Ethnic Gloss

8/18/2019 Ethnic Gloss

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Ethnic Gloss

Joseph E. Trimble and Ryan Dickson

Western Washington University

in C. B. Fisher & Lerner, R. M. (Eds.; in press), Appied deveop!enta s"ien"e#

An en"y"opedia o$ resear"h, poi"ies, and progra!s. %hosand 'as# age.

An ethni" goss is an overgenerai*ation or si!pisti" "ategori"a a+e sed to re$er toethno"tra grops s"h as A!eri"an ndians, Asian A!eri"ans, -ispani"s, and A$ri"an A!eri"ans

and nationaisti" or indigenos grops here ni/e "tra and ethni" di$$eren"es $ond a!onggrop !e!+ers are ignored. An ethni" goss presents the ision o$ ho!ogeneity here nonee0ists, and there$ore !ay +e "onsidered a sper$i"ia, a!ost va"os, "ategori*ation, hi"h servesony to separate one grop $ro! another (%ri!+e, 1221).

Use o$ an ethni" gosses provides itte or no in$or!ation on the ri"hness and "tra variationithin ethno"tra grops, !"h ess the e0isten"e o$ n!eros s+grops "hara"teri*ed +y

distin"t i$eays and thoghtays. At +est, it is an invented and o$ten a "ontrived sy!+oi" a+e $orre$erring to a distin"t ethno"tra popation. t is a sorting devi"e that has itte to do ith the

deep "tra in$en"es that gide a grop !e!+er3s thoght, $eeings, and +ehavior. Frther!ore,se o$ a +road ethni" goss to des"ri+e an ethno"tra grop "an generate +iased and $aed

s"ienti$i" resear"h ot"o!es as e as serve to pro!ote stereotypes. n addition, $ro! the $a"t thats"h seeping re$eren"es to ethno"tra grops are gross !isrepresentations, se o$ an ethni"goss "an vioate "ertain s"ienti$i" tenets "on"erning e0terna vaidity, the a+iity to generai*e$indings a"ross s+grops ithin an ethni" "ategory, and erode any ieihood o$ an a""rate and

e$$i"ient repi"ation o$ resear"h rests.

For e0a!pe, the "ategory o$ A!eri"an ndian (o$ten 4ative A!eri"an), a idey sed and a+sed

ethni" goss, a"tay represents an e0tre!ey diverse and "o!pi"ated ethni" grop "onsisting o$e over 566 identi$ia+e tri+a nits here individa !e!+ers represent varying degrees o$!i0tres resting $ro! inter!arriages and re$e"t varying a""trative orientations that e$$e"tethni" identity. Using the a+e, A!eri"an ndian, ignores the spe"i$i" and ni/e i$eays and

thoghtays o$ ea"h o$ these di$$erent grops or tri+es. %his +rand o$ gross oversi!pi$i"ation is aso$ond in the a+e Asian A!eri"an. %here are at east 78 distin"t Asian A!eri"an ethni" and "tra

grops that are typi"ay isted nder this designation, hoever the di$$eren"es a!ong and +eteenthese grops are e0traordinariy "o!pe0. 9iven the diversity o$ angages, nor!s, !ores and

i!!igrant stats, it is evident that to a+e these peopes as Asian A!eri"an i!pies a eve o$ho!ogeneity that is a!ost "ertainy a"ing. %he -ispani" ethni" goss is a ter! sed to designatethose individas ho reside in the United tates and hose "tra origins are $ro! Me0i"o, :ertoRi"o, C+a, and varios other Latin A!eri"an "ontries. %he A!eri"an essayist, Ri"hard Rodrige*

(8667), $or e0a!pe, asserts that, there is no s"h thing as a -ispani" ra"e. n Latin A!eri"a, onesees every ra"e o$ the ord. 'ne sees hite -ispani"s, one sees +ron -ispani"s, one sees +a"-ispani"s, and one sees +ron -ispani"s ho are ndians, !any o$ ho! do not spea panish+e"ase they resist pain. 'ne sees Asian -ispani"s< (p. B11). A$ri"an A!eri"ans or Ba"s in

A!eri"a are "onsidered to +e those individas ho "an tra"e the origins o$ their an"estors to A$ri"a.A$ri"an A!eri"an, as a ra"e, is an ision i$ one !eans +y it a ho!ogeneos grop ith "o!!on

anato!i"a and psy"hoogi"a "hara"teristi"s. Moreover, A$ri"an A!eri"ans in A!eri"a are as"tray heterogeneos as the other three grops as re$e"ted in so"ia "ass "hara"teristi"s,

progeny $ro! !i0ed ethni" !arriages, and A!eri"an Ba"s ho are des"endants o$, or originay$ro!, the Cari++ean Basin (e.g., Baha!as, =o!ini"an Rep+i", -aiti, and >a!ai"a) and Centra and

oth A!eri"a.

n see"ting ethni" sa!pes $or so"ia and +ehaviora s"ien"e stdies, resear"hers o$ten ass!e thattheir respondents share a "o!!on nderstanding o$ their on ethni"ity and nationaisti"identi$i"ation. t is as thogh the resear"her +eieves that A!eri"an ndians, A$ri"an A!eri"ans, and

others share so!e !oda "hara"teristi" that at one eve sets the! apart $ro! another "o!parativesa!pe s"h as ?hites? (%ri!+e, 12@@). %his ass!ption is invaid. %he anthropoogist, =ight-eath (12@) arges that, ?"ategories o$ peope s"h as those "o!pared nder the r+ri" o$ ethni"grops3 are o$ten not reay !eaning$ nits in any so"io"tra sense? and ?that the ays in hi"h



peope de$ine and !aintain the so"ia +ondaries +eteen or a!ong se$Didenti$ied "ategories areo$ten $ar !ore i!portant and reveaing o$ so"io"tra dyna!i"s? (p. 6).

At an individa eve, the resear"her "an se a+es to des"ri+e ones ethni" a$$iiation andths ones identity, +t this no!ina approa"h is in"o!pete and ins$$i"ient to ade/atey "aptre

the $ range and depth o$ ones ethni" identity. %he a+eing o$ an individa, o$ten a"hieved +yhaving the respondent "he" o$$ the !ost appi"a+e ethni" "ategory avaia+e on a /estionnaire,

"an at +est +e "onstred as the representation o$ ony a s!a part o$ ones ethni" identi$i"ation.'ne !st "onsider gathering in$or!ation on nata +a"grond, a""tration stats, attitdes

toard their on and other grops, pre$eren"es s"h as angage se, $riendship a$$iiations, !si",$oods, and parti"ipation in "tra and reigios events. %he varia+es are "osey aigned to the$orDpart ethni" identi$i"ation !easre!ent !ode advo"ated +y %ri!+e (8666) and reated ethni"and ra"ia identi$i"ation s"aes (see %ri!+e, -e!s, & Root, 8667).

n the design o$ a "tra or ethni" intended resear"h, attention !st +e given to the !anner inhi"h one spe"i$ies and des"ri+es ethno"tra and nationaisti" popations. n the "rossD"tra

and ethni" psy"hoogi"a iteratre, stdies a+ond here resear"hers prport to +e stdying s"hgrops a+eed as the >apanese, sraei >es, -ong ong Chinese, Canadians, Astraian a+origines,9ree Astraians, 4igerians, A!eri"an ndians (or 4ative A!eri"ans), Asian and :a"i$i" A!eri"ans,A$ri"an A!eri"ans, Me0i"an A!eri"ans and :erto Ri"ans, and other ethni" spe"i$i" grops.

'""asionay, resear"hers provide greater spe"i$i"ity "on"erning their respondents in their tites and

a+stra"ts +y giving re$eren"e to a geographi" region or "ity here the respondents and parti"ipantsreside. 'thers i distingish their respondents aong r+an and rra ines hie others, henre$erring to an A!eri"an ndian grop; $or e0a!pe, i spe"i$y the tri+e and the o"ation on a

reservation here the stdy o""rred. -oever, $or a vast !aGority o$ the stdies in the ethni"!inority and "rossD"tra iteratre, des"riptions o$ ethno"tra grops tend to rey on the se o$+road ethni" gosses. For e0a!pe, in a stdy "ond"ted +y the psy"hoogist, :atri" -. Mney andhis "oa+orators (8668), H68 e!piri"a resear"h stdies see"ted $ro! A!eri"an :sy"hoogi"a

Asso"iation sponsored Gornas ere revieed and anay*ed $or their parti"ipant des"ription "ontentsing the :ersona =i!ensions o$ dentity (:=) !ode in order to deter!ine hether resear"hers

ere gathering appropriate parti"ipant "hara"teristi" in$or!ation. %he athors $ond that o$ thestdies revieed ony 6.I in"ded in$or!ation reated to a person3s ra"e or ethni"ity, ony

1.8I reported the angage o$ their parti"ipants, and even $eer reported their parti"ipant3sin"o!e or so"ia "ass (1H.5I and 1H.2I respe"tivey).

Resear"hers "an avoid or !ini!i*e the se o$ ethni" goss +y ea+orating on the popation

des"riptions or sa!pe throgh ad!inistering detaied de!ographi" or ethni" identi$i"ation!easres. %he p+i"ation !ana o$ the A!eri"an :sy"hoogi"a Asso"iation (8661) states that, When des"ri+ing ra"ia and ethni" grops, +e appropriatey spe"i$i" and sensitive to isses o$

a+eing< and that it !ay +e hep$ to des"ri+e the! +y their nation or region o$ origin< (p. 8). %oavoid the +ias inherent in the ethni" goss pheno!ena it is prdent $or the investigator to de$ine theethno"tra grop in !ore pre"ise ter!s. An ethno"tra !inority grop !ay +e de$ined as# ?(1)s+ordinate seg!ents o$ "o!pe0 state so"ieties; (8) (having) spe"ia physi"a or "tra traits

hi"h are hed in o estee! +y the do!inant seg!ents o$ the so"iety; (7) se$D"ons"ios nits+ond together +y the spe"ia traits hi"h their !e!+ers have and +y the spe"ia disa+iities hi"h

these +rings; (H) (one here) !e!+ership is trans!itted +y a re o$ des"ent hi"h is "apa+e o$a$$iiating s""eeding generations even in the a+sen"e o$ readiy apparent spe"ia "tra or physi"a

traits; and (5) (peope ho) +y "hoi"e or ne"essity tend to !arry ithin the grop? (Wayey &-arris, 125@, p. 16). 'r one !ay pre$er to se the de$inition o$$ered +y the anthropoogist, Rao

4arro (12H), ho !aintains that it is a popation argey +ioogi"ay se$Dperpetating; shares$nda!enta "tra vaes, reai*ed in over nity in "tra $or!s; !aes p a $ied o$

"o!!ni"ation and intera"tion; (and) has a !e!+ership hi"h identi$ies itse$, and is identi$ied +yothers, as "onstitting a "ategory distingisha+e $ro! other "ategories o$ the sa!e order< (p. 82).

References

A!eri"an :sy"hoogi"a Asso"iation (8661). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th edition. Washington, =C# Athor.



-eath, =. B. (12@). %he so"io"tra !ode o$ a"oho se# :ro+e!s and prospe"ts. Journal ofOperational Psychiatry, 9, 55D.

Mney, :. Anderse, M., Baines, %., Borg!an, A., Briggs, =. =oan, >., & oya!a, M. (8668). :ersonadi!ensions o$ identity and e!piri"a resear"h in A:A Gornas. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority

Psychology , (H), 75D75.

4arro, R. (12H). Ethni" nit "assi$i"ation. Current Anthropology , ! , H.

Rodri/e*, R. (8667, epte!+er 18). Ba0i"ans< and other reinvented A!eri"ans. "he Chronicle of#igher Education, p. B11

%ri!+e, >. E. (12@@). Mtiinearity o$ a""tration# :ersonDsitation intera"tions. n =. eats, =.Mnro, & L. Mann (Eds.), #eterogeneity in cross$cultural psychology (pp. 17D1@). Beryn, :A#

ets & Jeitinger.

%ri!+e, >. E. (1221). Ethni" spe"i$i"ation, vaidation prospe"ts, and the $tre o$ drg se resear"h.

%nternational Journal of the Addictions, &! (8A), 1H2D16.

%ri!+e, >. E. (8666). o"ia psy"hoogi"a perspe"tives on "hanging se$Didenti$i"ation a!ong

A!eri"an ndians and Aasa 4atives. n R. -. =ana (Ed.), #andboo' of cross$cultural(multicultural personality assessment (pp. 12D888). Mahah, 4># Laren"e Er+a! Asso"iates.

%ri!+e, >., -e!s, >. & Root, M. (8668). o"ia and psy"hoogi"a perspe"tives on ethni" and ra"iaidentity. n 9. Berna, >. %ri!+e, . Bre, & F. Leong (Eds.), #andboo' of racial and ethnic

minority psychology (pp. 872D85). %hosand 'as, CA# age.

Wayey, C., & -arris, M. (125@). Minorities in the ne) )orld* +i case studies. 4e Kor# Co!+ia

University :ress.

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Ethnic Gloss