Date of Award
2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Dr. Jane M Berry
Abstract
This study investigated the influence of beliefs about race on support for the Black Lives Matter (BLM) and Blue Lives Matter (BluLM) movements, mediated by attitudes towards police and beliefs about white privilege. Utilizing a sample of undergraduate university students, data were obtained through a survey measuring beliefs in the biological and social constructs of race, support for police, belief in white privilege, and attitudes toward BLM and BluLM. Results indicated that individuals who perceive race as a biological construct are less likely to support BLM and more likely to support BluLM, while beliefs in white privilege and attitudes towards police mediated these relationships. Findings suggest complex relationships between beliefs about race, support for law enforcement, and attitudes toward racial justice movements. The implications for understanding the dynamics in support of both BLM and BluLM will be analyzed to provide avenues for future research.
Recommended Citation
Purvis, Bella, "Black and Blue All Over: Whose Lives Matter?" (2024). Honors Theses. 1779.
https://scholarship.richmond.edu/honors-theses/1779