Identity and Racial Harassment

Abstract

In a 1996 survey of U.S. military personnel, more than 65 percent experienced raciallyoffensive behavior, and approximately one-in-ten reported threatening incidents or careerrelatedracial discrimination. Perceived racial harassment is driven by social classificationsthat extend beyond racial group membership. While race clearly matters, there is alsodiversity in the harassment experiences of individuals of the same race with divergingorganizational, cultural or social experiences. Social prescriptions constraining inter-racialinteractions are associated with higher rates of offensive racial encounters and more careerrelateddiscrimination, while aspects of an installation’s institutional culture also directly affectharassment. Together, these results lend support for a model of racial harassment thatencompasses both institutional factors and a multifaceted notion of racial identity.

Keywords: identity, U.S. military, harassment

JEL Classification: J15, J70, J81