The Race Construct and Public Opinion: Understanding Brazilian Beliefs about Racial Inequality and Their Determinants

Researchers hold that the racial democracy ideology fosters a rejection of discrimination‐based explanations for racial inequality, thereby affecting antiracist mobilization. This study finds that Brazilians understand the discriminatory basis of inequality and that an attitudinal dimension associated with racial democracy strongly increases the likelihood of that understanding. Negative stereotyping produces a smaller opposite effect, and “race” is not a significant predictor. Finally, Brazilian and American racial attitudes differ considerably in explaining black disadvantage. These findings question perceptions of Brazilian racial attitudes and the efficacy of dominant theories for their analysis, suggesting a context‐driven approach to theorizing and for antidiscrimination strategizing.