Racial intolerance in a correctional institution: an ecological view.

To determine the significance of social factors in racial intolerance, the authors studied the relationship between relational behavior and ethnicity, group status and role, peer acceptance, and group cohesion in an adolescent correctional institution. Results portray three distinct patterns of adaptation. Hispanics (Chicanos) formed a highly cohesive group that required considerable conformity to group norms; policy was implemented by a leadership capable of relating well to all ethnic groups. Whites formed a disorganized and fragmented group, led by individuals who engaged in racially antagonistic behavior. The highly cohesive black group and their leadership were simultaneously in the forefront of both racial cooperation and racial conflict.