Crowdsourcing Sociological Research on Race and Ethnicity

Anne Fennewick would like a post exploring some of the sociological research we have on race and how it impacts activities like applying for jobs and policing:

I hope some of the posts will look at strategies for overcoming these problems temporarily or permanently. For example, what happens when we anonymize all or part of the application process, and why don’t we, given how easy it would be? Do some police forces do better than others and if so, why? Do black/Hispanic police do better than white police? If so, can we capitalize on that? What social factors are associated with racial prejudice and under what circumstances are they diminished? It would be nice to start taking the sociological research more seriously – we might even end up with better sociological research!

I think this is a fabulous idea, but damn it, Anne, I’m a geologist, not a sociologist. Happily, I’m blogging on a network with lots of bloggers and commenters who know all about sociological studies, and often have many good ones right at their fingertips. So, my darlings, I beg of you: link me those studies, and blog posts about those studies! Send me pdfs, even! You can leave links in the comments, or email me at dhunterauthor at gmail.

I’d also love links to recommended sites discussing race and racism at various levels, from 101 on up. While you’re at it, point me at your favorite books, documentaries, and other resources. I can create a page here with everything gathered in one place.

Thank you, my darlings!

Image is the British crown on a red background atop the words "Stand up and fight racism."

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Crowdsourcing Sociological Research on Race and Ethnicity
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3 thoughts on “Crowdsourcing Sociological Research on Race and Ethnicity

  1. rq
    1

    Here’s a list of some studies / articles about studies that I’ve encountered within the past month or so:
    The Untold Cost of Discrimination We’re Passing on to Our Kids. This one’s from New Zealand, and I don’t know how applicable it is for you – but there it is.

    The subtle racist and sexist slights that can make even diverse colleges hostile places. Rather vague and general, with few solutions.

    “What White Publishers Won’t Print:” Systemic Racism in (Institutionalized) Knowledge Production. This one’s really powerful, because it really speaks to the silencing of black voices on all kinds of subjects, but most especially their own experiences and interpretations. The one solution (publish more from black people) is easy, and requires a series of smaller ones to take place.

    On finances, The Financial Consequences of Saying ‘Black,’ vs. ‘African American’. Just the caption makes a case for small changes in our language to form larger changes in our perceptions: “People make vastly different assumptions about salary, education, and social status depending on which phrase is used. ”

    What your first-grade life says about the rest of it, a study from Baltimore. Suggesting changes need to start early in people’s lives in order to make a difference, and again, encompass a whole slew of issues that need addressing.

    And this one I found really kickass: The Science of Why Cops Shoot Young Black Men, with lots of links within. You can also take the test they use in the study yourself and see where you end up (I did, and was pleasantly surprised, though I had conscious warning about what the test entails). A shorter summary is here – How To Fight Racial Bias When It’s Silent And Subtle.

    I have one on the effect of women in teams (not just diversity, but women) that has an effect on the overall ‘intelligence’ of the group, if you think that might be relevant. Doesn’t address race so much, though.
    I have no idea how many links you allow, but that’s about 7, so that’ll be enough for now. :)

  2. 3

    Hey cool! And thanks rq.

    I’m not a sociologist either btw, though perhaps in a semi-related field. I’ll try to add the post I’ve been meaning to write about why good research is important in combating racism, but it won’t get written till this weekend :(

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