An Evaluation of Ethnicity Research in Developmental Psychology

Critiques and Recommendations

Bibliographic Data

ID8103078
AuthorsPer F Gjerde (University of California, Santa Cruz, corresponding author)
Year2014
Volume57
Issue4
Pages176-205
Publication date2014-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueHuman Development (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0018-716X • E-ISSN: 1423-0054
PublisherKarger Publishers (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.1159/000362768
OpenAlexW1986474465
LanguageEN
Citations received8
References cited93

This article aims to reorient developmental psychologists' view of “ethnicity” and align them more closely with disciplines such as sociology and anthropology. Developmental psychologists mostly treat ethnicity as apolitical, ahistorical and limited to mutually exclusive, homogeneous categories measured by decontextualized self-report questionnaires. Moreover, self-report “ethnicity” scales typically fail to integrate a full perspective on ethnicity, such as power, inequality, class, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, and generation. I take issue with the position that ethnic groups constitute fixed natural entities based on ethnic identities. In my view, ethnicity emerges in social interaction in specific social and political contexts. Hence, “ethnicity” is primarily a theory of social relations; it is intensified or abated when individuals engage in mutual interaction. I argue that no reference to ethnicity is politically impartial. Finally, I present a set of recommendations that might have useful theoretical and methodological implications for ethnicity research in developmental psychology

Ethnic group · Perspective (graphical · Sexual orientation · Sociology · Anthropology · Critical Race Theory in Education · Gender Studies · Psychology · Racial and Ethnic Identity Research · Social and Intergroup Psychology · Social Psychology

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