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Identidad social y estereotipos por color de piel. Aspiraciones y desempeño en jóvenes mexicanos

Author

Listed:
  • Campos Vázquez, Raymundo M.

    (El Colegio de México, Centro de Estudios Económicos)

  • Medina Cortina, Eduardo M.

    (El Colegio de México, Centro de Estudios Económicos.)

Abstract
Background. Recent literature shows that, in Mexico, skin color is relevant for life outcomes and for social mobility. A possible transmission channel is explicit discrimination. Another possible channel is that the effort and aspirations may be affected by negative stereotypes attributed to dark-skinned individuals. Since society values certain physical traits (social identity), affected individuals can modify their behavior and expectations. Methods. We conducted a field experiment with middle school students in Mexico City. Each student solved a cognitive test and a questionnaire about future aspirations. The experimental design consisted of randomly revealing information before performing the test. The control group did not receive any information. Treatment 1 received twelve images of public characters with light or white skin prior taking the test, treatment 2 received a color palette to self-assess skin color and treatment 3 received both the mosaic of images and the palette of colors. Results. Results presented in here indicate that social identity and skin color stereotypes affect the aspirations and performance of young people in Mexico. The group that received the intervention invoking social identification by skin tone and its possible relation with life results, presented a lower level of aspirations towards the future (0.26 standard deviations), compared with the students in the control group. These effects come from women, suggesting that they are more sensitive to the negative effect of stereotypes. Conclusions. These results imply that cultural aspects in Mexico affect how young people behave and make decisions. Therefore, differences in life outcomes and social mobility for individuals with different skin color, but otherwise equal, could also be explained by the existence of negative stereotypes against dark-skinned people.// Antecedentes. Investigaciones recientes muestran que en México el color de piel es relevante para resultados de vida y para la movilidad social. Un canal de transmisión es la discriminación explícita. Otro posible canal supone que sean menores el esfuerzo y las aspiraciones de personas sujetas a estereotipos negativos por su color de piel. Ya que la sociedad valora ciertos rasgos físicos (identidad social), los individuos afectados pueden modificar su conducta y ajustar sus expectativas. Método. Realizamos un experimento de campo con estudiantes en secundarias de la Ciudad de México. Cada estudiante resolvió una prueba para medir habilidades cognitivas y un cuestionario sobre aspiraciones futuras. El diseño experimental consistió en revelar información de manera aleatoria antes de realizar la prueba. El grupo de control no recibió ninguna información. El tratamiento 1 recibió 12 imágenes de personajes públicos con tez clara antes de la prueba, el tratamiento 2 recibió una paleta de colores para autoevaluar el tono de piel, y el tratamiento 3 recibió ambas, el mosaico de imágenes y la paleta de colores. Resultados. Los resultados señalan que la identidad social y los estereotipos de color de piel afectan las aspiraciones y el desempeño de los jóvenes en México. El grupo que recibió la intervención, invocando la identificación social por tono de piel y su posible relación con resultados de vida, presentó un menor nivel de aspiraciones hacia el futuro (0.26 desviaciones estándar), comparado con los estudiantes en el grupo de control. Estos efectos provienen de las mujeres, lo que sugiere que son más sensibles al efecto negativo de los estereotipos. Conclusiones. Los resultados implican que aspectos culturales en la sociedad mexicana afectan el modo en que los jóvenes se comportan y toman decisiones. Por tanto, diferencias en resultados de vida y movilidad social en México para individuos similares, pero con tonos de piel distintos, también podrían explicarse por la existencia de estereotipos de color de piel.

Suggested Citation

  • Campos Vázquez, Raymundo M. & Medina Cortina, Eduardo M., 2018. "Identidad social y estereotipos por color de piel. Aspiraciones y desempeño en jóvenes mexicanos," El Trimestre Económico, Fondo de Cultura Económica, vol. 0(337), pages .53-79, enero-mar.
    • Handle: RePEc:elt:journl:v:85:y:2018:i:337:p:53-79
    DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.20430/ete.v85i337.659
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Luis Monroy-Gómez-Franco & Roberto Vélez-Grajales, 2021. "Skin Tone Differences in Social Mobility in Mexico: Are We Forgetting Regional Variance?," Journal of Economics, Race, and Policy, Springer, vol. 4(4), pages 257-274, December.
    2. Monroy-Gómez-Franco, Luis & Vélez-Grajales, Roberto & Yalonetzky, Gastón, 2021. "Layers of inequality: Unequal opportunities and skin colour in Mexico," MPRA Paper 106605, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Monroy-Gómez-Franco, Luis, 2023. "Shades of social mobility: Colorism, ethnic origin and intergenerational social mobility," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 247-266.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    estereotipos; desempeño escolar; aspiraciones futuras; adolescentes; género; México.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
    • D03 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Behavioral Microeconomics: Underlying Principles
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • O54 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Latin America; Caribbean

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