The maze of classification
based on ethnicity: is there
a solution?
Chantal Davies (Senior Lecturer, University
of Chester)
Objectives
• Background
• Categorisation and ethnicity
• Conclusions: application to
future research
Background
• The 2011 BME Experience Project (Davies & Garrett,
2011)
o Nature of the project
o Use of broad generic terminology
o Self-identification
o Problems
• The ‘Employability’ research
o Background
o Importance of ‘race wrestling’ (Pollock, 2004)
Categorisation and
ethnicity: introduction
• The need for classification
• Tool of emancipation? (Urla, 1993)
• Tool of oppression? (Bonnett &
Carrington, 2000)
• Higher Education and ethnic
monitoring (Bird, 1996; Connolly, 1994)
Categorisation and ethnicity:
general terminology
• Race/ethnicity
• The politicisation and decline of
‘black’
• Use of umbrella terminology
o Black
o BME
o Ethnic minority
o Minority ethnic
Categorisation and ethnicity: panethnic and specific categorisation
• Use of pan-ethnic terms
• Specific terminology:
oThe problem of ‘White’
oConceptual confusion (Burton et
al, 2010)
• Imposed or self-categorisation
Conclusions: application
to future research
• Multiplicity of ethnicity (Nazroo &
Karlsen, 2003)
• Open ended questions on dimensions
of ethnicity
• The importance of ‘race wrestling’
• Position as a non-BME researcher
(Howarth, 2002)
References
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Bird, J. (1996). Black Students and Higher Education. Buckingham: Open University
Press.
Bonnett, A., & Carrington, B. (2000). Fitting into categories or falling between them?
Rethinking ethnic classification. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 21(4), 487500.
Burton, J., & Nandi, A., & Platt, L. (2010). Measuring ethnicity: challenges and
opportunities for survey research. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 33(8), 1332-1349.
Connolly, C. (1994). Shades of Discrimination: University Entry Data 1990-92, in: S
Haselgrove (Ed.). The Student Experience. (Buckingham, SRHE/Open University).
Davies, C., & Garrett, M. (2012). The BME student experience at a small northern
university: an examination of the experiences of minority ethnic students
undertaking undergraduate study within a small northern university. Compass: The
Journal of Learning and Teaching at the University of Greenwich, 5, 57-66.
Howarth, C. (2002). Using the theory of social representations to explore difference
in the research relationship. Qualitative Research, 2(1), 21-34.
Nazroo, J., & Karlsen, S. (2003). Patterns of identity among ethnic minority people:
Diversity and commonality. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 26(5), 902-930.
Pollock, M. (2004). Race wrestling: struggling strategically with race in educational
practice and research. American Journal of Education, 111, 25-67.
Urla, J. (1993). Cultural politics in an age of statistics: numbers, nations, and the
making of Basque identity. American Ethnologist, 20(4), 818-843.