Toward a sociology of racial conceptualization for the 21 st century

Ann Morning

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    Despite their longstanding interest in race, American sociologists have conducted little empirical research on sociodemographic patterns or longitudinal trends in "racial conceptualization" - that is, notions of what race is, how races differ, and the origins of race. This article outlines key empirical, methodological and theoretical considerations for a research agenda on racial conceptualization. Drawing on in-depth interviews with more than 50 college students, I describe the variety of race concepts among respondents, illustrate the importance of using multiple measures of conceptualization, and demonstrate the malleability of conceptualization, linking it to demographic context and thereby raising the question of its future evolution in the changing United States of the 21 st century.

    Original languageEnglish (US)
    Pages (from-to)1167-1192
    Number of pages26
    JournalSocial Forces
    Volume87
    Issue number3
    DOIs
    StatePublished - 2009

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • History
    • Anthropology
    • Sociology and Political Science

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