Toward a Sociology of Race and Ethnicity

Seeing the Sociology of Race and Ethnicity through Keywords and References

“…Although various sociologies of race and ethnicity have been published across a diverse array of interdisciplinary and general sociology journals, having a centralized location for publishing original, sociological research on race and ethnicity will provide a more focused and sustained intellectual discourse whereby the field can be more fully theorized, empirically bolstered, and practically engaged. As noted in the introduction to the inaugural issue, “ Sociology of Race and Ethnicity will provide a structure that will assist us in consolidating our research, and, better allow us to assess—and intervene in—the problem of the color line in this century and in the future” (Brunsma, Embrick, and Nanney 2015:7). SRE will allow us to begin to truly take stock of the ideas, concepts, theories, research questions, and scholarship that go into the ongoing making of the sociology of race and ethnicity.…”

“…For those close readers, you will recall reference to an earlier analysis (Brunsma et al 2015) that helped us prepare for both the proposal for the journal as well as our decision regarding the substantive areas to highlight in the inaugural issue of SRE . We looked across almost a decade worth of published work in Ethnic and Racial Studies (2005–2012), Race and Society (2002–2004), Ethnicities (2005–2012), Du Bois Review (2005–2012), and Identities (2005–2012) to identify a set of themes that have been covered fairly extensively in publications, thematic sections, and entire special issues.…”

On Moving Forward

“…In our introduction to the inaugural issue of Sociology of Race and Ethnicity , we laid out our rationale for why we need more sociological research in the area of race and ethnicity. One does not have to look too hard in contemporary society to understand why (Brunsma, Embrick, and Nanney 2015). The recent murders of Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Jonathan Ferrell, and other brown and black bodies point not to outlying racial fissures that have broken along the seams of our society but to systemic racialized structures wherein murdering brown and black bodies has become normative.…”

Jim Crow's Legacy: The Lasting Impact of Segregation by RuthThompson‐Miller, Joe R.Feagin, and Leslie H.Picca. 2015. Rowman & Littlefield: New York, NY. 262 pages. $28.00, paper. ISBN: 978‐1‐4422‐4163‐3

“…Overall, Jim Crow's Legacy: The Lasting Impact of Segregation is a valuable addition to the study of racism, trauma, memory, and collective identity. As Brunsma, Embrick, and Nanney () note in the inaugural issue of Sociology of Race and Ethnicity , the sociological analysis of race and ethnicity is a relatively understudied field. To that end, Thompson‐Miller, Feagin, and Picca raise provocative questions concerning past racism and the continuous impact of racism on the lives of African Americans, and they push forward in offering insights regarding the subject matter and provide fodder for others interested in expanding the study of the historical stronghold of racism on African American progress.…”