Raising Young People’s Awareness of Racism

<p>The effectiveness of awareness campaigns on inclusion is increasingly complex, and sometimes the boomerang effect is observed, which is the opposite of the intended effect of an advertised message. Faced with this situation, this seeks alternatives to raise awareness about racism. To this end, a visit to the Museum of America in Madrid (Spain) is made with a group of young people who participate in a digital community, where their opinions on racism are collected before and after the visit for one month. Subsequently, a content analysis of the comments made by young people in the digital community was carried out. The aim is to analyze the impact of the visit, as well as to identify the reasons why the visit and the museum exert that influence. The impact has been codified into three categories: the message received (cognitive), the emotions felt (affective), and the transformation (behavioral intention). The results show how there is no boomerang effect and how the visit has impacted young people and why. Although they all state that the visit has transformed them in relation to racism, this change is more or less profound in some than in others. The objects seen in the museum, and the institution itself, exert power through their objectivity and authenticity, leading to a more elaborate cognitive and emotional process than a traditional communication campaign. The results encourage us to give the museum a more central role in raising awareness about inclusivity.</p>