Intergroup Differences and their Impact on African American Teachers

Abstract

This article examines how intergroup differences within suburban desegregated schools affect the professional experiences of African American teachers. The culture within an organization strongly influences how European Americans will treat their minority counterparts. Because the majority establishes the work norms, a uniform set of rules and regulations by which people of color are expected to comply exists. Tensions of intergroup conflict become apparent among groups of teachers if only one or a few teachers of color are present in the entire school. Thus, African American teachers in these contexts are subjected to performance pressures, bear the burden of representing their race, and become role entrapped.