Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racial_formation_theory
Racial formation theory is an analytical tool in sociology, developed by Michael Omi and Howard Winant,
which is used to look at race as a socially constructed identity, where the content and importance of racial
categories are determined by social, economic and political forces.[1] Unlike other traditional race theories,
"In [Omi and Winant's] view, racial meanings pervade US society, extending from the shaping of individual
racial identities to the structuring of collective political action on the terrain of the state".[2]
In order to delve further into the topic of racial formation, it is important to explore the question of what
"race" is. Racial formation theory is a framework that has the objective of deconstructing race as it exists
today in the United States. To do this, the authors first explore the historical development of race as a
dynamic and fluid social construct. This goes against the dominant discourses on race, which see race as a
static and unchanging concept based purely on physical and genetic criteria.
Instead of claiming race as something that is concrete, where the person's biology and upbringing are what
shape racial identity, Omi and Winant suggest that race is something that is fluid, where "the racial order is
organized and enforced by the continuity and reciprocity between micro-level and macro-level of social
relations".[3]
In the above definition, the "micro-level" social relations refer to "the ways in which we understand
ourselves and interact with others, the structuring of our practical activity in work and family, as citizens and
as thinkers",[4] basically, a person's individual interactions with other people.
The "macro-level" social relations refer to the social structures and common ideologies of a society.
Relevant social structures include collective organizations like businesses, the media and the government,
and the common ideologies include cultural and stereotypical beliefs on race, class, sexuality and gender.
Omi and Winant also believe that "race [is] an unstable and 'de-centered' complex of social meanings
constantly being transformed by political struggle".[5] Because of this, people are able to constantly contest
the definition of race both in the micro- and the macro-level.
1 of 4
2/16/2016 2:14 PM
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racial_formation_theory
Throughout the history of man, people have assigned identity based on race, both as a means of
distinguishing one group from another, but more importantly as a means of control. The dominant culture
assigns identity to minority groups as a means of separating them, diminishing their status, and maintaining
control over them. Often, this distinction is made simply on the basis of skin color. Through this mechanism
of assigning identity, race becomes a political weapon of the majority that has several limiting effects on the
oppressed group:
determines freedom of movement within the society
limits upward mobility from class to class
prohibits or minimizes economic gain
has a psychological impact on how the oppressed individual perceives themselves and exists within
the confines of the limiting social expectations that have been imposed upon them.
2 of 4
2/16/2016 2:14 PM
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racial_formation_theory
Racial formation theory examines race as a dynamic social construct with inherent structural barriers,
ideologies and individual actions, whereas the biological essentialist understands individual deficiency as
the basis for racial marginalization and oppression.
According to Omi and Winant, a "racial formation perspective" is needed to explain race as "an autonomous
field of social conflict, political organizations, and cultural/ideological meaning".[9] The second part of their
book is an elaboration of this racial formation perspective.
Omi and Winant define "racial formation" as "the process by which social, economic and political forces
determine the content and importance of racial categories, and by which they are in turn shaped by racial
meanings".[10] The racial formation perspective emphasizes the extent to which race is a social and political
construction that operates at two levels, the micro (individual identity) and the macro (collective social
structure). The two levels interact to form a racial social movement when individuals at the micro level are
mobilized in response to political racial injustice at the macro level.
Ethnicity theory
3 of 4
2/16/2016 2:14 PM
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racial_formation_theory
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Omi, Michael; Winant, Howard (2015). Racial Formation in the United States, 3rd ed. New York:
Routledge.
Omi, Michael; Winant, Howard (1994). Racial Formation in the United States: From the 1960s to the
1990s, 2nd ed. New York: Routledge.
Omi, Michael; Winant, Howard (1986). Racial Formation in the United States: From the 1960s to the
1980s, New York: Routledge.
Rothenberg, Paula S. (2006). Race, class, and gender in the United States: an integrated study. Worth
Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7167-6148-8.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Racial_formation_theory&oldid=702460630"
Categories: Sociological theories Social constructionism Race (human categorization)
This page was last modified on 30 January 2016, at 18:46.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may
apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia is a registered
trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
4 of 4
2/16/2016 2:14 PM