The maze of classification based on ethnicity: is there a solution?

Chantal Davies (Senior Lecturer, University of Chester)

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Objectives

Background Categorisation and ethnicity Conclusions: application to future research

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Background

The 2011 BME Experience Project (Davies & Garrett, 2011) o o Nature of the project Use of broad generic terminology o o Self-identification Problems • The ‘Employability’ research o o Background Importance of ‘race wrestling’ (Pollock, 2004)

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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)

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Categorisation and ethnicity: general terminology

Race/ethnicity The politicisation and decline of ‘black’ Use of umbrella terminology o o o o Black BME Ethnic minority Minority ethnic

Categorisation and ethnicity: pan • • • ethnic and specific categorisation Use of pan-ethnic terms Specific terminology: o The problem of ‘White’ o Conceptual confusion (Burton et al, 2010) Imposed or self-categorisation

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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)

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References

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), 487 500.

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.