The Sociology Of Ethnicity

Provides a coherent theoretical framework for the sociological analysis of ethnicity

Resource added for the Psychology (includes Sociology) 108091 courses.

Known for its clear and engaging writing, the bestselling Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Class by Joseph F. Healey, Andi Stepnick, and Eileen O’Brien has been thoroughly updated to make it fresher, more relevant, and more accessible to undergraduates. The Eighth Edition retains the same use of sociological theory to tell the story of race and other socially constructed inequalities in the U.S. and for examining the variety of experiences within each minority group, particularly differences between those of men and women. This edition also puts greater emphasis on intersectionality, gender, and sexual orientation that will offer students a deeper understanding of diversity. New to this Edition New co-author Andi Stepnick adds fresh perspectives to the book from her teaching and research on race, gender, social movements, and popular culture. New coverage of intersectionality, gender, and sexual orientation offer students a deeper understanding of diversity in the U.S. The text has been thoroughly updated from hundreds of new sources to reflect the latest research, current events, and changes in U.S. society. 80 new and updated graphs, tables, maps, and graphics draw on a wide range of sources, including the U.S. Census, Gallup, and Pew. 35 new internet activities provide opportunities for students to apply concepts by exploring oral history archives, art exhibits, video clips, and other online sites.

"This book offers an original synthesis of existing knowledge, pointing forward in a manner that could influence a new generation’s conception of the field and its agenda. If it attracts the attention it merits, it could prove one of the most important books about ethnic and racial relations since the nineteen-eighties." - Michael Banton, Ethnic and Racial Studies "Malesevic provides a thorough and balanced account of the sociological foundations of the study of ethnicity... His presentation is as critical and engaging as it is easy to read and logically organized. It is invaluable reading for sociologists." - Jon Fox, British Journal of Sociology Spanning classical sociology to current debates, The Sociology of Ethnicity synthesizes the leading sociological interpretations of ethnic relations and provides a coherent theoretical framework for its analysis. In this thoughtful and accessible text, Sinisa Malesevic assesses the explanatory strength of a range of sociological theories in understanding ethnicity and ethnic conflict. While acknowledging that there is no master key or blue-print to deal with each and every case of interethnic group relations, The Sociology of Ethnicity develops the best strategy to bridge epistemological and policy requirements for interethnic group relations. The Sociology of Ethnicity will be required reading for advanced undergraduates and postgraduates studying ethnicity and race in sociology and across the social sciences.

Introduction : the paradox -- The scientific sources of the paradox -- The political sources of the paradox -- International pragmatism -- Sociological knowledge -- Conceptions of racism -- Ethnic origin and ethnicity -- Collective action -- Conclusion : the paradox resolved.

In 2012, the Pew Research Center issued a report that named Asian Americans as the “highest-income, best-educated, and fastest-growing racial group in the United States.” Despite this seemingly optimistic conclusion, over thirty Asian American advocacy groups challenged the findings. As many pointed out, the term “Asian American” itself is complicated. It currently denotes a wide range of ethnicities, national origins, and languages, and encompasses a number of significant economic and social disparities. In Redefining Race, sociologist Dina G. Okamoto traces the complex evolution of this racial designation to show how the use of “Asian American” as a panethnic label and identity has been a deliberate social achievement negotiated by members of this group themselves, rather than an organic and inevitable process. Drawing on original research and a series of interviews, Okamoto investigates how different Asian ethnic groups in the U.S. were able to create a collective identity in the wake of the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s. Okamoto argues that a variety of broad social forces created the conditions for this developing panethnic identity. Racial segregation, for example, shaped how Asian immigrants of different national origins were distributed in similar occupations and industries. This segregation of Asians within local labor markets produced a shared experience of racial discrimination, which encouraged Asian ethnic groups to develop shared interests and identities. By constructing a panethnic label and identity, ethnic group members took part in creating their own collective histories, and in the process challenged and redefined current notions of race. The emergence of a panethnic racial identity also depended, somewhat paradoxically, on different groups organizing along distinct ethnic lines in order to gain recognition and rights from the larger society. According to Okamoto, these ethnic organizations provided the foundation necessary to build solidarity within different Asian-origin communities. Leaders and community members who created inclusive narratives and advocated policies that benefited groups beyond their own were then able to move these discrete ethnic organizations toward a panethnic model. For example, a number of ethnic-specific organizations in San Francisco expanded their services and programs to include other ethnic group members after their original constituencies dwindled. A Laotian organization included refugees from different parts of Asia, a Japanese organization began to advocate for South Asian populations, and a Chinese organization opened its doors to Filipinos and Vietnamese. As Okamoto argues, the process of building ties between ethnic communities while also recognizing ethnic diversity is the hallmark of panethnicity. Redefining Race is a groundbreaking analysis of the processes through which group boundaries are drawn and contested. In mapping the genesis of a panethnic Asian American identity, Okamoto illustrates the ways in which concepts of race continue to shape how ethnic and immigrant groups view themselves and organize for representation in the public arena.

This book brings together internationally known scholars from a wide range of disciplines and theoretical traditions, all of whom have made significant contributions to the field of race and ethnic relations. As well as identifying important and persistent points of controversy, the collection reveals a complementary and multifaceted approach to theorisation. The theories represented include contributions from the perspective of sociology. These range from the established perspectives of Marx and Weber through to the more recent interventions of rational choice theory, symbolic interactionism and identity structure analysis.

Drawing upon ethnographic research, the author uses detailed case study examples to show how race and ethnicity is produced, negotiated and resisted in qualitative research encounters.