Race in the 21st Century Ethnographic Approaches

by Hartigan, Jr., John

• ISBN13: 9780195375619
• ISBN10: 0195375610
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2009-12-10
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

What is the state of race relations in the U.S.? Are we making progress toward ending racial discrimination and prejudice? What, exactly, does "race" mean? In Race in the 21st Century: Ethnographic Approaches, John Hartigan takes an anthropological look at questions such as these by introducing students to the study of race through qualitative approaches. In the first text to take an explicitly ethnographic approach, Hartigan summarizes and explains the current state of social science knowledge on race in the United States. In the process of surveying this research, Hartigan guides readers to think through basic important questions about race in relation to their own circumstances. Unlike many texts, however, this one focuses not on essential differences between racial or ethnic groups, but rather on the commonalities. The author concentrates on the particular contexts where people actively engage and respond to racial meanings and identities. In this way, he encourages readers to think critically about the meaning of race. Ideal for undergraduate courses in race and ethnicity, the anthropology of race, and cultural/human diversity, Race in the 21st Century seamlessly brings together classic and contemporary studies in one accessible volume. The author is also hosting a companion website (www.raceinthe21stcentury.com) that features useful web links, sample assignments, and reviews of ethnographies not covered in the text.

Author Biography

John Hartigan is Associate Professor of Anthropology at University of Texas at Austin and the Director of the Americo Paredes Center for Cultural Studies. He is the author of Odd Tribes: Towards a Cultural Analysis of White People (Duke University Press, 2005) and Racial Situations: Class Predicaments of Whiteness in Detroit (Prince University Press, 1999).

Table of Contents

Preface	p. vii
Recognizing Race	p. 1
Questioning Race	p. 2
The Facts of Racial Inequality	p. 4
The Changing Role of Racism	p. 8
The Cultural Domain	p. 10
Race in Relation to Culture	p. 12
Cultural Analysis	p. 14
Ethnographic Examples	p. 16
Race, Culture, and Ethnography	p. 27
Fundamental Features of Racial Analysis	p. 27
Ethnographic Perspectives on Race	p. 31
Cultural Dynamics of Race	p. 32
American Culture in Three Words	p. 35
Antiracism and Ethnography	p. 39
Ethnography of Antiracist Workshops	p. 41
Another View from Detroit	p. 42
How to Listen to ôWhite Talkö	p. 46
Combining an Attention to Race and Culture	p. 51
Race and Nature: Culture, Biology, and Genetics	p. 54
What is Nature?	p. 54
Totemic Identities	p. 56
Racial Classification	p. 58
(Mis)Uses of Biology	p. 63
Race and Disease	p. 67
Racial Health Disparities	p. 70
Understanding Genetics and Culture	p. 74
The Controversy over Genes and Race	p. 79
Genes and Culture: A Resolution	p. 82
Conclusion	p. 83
Understanding Whiteness	p. 86
Objectifying White People	p. 87
What is Whiteness?	p. 90
Whiteness and Discourse	p. 92
Whiteness as a Subject of Study	p. 95
Studying White People in Everyday Life	p. 99
Locating Whiteness in the Social Landscape	p. 109
Class and Race: Bringing Greater Specificity to Whiteness	p. 112
Understanding Blackness	p. 117
Objectifying Black People	p. 117
What is Blackness?	p. 119
Blackness and Discourse	p. 123
Blackness as a Subject of Study	p. 126
Studying Black People in Everyday Life	p. 132
Locating Blackness in the Social Landscape	p. 139
Class and Race: Bringing Greater Specificity to Blackness	p. 142
Beyond Black and White	p. 149
Racial Groups?	p. 151
Ethnicity and Race	p. 155
Racialization of Latinos and Asian Americans	p. 159
Ethnographic Perspectives on Latinos	p. 164
Ethnographic Perspectives on Asian Americans	p. 173
Ethnography of Race	p. 182
What Do We Know About Race, Based on Ethnographic Research?	p. 183
Cultural Analysis of Race	p. 189
Taking it to the Field: Analyzing Race in a Cultural Framework	p. 193
Prompts for Ethnographic Research	p. 198
Glossary	p. 207
References	p. 214
Index	p. 222
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