'Can't We All Just Get Along?': Assessing Actors' Racial Views through Interviews and Everyday Conversations.

Most research on racial matters in contemporary America focuses either on large surveys on attitudes, or on mostly public behavior by whites. Thus, many of these studies may not capture what many whites really believe or how many whites really feel about racial matters. Using in-depth interviews and participant observation techniques, I analyze race relations in one of the largest baked goods companies located in the southwest. Looking at race relations at the micro-level allows us to uncover racial behaviors, attitudes, and practices among white and minority groups not normally seen in the public sphere. I find that white males behave "differently" and may even express more racialized attitudes depending on the context of the social interaction. That is, my findings indicate that whites tend to engage in race-talk when in the company of other whites. Yet, when minorities are present, the conversations usually shift to gender or class oriented topics. This research adds to issues in applied sociology in that if we are able to understand how race relations work in contemporary society, we will be better able to develop effective measures to combat racial discrimination and practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]