| Sumario: | Class differences in racial attitudes among blacks were examined using the 1979-1980 National Survey of Black Americans (NSBA). We examined two perspectives—class realignment and ethnic competition—as possible explanations for attitudinal differences between middle- and lower-class blacks. The majority of our findings supported the ethnic competition perspective which predicts a more critical attitude among middle- than lower-class blacks toward the stratification system. However, we found no significant class differences in blacks' attitudinal orientation towards whites. In addition, a clear difference between classes with respect to political action was found. In general, the results provide qualified support for Wilson's class polarization thesis. Reprinted by permission of the publisher.
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