RACIAL CATEGORIZATION AND PREFERENCE AMONG OLDER CHILDREN IN THE NETHERLANDS

In this study the pervasiveness of racial categorization is investigat ed among children (10-12 years of age) in multi-racial schools. Subjec ts were asked to sort photographs of unknown contemporaries and to ind icate preferences. Skin colour, sex and facial expression were used as three characteristics which varied systematically in the pictures. Th e results show, first, that children preferred to use different featur es simultaneously instead Of a single feature only. Second, in a dicho tomous classification task skin colour and sex were the most obvious v isible features used for categorization. Gender was also used for expl aining socially undesirable behaviour, and for indicating preferences, while race was not used in these tasks. in indicating preferences fac ial expression and not skin colour was used as a subordinate category. There were very few differences between ethnic Dutch, coloured and et hnic minority children in the use of skin colour or other features.