Part of a series of events being organised by the Network for Methodological Innovation on Promoting methodological innovation and capacity building in research on ethnicity/ and aims to promote discussion about the objective existence of ‘ethnicity’ and provide the opportunity to discuss the role of categorisation.
Ethnicity and ethnic group measures are commonly used in socio-economic research with an implicit understanding that these represent some common underlying concept understood and accepted by all researchers. In this workshop, we will question that assumption and ask: what is it that we are trying to measure and why? Is ethnicity rather a proxy for something else? Do the ethnic group categories commonly used serve their purpose or are we grouping people into categories that are not meaningful, or
that do not reflect how people see themselves? We also ask: when can ethnicity legitimately be ignored? And what are the politics of measurement and of the construction of particular categories?
The morning session will discuss these questions and will open up questions about the objective existence of ‘ethnicity’ and the role of categorisation.
The afternoon session will comprise two methodology talks which explore approaches to measuring ethnic and national identity. They ask what it these concepts mean, how they are evaluated; and whether ethnic
categories as currently constructed represent the main lines of demarcation when using self-assessed descriptors of identity.
Both sessions will include responses from two discussants, and will involve participants in debates on these issues and their methodological implications.
Lunch, coffee and tea will be provided for participants.
Information on the new Household Panel Survey, “Understanding Society”:http://www.understandingsociety.org.uk, its key features and the role it can play in future ethnicity research, will be available during the breaks.
URL: “http://www.methods.manchester.ac.uk/events/ethnicityinnovation/”:http://www.methods.manchester.ac.uk/events/ethnicityinnovation/
Presented by:
Lucinda Platt
Date & time:
May 14, 2010 8:30 am - May 14, 2010 3:03 pm