Race and ethnicity, much like water and air, are all around us. Yet,
race and ethnicity remain imprevious to many of us. Hence in this volume
authors were challenged to think outside the box. As such, scholars were
encouraged to dare to contemplate, to evaluate, and analyze issues
regarding race and ethnicity from radically different perspectives. This
critical process required them to evaluate their own assumptions and
those of their respective disciplines. Therefore, much like walking a
tight-rope without a net, the scholars attempt to free themselves from
the disciplinarian blinders that often preclude the development of fresh
insights. Collectively the papers challenge the way we conceive and
perceive of race and ethnicity. As a consequence they go past the
ideological constraints that normally limit such discourse by
disciplinarian boundaries or disciplinarian myopia. Therefore, these
papers provide a critical reappraisal of race and ethnicity.
About the AuthorRodney D. Coates, Ph.D. (1987) in Sociology, University
of Chicago, is Professor of Sociology and Gerontology and the Director
of Black World Studies at Miami University. He has published extensively
in the area of critical race and ethnic relations.
Reviews'This provocative, well-researched volume includes studies of
...the role of the state, ...multiple ways of viewing black identity...'
Choice Magazine, April 2005.