Ted Thornhill, Ph.D. | Florida Gulf Coast University

Ted Thornhill, Ph.D.

Florida Gulf Coast University, Sociology, Faculty Member

Florida Gulf Coast University, Sociology, Faculty Member |

I received my PhD in sociology from the University of Massachusetts–Amherst and am currently an assistant professor of sociology at Florida Gulf Coast University. Prior to that I was an associate professor of sociology and African American studies at Earlham College and an assistant professor of sociology and race and ethnic studies at St. Olaf College. I teach courses on the sociology of African Americans, social class inequality, white racism, racism and law enforcement, and introduction to sociology. I have also taught several theory and research methods courses. My research and writing examines how color-blind ideology and institutional policies and practices promote racial inequality, particularly in K–12 and higher education.

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Journal Articles

We Want Black Students, Just Not You: How White Admissions Counselors Screen Black Prospective Students

Sociology of Race and Ethnicity, 2018

Most historically and predominantly white institutions (HPWIs) now desire some number of black st... more Most historically and predominantly white institutions (HPWIs) now desire some number of black students on their campuses. However, recent theoretical scholarship suggests that HPWIs’ desire for and willingness to embrace black students is predicated on their racial palatability. The theory of intraracial discrimination stipulates that white gatekeepers are increasingly inclined to screen blacks to “weed out” those they perceive as too concerned with race and racism. In this study, the author assessed whether there was evidence of intraracial discrimination within the HPWI admissions regime. The data were derived through an audit of 517 white admissions counselors, employed at the same number of institutions, who received inquiry e-mails from fictitious black high school students who presented as more or less racially salient. The findings reveal that white admissions counselors are more responsive to black students who present as deracialized and racially apolitical than they are to those who evince a commitment to antiracism and racial justice. These findings provide convincing support for the theory of intraracial discrimination within the HPWI admissions regime. The author concludes with a brief discussion of the implications of these findings.

Racial Salience and the Consequences of Making White People Uncomfortable: Intra-Racial Discrimination, Racial Screening, and the Maintenance of White Supremacy

Sociology Compass, Aug 2015

Most sociological research on racial discrimination has had an “inter-racial” focus. That is, res... more Most sociological research on racial discrimination has had an “inter-racial” focus. That is, researchers have been principally concerned with the disparate treatment that people of color receive relative to Whites in different social contexts. However, recent theoretical work emerging from legal studies sug- gests that an alternative conception of “intra-racial” discrimination exists that extends beyond colorism. This theory of intra-racial discrimination stipulates that many organizations in the “post-racial” era desire some measure of racial diversity. Yet, in their efforts to achieve this racial diversity they screen people of color based on their degree of racial salience. Whether a given person of color is hired, promoted, or in the case of college admissions, accepted, is a function of whether or not Whites within the organization consider them racially palatable, or not overly concerned with race. This creates an incentive for people of color to work their identity to allay any concerns among Whites that they may be too racially salient. In this paper I critically review this work and attempt to further buttress its claims by highlighting how this process has clear historical precedent. I conclude by showing how the audit method can be used to empirically examine this practice contemporarily.

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Resistance and Assent: How Racial Socialization Shapes Black Students’ Experience Learning African American History in High School

Urban Education, Dec 2014

African American history is often taught poorly in high school U.S. history courses. However, we ... more African American history is often taught poorly in high school U.S. history courses. However, we know little about how Black students perceive and experience this situation. I use a refined racial socialization framework and interview data with 32 Black college students in the Northeast to investigate how familial racial socialization shapes their perceptions of and experience learning about African American history in high school. Findings indicate that Black students socialized into critical and colorblind interpretations of race and racism, respectively, interpret, engage with, and respond to African American history in their high school U.S. history courses in different ways.

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African Americans and the Marijuana Legalization Paradox: Do Race-Specific Murder Victimization Rates and Race-Specific Drug Arrest Rates Explain It?

Journal of Ethnicity in Criminal Justice, Apr 2011

Why is support for marijuana legalization among African Americans notably modest given that such ... more Why is support for marijuana legalization among African Americans notably modest given that such a policy would drastically reduce the number of African Americans arrested annually for nonviolent drug offenses? In this article I assess whether the urban frustration argument is an adequate explanation for Blacks’ generally low levels of support for marijuana legalization. I analyzed merged Supplemental Homicide Report and Drug Arrest data and General Social Survey data to determine the extent to which race-specific murder victimization rates and race-specific drug arrest rates in U.S. cities are predictive of support for marijuana legalization among Blacks and Whites between 1990 and 2000. Findings indicate that Blacks’ level of support for marijuana legalization is greatest in those cities with the highest Black drug arrest rates. Consequently, these findings provide no support for the urban frustration argument.

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Book Chapters

"If People Stopped Talking about Race, It Wouldn't be a Problem Anymore": Silencing the Myth of a Color-Blind Society

Getting Real About Race, 2nd Edition, Jul 2018

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Encyclopedia Entries

Racism

Multicultural America: A Multimedia Encyclopedia, 2013

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Teaching Documents

The Politics of Race Course Titles

Inside Higher Ed, Apr 6, 2018

"Race and Ethnic Relations. Excited? Neither is anyone else. I certainly wasn’t when I took a cou... more "Race and Ethnic Relations. Excited? Neither is anyone else. I certainly wasn’t when I took a course by this title as an undergraduate sociology major...Aptly titled race courses and robust course descriptions teach students a valuable first lesson in speaking uncomfortable racial truths to white power."

In this essay I make the case for why race course titles (and descriptions) need to more accurately reflect the complex and vital content taught in them.