One of the very first things researchers need to do is define their terms, to develop “operational definitions” of the things they are studying.
When it comes to race, however, very few researchers have taken the time to do that very difficult, but very important, task. Maya Sen and Omar Wasow have made that much easier with a recently-published article entitled Race as a ‘Bundle of Sticks’: Designs that Estimate Effects of Seemingly Immutable Characteristics. (You can also read a synopsis and analysis at Vox.com.)
Their essential point is that race is a catch-all term that refers to many different things. They are all bundled together into a single package, but it still is possible to tease apart the individual pieces–and essential to do that when you are using race as a research variable. Continue reading “Race as a Bundle of Sticks”