Both “interest convergence” and “material determinism” are used to describe the view in which race relations can be tracked over time in connection to material conditions, rather than changes in personal attitudes alone.

Advancements towards what appears to be racial equality do not occur because of any moral move away from racism, but because the desires of the ruling class and the desires of the oppressed class happen to overlap (converge) in a particular way that is still ultimately beneficial to the ruling class. On the other end, increased conflict between groups that appears to be rooted in race is a result of one group choosing to exploit or harm another, and then forming collective oppressive attitudes to rationalize that harm in order to protect the material gains of the ruling class.