The Science and Politics of Ethnic Enumeration

Ira S. Lowry

ResearchPublished 1980

As the U.S. political system moves toward concepts of group (rather than individual) civil rights, ethnicity has emerged as a major civil grouping principle. An ethnic group shares a cultural and biological heritage that typically derives from ancestral territoriality but may persist long after the parent population has dispersed. The success of ethnic groups in gaining special privileges (perhaps justified by past disadvantages) encourages the proliferation of claimant groups. To support ethnic politics, the Bureau of the Census is charged with a growing agenda of ethnic identification and enumeration. Because ethnicity is partly ascribed, partly achieved, and partly asserted, the Bureau has been unable to devise a scientific basis for ethnic identification. This paper analyzes the interplay of political and scientific issues in ethnic identification and recommends some improvements over current practice.

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  • Copyright: RAND Corporation
  • Availability: Available
  • Year: 1980
  • Print Format: Paperback
  • Paperback Pages: 25
  • Paperback Price: $20.00
  • Document Number: P-6435-1

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RAND Style Manual
Lowry, Ira S., The Science and Politics of Ethnic Enumeration, RAND Corporation, P-6435-1, 1980. As of September 4, 2024: https://www.rand.org/pubs/papers/P6435-1.html
Chicago Manual of Style
Lowry, Ira S., The Science and Politics of Ethnic Enumeration. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 1980. https://www.rand.org/pubs/papers/P6435-1.html. Also available in print form.
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