Abstract
It was hypothesized that using sociological concepts dealing with race and ethnicity would cause a more tolerant or positive attitude toward the identified group. To test this hypothesis an instructional unit comprised of such concepts was developed. The unit had a twofold purpose: to teach students factual sociological concepts and, by means of this information, to produce in each student a more favorable attitude toward persons of the identified group. Respondents were twelfth graders attending a coeducational Catholic high school in Chicago. A control group and an experimental group were administered a pretest and posttest to survey attitudes. Because pre-existing classes were used, the data gathered was analyzed using covariance analysis to statistically adjust for differences between the groups. The statistical analysis showed that the difference between experimental and control groups was significant. Those students who had dealt with sociological concepts about race and ethnicity had developed a more positive or tolerant attitude for the identified racial group.
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