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The Greater Complexity of Lived Race: An Extension of Harris and Sim

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  • J. Scott Brown
  • Steven Hitlin
  • Glen H. Elder

Abstract

Objectives. Harris and Sim (2002) recently demonstrated the complexity of lived race by exploring patterns of racial self‐identification. They raised important sociological questions about the role of context in racial self‐identification, but offered an incomplete picture of ethnic fluidity by excluding Hispanics from their analyses. We address this limitation with data on Hispanics from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Methods. Our social‐psychological approach, using compositional analysis, focuses on the lived experience of race and ethnicity as qualitatively similar conceptual categories. Results. Informed by the cognitive process of social categorization, we find that considerably more individuals show fluidity in racial and ethnic self‐identification across contexts than suggested by Harris and Sim. Conclusions. Harris and Sim's thesis is even more strongly supported by these findings than in their original analysis, and our findings reinforce their challenge to the assumed stability of racial and ethnic measurement in sociology. We conclude by proposing a change in the measurement of race/ethnicity in America.

Suggested Citation

  • J. Scott Brown & Steven Hitlin & Glen H. Elder, 2006. "The Greater Complexity of Lived Race: An Extension of Harris and Sim," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 87(2), pages 411-431, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:socsci:v:87:y:2006:i:2:p:411-431
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-6237.2006.00388.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Brian Duncan & Stephen J. Trejo, 2011. "Intermarriage and the Intergenerational Transmission of Ethnic Identity and Human Capital for Mexican Americans," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 29(2), pages 195-227.
    2. Wendy D. Roth, 2018. "Establishing the Denominator: The Challenges of Measuring Multiracial, Hispanic, and Native American Populations," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 677(1), pages 48-56, May.
    3. Leticia E. Fernandez & Sonya Rastogi & Sharon R. Ennis & James M. Noon, 2015. "Evaluating Race and Hispanic Origin Responses of Medicaid Participants Using Census Data," CARRA Working Papers 2015-01, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    4. Viviane Josewski & Sarah de Leeuw & Margo Greenwood, 2023. "Grounding Wellness: Coloniality, Placeism, Land, and a Critique of “Social” Determinants of Indigenous Mental Health in the Canadian Context," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-23, February.
    5. Krista M. Perreira & Joshua Wassink & Kathleen Mullan Harris, 2019. "Beyond Race/Ethnicity: Skin Color, Gender, and the Health of Young Adults in the United States," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 38(2), pages 271-299, April.
    6. Leticia Fernández & Sonya R. Porter & Sharon R. Ennis & Renuka Bhaskar, 2018. "Factors that Influence Change in Hispanic Identification: Evidence from Linked Decennial Census and American Community Survey Data," Working Papers 18-45, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    7. Carolyn A. Liebler & Sonya R. Porter & Leticia E. Fernandez & James M. Noon & Sharon R. Ennis, 2017. "America’s Churning Races: Race and Ethnicity Response Changes Between Census 2000 and the 2010 Census," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 54(1), pages 259-284, February.

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