108, 291–310.
Norenzayan, A, & Shariff, A. F. (2008). The origin and evolution of religious prosociality. Science, 5898, 58–62.
Page, S., & Puente, M. (2005). Poll shows racial divide on storm response. USA TODAY. Retrieved on 10 Oct 2006 from http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-09-12-katrina-poll_x.htm.
Pew Research Center for People and the Press. (2005). Two-in-three critical of Bush’s relief efforts: Huge racial divide over Katrina and its consequences. Retrieved October Accessed on 8 Oct 2006 from http://www.people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=255.
Plummer, C. A., Ai, A., Lemieux, C., Richardson, R., Dey, S. K., Taylor, P., et al. (2008). Volunteerism among social work students during Hurricane Katrina and Rita: A report from the disaster area. Journal of Social Service Research, 34, 55–71.
Rosenberg, M. (1979). Conceiving the self. New York: Basic Books.
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55, 68–78.
Smith, A., Jr. (1999). Reaching back and pushing forward: A perspective on African American spirituality. Theology Today, 56, 44–58.
Tajfel, H. (1978). Interpersonal behaviour and intergroup behaviour. In H. Tajfel (Ed.), Differentiation between social groups: Studies in the social psychology of intergroup relations (pp. 27–60). London: Academic Press.
Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (1979). An integrative theory of intergroup conflict. In W. G. Austin & S. Worchel (Eds.), The social psychology of intergroup relations (pp. 33–47). Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole.
Taylor, R. J., Chatters, L. M., & Levin, J. (2004). Impact of religion on mental health and well-being. In Religion in the lives of African Americans: Social, psychological and health perspectives (pp. 207–226). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Thomas, C. (1971). Boys no more. Beverly Hills: Glencoe Press.
Time. (2005). System failure: An investigation into what went so wrong in New Orleans, 166(12). Retrieved on 8 March 2011 from http://www.time.com/time/magazine/0,9263,7601050919,00.html.
Triandis, H. C. (1989). The self and social behavior in differing cultural contexts. Psychological Review, 96, 506–520.
Triandis, H. C., McCusker, C., & Hui, C. H. (1990). Multimethod probes of individualism and collectivism. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59, 1006–1020.
Acknowledgments
Amy L. Ai, PhD, is supported by grants from the John Templeton Foundation, the Silberman Foundation, and the University of Pittsburgh Center on Race and Social Problems. The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of these organizations. Authors appreciate the constructive comments given by Editor Gary F. Koeske, PhD.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ai, A.L., Plummer, C., Heo, G. et al. Racial Identity–Related Differential Attributions of Inadequate Responses to Hurricane Katrina: A Social Identity Perspective. Race Soc Probl 3, 13–24 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12552-011-9039-1
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12552-011-9039-1