Abstract
This chapter introduces the sociological analysis of racial and ethnic divisions. It takes an avowedly ‘constructivist’ position throughout, arguing that these divisions should be studied as ongoing, social and political constructions rather than fixed, naturally occurring phenomena. Understanding something as a socially construction is not, however, to imply that it is of no importance. On the contrary, as the chapter shows, racial and ethnic divisions are highly influential. The chapter considers this influence under two broad headings:
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Inequality: there is a clear, although sometimes complex, relationship between differences of wealth, income, status, power and other life chances on the one hand and racial and ethnic divisions on the other.
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Social identity: racial and ethnic differences are an important element of our sense of sameness and difference.
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Further Reading
Bradley, H. (1996) Fractured Identities, Polity Press, Cambridge. Discussion of race, class, gender and age as ‘interacting dynamics’ of inequalities.
Modood, T., Berthoud, R., Lakey, J., Nazroo, J., Smith, P., Virdee, S. and Beishon, S. (1997) Ethnic Disadvantage in Britain: The 4th National Survey of Ethnic Minorities in Britain. Policy Studies Institute, London. Up-to-date, extensive empirical survey on race and inequality in the UK. Excellent on differences between ethnic groups.
Safia Mirza, H. (ed.) (1997) Black British Feminism, Routledge, London, Lively and wide-ranging reader on race and gender issues.
Solomos, J. and Back, L. (1996) Racism and Society, Macmillan., Basingstoke. Excellent undergraduate text reviewing sociology of race and racism.
Copyright information
© 1998 Tony Bilton, Kevin Bonnett, Pip Jones, David Skinner, Michelle Stanworth and Andrew Webster
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Bilton, T., Bonnett, K., Jones, P., Skinner, D., Stanworth, M., Webster, A. (1998). Race and Ethnicity: Inequalities and Identities. In: Introductory Sociology. Palgrave, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-14741-0_9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-14741-0_9
Publisher Name: Palgrave, London
Print ISBN: 978-0-333-72709-6
Online ISBN: 978-1-349-14741-0
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