Nigrescence Model of Racial Identity Development Essay -- Psychology

In 1971, William E. Cross, Jr., Ph.D., a non-white psychologist and prominent researcher (specializing in Black psychology) developed a framework for assessing how black Americans come to understand what it means to be Black. Dr. Cross introduced his ideologies as the Nigrescence Model of Racial Identity Development. He asserts that every black American must undergo a series of identity stages to develop a healthy and balanced understanding of the Black capture and become well-rounded in our global society. This model encompasses five stages of identity development, which Dr. Cross emphasizes, must be performed in order to successfully accomplish this goal. The early stage of Black racial identity development refers to the pre-encounter stage. This depicts the juncture in life when a black American displays a lack awareness of his/her let race and is uninterested in racial differences (to include those that affect Blacks). This stage delineates two types of identities, namely the anti-Black and assimilation compacts. The anti-Black pre-encounter stage represents a cluster of black Americans that piss pride in White standards, values, and beliefs they view the White race and culture as emblems of beauty and perfection. These people hold a high level of wickedness for the Black race and openly expresses their opinion on the matter. In contrast, the assimilation pre-encounter stage represents a cluster of black Americans that exhibits low salience for being Black. This cluster does not blatantly express hate for the Black race, however, they prefer to identify themselves with being something other than black Americans. They embrace color blindness and maintain a race-neutral demeanor towards humanity. Whether classified within ... ...of many concepts forwarded by academicians that inaccurately assesses identity development. Dr. Cross conceptualized theories are oversimplified, as they implicate all black Americans as integrate in their upbringing family s tructure values systems, beliefs, economic status, level of education, and exposures to racial indifference which is clearly inaccurate. Simplistic models of this sort exclude an individuals experiential background, which provides important variables to consider when assessing ones comprehension of what it means to be black. Further, Dr. Cross model failed to explicate a connection between identity and mental functions. It is vitally important that we suspend these types conceptual theories that label and classify our experiences, and develop accurate psychological theories that encompasses all variables that makes us who we are.