- Subject:
- Sociology
- Material Type:
- Module
- Level:
- Community College / Lower Division
- Provider:
- Ohio Open Ed Collaborative
- Tags:
- License:
- Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial
- Language:
- English
- Media Formats:
- Text/HTML
Millions of Americans Changed Their Racial or Ethnic Identity From One Census to the Next
Sociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World, Section: 10.2
Trevor Noah on Apartheid and the Social Construction of Race– Sociological Cinema
Video – Let’s Talk about Race
What is Race? – PBS
Recognize and describe race as a social construction
Overview
OER Text Material
Sociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World, Section: 10.2
This section does a great job critiquing the biological conceptualization of race and discusses why race is socially constructed. Ethnicity is also defined and ethnic identity is briefly discussed. Examples such as former president Barack Obama and Tiger Woods are used to illustrate the challenge of placing people into racial categories. These examples are currently relevant, but may need updated in several years.
Supplementary Material (Videos and Reading)
A great three minute video that explores race as a myth. The video describes the historical start of racial categories and changes in racial categories over time with specific examples.
- Trevor Noah on Apartheid and the Social Construction of Race – Sociological Cinema
This source provides a link to a 13 minute stand-up routine by Trevor Noah. It is a great way to illustrate the social construction of race. Instructors should use prudence when deciding if this clip is appropriate for a class. Given Trevor Noah’s affiliation with the Daily Show and the current social and political climate, the clip might be polarizing.
- What is Race? – PBS
This source includes the historical context of race, great examples of social construction, problems with a biological viewpoint, and an interactive game.
- Let’s Talk about Race
Excellent ted talk that uses thumbs to illustrate the social construction of race.
Data
Millions of Americans Changed Their Racial or Ethnic Identity From One Census to the Next – Pew Research
This is a great example of shifting racial identities.