Race and Ethnicity *

This chapter focuses upon the way in which 'Race' and 'ethnicity' variables have been defined and measured in empirical social research, with briefer attention to the complex conceptual issues. It is concerned primarily with race. The easiest way to appreciate some of the changes in conceptualization and measurement which have taken place is to examine major empirical studies. The studies selected range from small scale qualitative to large scale quantitative inquiries, and two concern the Census, which is a special case but highly relevant nevertheless to the variable of race and ethnicity. A local enumeration carried out in 1965 used country of birth, coupled with parents' country of birth for schoolchildren, as an indicator of race. The most common terminology in the studies reviewed is a designate race in terms of area of origin, 'West Indian', 'Indian', 'Pakistani', 'African Asian' and so on. The chapter provides some indication of the variability both in conceptualization and measurement.