Introduction
We are delighted to present Volume 3 of The Journal of Undergraduate Ethnic Minority Psychology (JUEMP). This volume features work that is first-authored by students from Washington University in St. Louis, Winston-Salem State University, and the University of Prince Edward Island. The following people volunteered as professional reviewers for this volume:
| Reviewer | Affiliation |
| Mr. Primus Brown | Alabama State University |
| Dr. Tyson Platt | Alabama State University |
| Dr. Elena Stepanova | The University of Southern Mississippi |
| Dr. Tricia Stewart | Western Connecticut State University |
| Dr. Tina Vazin | Alabama State University |
The goal of JUEMP is to publish up-to-date, high-quality and original research papers that are first-authoured by undergraduate students. Please know that co-authours may be students or non-students (e.g., faculty, community members, etc.). We encourage and invite you to submit, either individually or collaboratively, your manuscripts for consideration. We also encourage and invite you to volunteer as a reviewer. Best wishes and thank you in advance for your interest and support of The Journal of Undergraduate Ethnic Minority Psychology.
Sincerely,
Dr. D. Lisa Cothran, Editor
Volume 3
Matlock, J.R., Hall, N.M., & Cox, T.M. (2017). Internalized racial oppression and its effect on mate preferences. Journal of Undergraduate Ethnic Minority Psychology, 3, 1-5. (link to pdf file)
Abstract The objective of this study is to explore the relationship between internalized racial oppression (IRO) and mate preferences among heterosexual college students attending Winston-Salem State University (WSSU). Research questions investigate: 1) the relationship between IRO and mate preference; and 2) possible gender or sociodemographic differences in mate preferences. All participants (N=70) were between the ages of 18-24 and had at least one parent that identifies as Black/African American. All participants were administered a survey including the following scales: a) Internalized Racial Oppression (Bailey Chung, Williams, Singh, & Terrell, 2011); and b) Romantic Partner Preferences (Rowatt, DeLue, Strickhouser, & Gonzalez, 2001). Results indicate IRO total scores were positively related to the attractiveness subscale (r =.30, p =.02). There was also a positive relationship between internalization of negative stereotypes and attractiveness (r = .31, p =.01). Classification was also related to IRO F (3,62) = 2.74, p =.05.
Twentyman, J., Frank, M., & Lindsey, L. (2017). Effects of race and ethnicity on mental health and help-seeking amongst undergraduate university students. Journal of Undergraduate Ethnic Minority Psychology, 3, 6-15. (link to pdf file)
Abstract Mental health disorders present a significant health challenge to college students. Furthermore, prevalence rates and treatment rates differ across races and ethnicities, tending to burden minority groups with worse mental health and less treatment. This research was interested in two questions: (1) the effects of race and ethnicity on depression and anxiety and (2) the effects of race and ethnicity on mental health help-seeking behaviors amongst undergraduates at a medium-sized Midwestern university. It was hypothesized that non-White individuals will report higher rates of symptoms of depression and anxiety and will seek help for mental health problems less often than their White peers. Results found that rates of symptoms of depression and anxiety did not differ across race or ethnicity, but rates of help-seeking behaviors did differ across race and ethnicity. Finally, the concordance between the racial/ethnic compositions of student bodies and that of campus mental healthcare providers was measured for the top twenty universities in the United States. These topics are important because mental illness affects not only students’ ability to succeed in school, but also their overall well-being. Furthermore, mental illness can be fatal: treatment, whether by counseling or by chemicals, is the best way to prevent mortality.
Adegbembo, B.F., & MacQuarrie, C. (2017). The word nigger as racialized and non-racialized: A Foucauldian discourse analysis on the n-word in a Canadian society. Journal of Undergraduate Ethnic Minority Psychology, 3, 16-24. (link to pdf file)
Abstract The present study addresses the ongoing issues around the reappropriation of the n-word in the Canadian context. It sought to find if, and how easily, slurs and language can change their meaning over time. While some prior studies viewed the nword as too hateful to ever be used by anyone (Embrick & Henricks, 2013), other authors believed that it should only be used by Blacks (Galinsky, Hugenberg, Groom, & Bodenhausen, 2003), and yet others claimed that it has taken on a new meaning and can be used by anyone in society (Croom, 2013). An article titled Quebec considers removing N-word from 11 place names and its corresponding comments, which were posted on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation website (http://www.cbc.ca), were used as data for this present study. The current research used Foucauldian Discourse Analysis to investigate both the discourses surrounding the n-word as well as power relations that emerged in those discourses. The two emergent discourses from this study were the Acknowledgement Discourse: Nigger is Racialized, and the Denial Discourse: Nigger is Non-Racialized. The subject positions created from both discourses, which were the privileged and unprivileged, used language in ways that either reinscribed or challenged White privilege. Through the language, word choice and tones used, comments exemplified the complex and complicated nature of the n-word and showed society’s inability to come to a consensus on its meaning and use.