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Epithet or Endearment? Examining Reactions Among Those of the African Diaspora to an Ethnic Epithet

Florida A&M University

Kellina M. Craig-Henderson

Howard University, k_craig{at}howard.edu

Although scholars throughout the social sciences have considered cultural differences among individuals in the African Diaspora, there is little marketplace research examining differences among these peoples. The present research was conducted to better understand how varying identities and cultural group norms influence attitudes, language, communications, and consumption patterns in reactions to the socially explosive epithet nigger. Qualitative research was conducted involving a series of in-depth interviews with people of the African Diaspora who were living in the United States. Analysis of interview data suggests the prominent influence of respondents' culture of origin in their knowledge structures, affective reactions, and expressed contingencies for use. In general, findings from this research reveal the multiple meanings and usage of the term nigger and its derivatives among peoples of the African Diaspora.

Key Words: ethnic epithets • consumers in the African Diaspora • ethnic groups • in-group/out-group membership • cultural differences • ethnic identity

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