Symbolic racism differs from traditional prejudice only in measurement, not theory

Evidence

First, symbolic racism is a theory of prejudice (see also Brewer & Kramer, 1985). The proponents of the concept do not venture to explicitly differentiate the concept and/or theory of symbolic racism from the notion of prejudice as traditionally defined. Instead, it is argued that symbolic racism cannot be indexed by “old-fashioned” or passé racial beliefs (Kinder & Sears 1981; McConahay et al., 1981). The main point of differentiation from prejudice, then, is at the level of measurement, not at the level of theoretical development. — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 3400

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Early and recent symbolic racism studies both measured the same four themes — Christopher Tarman and David O. Sears, The Conceptualization and Measurement…, 17; Symbolic racism is empirically distinct from old-fashioned racism. — Christopher Tarman and David O. Sears, The Conceptualization and Measurement…, 193