A new national research project documents for the first time the social norms that govern how Canadians think about and act on different types of racial micro-aggressive actions directed at people who are Indigenous or Black.
Social norms are widely held expectations about what is and is not acceptable or appropriate behaviour in a particular situation. Such norms are unspoken rules about how to behave, and play a key role in how racist behaviour happens because they set powerful boundaries that either encourage or restrain how people act toward others who are seen to be different. This makes social norms an important dimension to consider in understanding how racism happens and how it can be reduced. Social norms are part of the “connective tissue” between systemic racism and the actions of individuals.
Survey details
The research is based on a national survey of 6,600 Canadians across the country, conducted online by the Environics Institute for Survey Research in February and March 2022. This is the first study of its kind to measure the social norms that influence racist or anti-racist behaviour across a population.
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