Ethnicity and socioeconomic status in elementary school: A comparison of children's peer relationships in three socioculturally diverse classroom settings.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate how the ethnic and socioeconomic composition of elementary school classrooms affects children's peer relationships. Specifically, four issues were examined: (1) whether there are sociocultural differences in children's social behaviors; (2) whether there are differences in the behavioral correlates of peer acceptance for children of different sociocultural groups; (3) whether socioeconomic or ethnic differences in the processes of peer acceptance are affected by homogeneity versus diversity in the sociocultural make-up of the peer environment; and (4) whether the behavioral correlates of liking by same-ethnicity peers are the same as the corresponding correlates of liking by other-ethnicity peers. The sample consisted of 616 third- and fourth-grade children from three socioculturally distinct classroom settings: middle-class, predominantly European-American classrooms; lower-class, predominantly European-American classrooms; and lower-class, predominantly African-American classrooms. Half of the children were boys; approximately one-third were African-American. Measures included sociometric assessments of peer acceptance and behavioral reputation; self-reports of perceived self-competence; scores on standardized academic achievement tests; and teacher ratings of children's social and cognitive competence. Results indicated that the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral correlates of peer acceptance were generally the same across classroom settings. Similarly, few significant differences were found between the correlates of acceptance by same-ethnicity peers and the correlates of acceptance by other-ethnicity peers. However, significant mean differences in cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functioning were found between children in the three different sociocultural settings, with children in more affluent school settings faring more positively on most measures. Overall, the pattern of results did not support the hypothesis that children would be perceived more positively by teachers and peers, and would experience higher self-competence, in classrooms where their sociocultural group represented a majority, rather than a minority, of the population. Interestingly, though, African-American children in middle-class, predominantly European-American classrooms were perceived by peers and teachers as less socially, behaviorally, and academically skilled, than were African-American children in lower-class, predominantly European-American classrooms. These findings are discussed in terms of implications for school integration and intervention programs.