Mixed Race' Children in British Society

Some Theoretical Considerations

Bibliographic Data

ID5635546
AuthorsAnne Wilson (0000-0001-7954-6038, corresponding author)
Year1984
Volume35
Issue1
Pages42
Publication date1984-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueBritish Journal of Sociology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0007-1315 • E-ISSN: 1468-4446
PublisherJSTOR (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.2307/590550
OpenAlexW2322457828
LanguageEN
Citations received12
References cited9

A study of the racial identity of British 'mixed race' children raises a number of theoretical issues about the racial categorization system of Britain; in particular, the validity of the assumption that British racial thought is strictly dichotomous (perceived in terms of the two mutually exclusive categories of 'black' and 'white') is called into question. In British and American sociological literature, mixed race people have often been described as occupying a 'marginal' or an 'in-between' position, from which they can only escape by adopting full membership of either the black or the white group. None the less, some sociologists have suggested that it is possible for mixed race people to steer a successful course between the two groups or to alter their racial self-image according to circumstance: more generally, it has been argued that the process of ethnic identity is more fluid and dynamic than it is frequently depicted. The dichotomous 'black-or-white' model of racial identity stems from analysis of the American racial structure: the investigation of British racial identity would appear to require a more flexible view of the racial categorization system

Race (biology · Sociology · Critical Race Theory in Education · Gender Studies