[lbo-talk] MAINLY IMMIGRANTS OR BIRACIAL

Miles Jackson cqmv at pdx.edu
Tue Jun 29 16:56:58 PDT 2004


On Tue, 29 Jun 2004, Wojtek Sokolowski wrote:


> Doug:
> > Racism includes things like inherited wealth and expectations and
> > school quality. You don't need to descend into culture of poverty
> > explanations.
>
> I do not doubt the effects of "path dependencies." I doubt, however,
> that all-embracing concept that include every possible trait is a good
> analytical tool.
>
> Wojtek

C'mon, Woj: if race is socially defined, "race" is not a nebulous, all-embracing concept; it's simply historically contingent, and in a specific historical context it has specific consensual meaning. --If people in a society think that race is linked up with many other factors, that becomes a social fact that shapes social interactions and public policy, and it matters not a bit how "enlightened" or "educated" people want to define race.

--race is the social phenomenon to be explained; it's not the exogenous variable in your path model!

Miles



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