"Well, Where Does That Leave Me?": Race, Identity, and Racial Hierarchy

Presenter

Caroline Elizabeth Menzie

Campus

Quinsigamond Community College

Sponsor

Amy Beaudry, Department of English, Quinsigamond Community College

Schedule

Session 3, 1:30 PM - 2:15 PM [Schedule by Time][Poster Grid for Time/Location]

Location

Poster Board A39, Campus Center Auditorium, Row 2 (A21-A40) [Poster Location Map]

Abstract

The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin, among other things, investigates a post-racial society and its impact on racialized groups. Le Guin suggests that because racism is a social issue, attempts to solve it on a biological level do not address the root of the problem. Although many scholars agree with Le Guin that race is a social construct, they often disagree how and to what extent. Through a literature review, this paper identifies various definitions of race and their influence on identity and sociopolitical movements. Social constructivism of race, the dominant position held by contemporary race theorists, is applied in a myriad of often contradictory ways. Furthermore, there is a significant disconnect between scholarly and popular definitions of race. The language we use impacts how racialized groups view themselves and thus how they respond to the racial hierarchies they live in. This research focuses on United States race relations, particularly between African American, biracial, and white racialized groups.

Keywords

Race, Social construction, Social constructivism, Identity, Multiculturalism

Research Area

Race and Ethnicity Studies

SIMILAR ABSTRACTS (BY KEYWORD)