Structural racism: A concept analysis

Background

Despite the broad agreement that structural racism is problematic, there remains significant confusion as to what structural racism means and how to research it.

Purpose

Perform a comprehensive concept analysis of structural racism and propose an operational definition.

Methods

Walker and Avant’s eight-step, iterative method was used for conducting the concept analysis.

Discussion

Structural racism has five defining attributes: oppressive racial ideologies, dynamic state, inverse-related influence, temporality, and a false sense of “racial equity.” Structural racism has six antecedents: explicit racial bias, implicit racial bias, racial discrimination, institutional racism, cultural racism, and systemic racism. There are three consequences of structural racism: group categorization, unequal treatment, and racial inequities.

Conclusion

To combat and defeat the historical and ongoing impact of structural racism, conceptual clarity must be established. Only then can an operational definition be proposed and instruments developed that correspond with the nature of structural racism.