Researching Race

Identifying a Social Construction through Qualitative Methods and an Interactionist Perspective

Bibliographic Data

ID2481697
AuthorsEdward W Morris (Ohio University, corresponding author)
Year2007
Volume30
Issue3
Pages409-425
Publication date2007-07-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSymbolic Interaction (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0195-6086 • E-ISSN: 1533-8665
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1525/si.2007.30.3.409
OpenAlexW2032632694
LanguageEN
Citations received22
References cited44

Although much of the sociological community now views race as a social construction, empirical research does not always identify it in this way. Many practices of designating a research participant's race approach this process uncritically, implicitly framing race as uncomplicated. Although this is more common in survey-based work, in this article I explore the tendencies and difficulties of studying race using qualitative methods. I discuss two prevalent but potentially problematic ways of 'operationalizing' race in qualitative methodology, and then elaborate on the difficulties of identifying race in practice, using examples from my own ethnographic research. I suggest that symbolic interactionism provides a unique perspective from which to express race as socially situated, as long as this process is approached reflectively

Empirical research · Epistemology · Ethnography · Interactionism · Operationalization · Participant observation · Qualitative research · Situated · Social constructionism · Social science · Sociology · Symbolic interactionism · Anthropology · Computer Science · Critical Race Theory in Education · Gender Studies · Psychology · Qualitative Research Methods and Ethics · Racial and Ethnic Identity Research · Social Psychology