When sociopolitical events strike cultural beliefs: Divergent impact of hurricane katrina on african americans' and european americans' endorsement of the protestant work ethic

Can a single, powerful sociopolitical event (government's response to Hurricane Katrina) produce changes in prevalent cultural beliefs such as the Protestant work ethic (PWE)? In a cross-sectional study conducted before, immediately after, and 5 months after Katrina (Study 1: Part a), in a longitudinal study tracking participants immediately after Katrina and 3 months later (Study 1: Part b), and in an experiment that primed thoughts about Katrina (Study 2), thinking about Katrina reduced African Americans' (but not European Americans') endorsement of the PWE. Preliminary evidence suggested that the shift in African Americans' endorsement of the PWE was due to lower trust in the government.