%0 Journal Article
%T "What Race Do You Consider Yourself?": Factors Influencing Use of Color in Racial Self-Classification
%A Shannon N. Davis
%A Ruth Jackson
%A Christine Aicardi
%J Sociation Today
%D 2012
%I North Carolina Sociological Association
%X The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that predict how individuals, when given the opportunity, choose to racially self-classify. This paper examines responses from a nationally representative United States survey, where respondents could use any language they chose to respond to the question ¡°What race do you consider yourself?¡± We determine the demographic characteristics that are correlated with responding with a color versus a racial group (e.g., Black versus African American), noting that educational attainment seems to be the key correlate of language choice. Respondents with children aged 6-12 are also more likely to self describe race using color while those with teenagers are less likely to self-describe using color. Implications of the findings are discussed.
%K race
%K black
%K African-American
%K demography of race
%K racial self-classification
%U http://www.ncsociology.org/sociationtoday/v101/race.htm