Racial Identity

Racial identities have an important, although shifting, relevance in the global era. It is important, however, for scholars of global studies to keep in mind that racial identities vary greatly across cultures, nations, and time.

Racial identity is the psychological sense of belonging perceived by oneself and others based on membership in existing racial categories. Racial identities often involve a sense of shared culture and history with others from a particular racial group, although this is not a necessary condition for all forms of racial identity. It is important to note that the content and meaning of racial identities (what is thought to be shared among members of a particular racial group) range considerably for different racial groups. The substance and meaning of racial identities depend on the existing racial and ethnic categories found in any society at any specific point in history. Over time, racial and ethnic categories shift and change. Therefore, when considering racial identities, it is vitally important to take into account the social, national, geographical, and historical context being studied.

Racial identities function at both the individual and the societal levels. For individuals, racial identities often provide a sense of group belonging as well as shared cultures and beliefs. When individuals talk about their racial identity, they often are referring to some level of connection, shared experience, and/or commonality between themselves and other members of their racial group. It is the perceived connection between members of the racial group that forms the content and meaning of racial identities. Even with a vast range of experiences between members of a racial group, the concept of a racial identity is built on the idea that there is some notion of a shared experience, culture, or history that brings member of a racial group together.

Researchers study racial identities in many different ways. Social psychologists study racial identities to help understand individuals' own sense of self, often by measuring how individuals progress through various stages of identity development. The specific stages of racial identity development are dependent on the racial group and on the nation in question. Other social scientists measure racial identities using quantitative methods, such as surveys, to find out how close individuals feel to their larger racial group. Do people feel like they share a lot in common with other members of their racial group? Do people feel like there is a common culture, or set of beliefs, shared by members of their racial group? This sense of closeness to others within a racial group is often used in the social sciences as a general measure of racial identity. This general measure of racial identity is then compared across, and within, racial groups in a society. Finally, some researchers also use qualitative methods, such as in-depth interviews and ethnography, to explore how racial identities play a role in shaping people's lives at the individual level. Racial identities are studied throughout the social sciences using a variety of methods and techniques.

The importance of racial identity ranges greatly for both individuals and groups. For some individuals, their racial identity plays a significant role in their overall personal identity and sense of self. For these individuals, membership in a particular racial group is often considered fundamental to who they are and helps them to make sense of their life experiences. Other individuals, however, may feel that their racial identity plays a very small role, if any, in their sense of self or in their daily lives. When comparing the strength, or salience, of racial identity across racial groups in a society, patterns can be observed where particular racial groups are more likely to contain individuals with high or low levels of racial identities. It is often the case that members of racial groups that are historically disadvantaged will have stronger racial identities than members of racial groups in positions of power. However, membership in a particular racial group alone does not produce a constant level of salience of racial identity. Individual life experiences and other demographic and socioeconomic factors can affect an individual's own perception of racial identity as well as how others perceive him or her. Class, wealth, education, religion, and national identity (among many other characteristics) can all influence racial identity, depending on the national and historical context.

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