Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 25, 2025
09:55
Bridging the Technology Divide in the COVID-19 Era: Using Virtual Outreach to Expose Middle and High School Students to Imaging Technology
Published on: September 28, 2022
1.8K
Gender, Generation, and Multiracial Identification in the United States
Janet Xu1, Aliya Saperstein2, Ann Morning3
1Department of Sociology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
Demography
|August 5, 2021
Summary
Gender influences multiracial self-identification, particularly for first-generation individuals. Awareness of multiracial ancestry is higher in women, but only first-generation women are more likely to identify as multiracial.
Area of Science:
- Sociology
- Psychology
- Racial and Ethnic Studies
Background:
- Previous research suggests multiracial self-identification is more common among women.
- However, the specific conditions and nuances of this gendered pattern remain underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To comprehensively analyze gender differences in multiracial identification.
- To examine how gender interacts with ancestry awareness, self-identification stages, and generational locus.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the 2015 Pew Survey of Multiracial Adults.
- Analyzed gender differences in reporting multiracial ancestry and self-identifying as multiracial.
- Investigated patterns based on generational locus and specific racial ancestry combinations.
Main Results:
- Females generally exhibit higher awareness of multiracial ancestry.
- Only first-generation females are significantly more likely than males to self-identify as multiracial.
- The relationship between gender and multiracial identification varies across different mixed-race population segments.
Conclusions:
- Multiracial identification is a complex process influenced by gender, generation, and ancestry composition.
- Findings reveal a nuanced, gendered dynamic in how individuals identify racially.
- Highlights the importance of considering intersectionality in understanding racial identity formation.
Related Concept Videos
02:55Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination
92.8K
Humans are very diverse and although we share many similarities, we also have many differences. The social groups we belong to help form our identities (Tajfel, 1974). These differences may be difficult for some people to reconcile, which may lead to prejudice toward people who are different. Prejudice is a negative attitude and feeling toward an individual based solely on one’s membership in a particular social group (Allport, 1954; Brown, 2010). Prejudice is common against people who...
92.8K
01:27Ethnic Identity within a Larger Culture
121
Adolescents from ethnic minority backgrounds face a multifaceted journey in forming their identities, shaped by the intersections of cultural expectations and personal exploration. For these adolescents, identity formation involves not only typical developmental challenges but also navigating the perceptions and attitudes of the majority culture. As they grow, adolescents in ethnic minority groups often become increasingly aware of stereotypes, social biases, and discrimination, all of which...
121
02:57The Sense of Self: Reflected Self-Appraisal and Social Comparison
53.3K
According to Charles Cooley, we base our image on what we think other people see (Cooley 1902). We imagine how we must appear to others, then react to this speculation. We don certain clothes, prepare our hair in a particular manner, wear makeup, use cologne, and the like—all with the notion that our presentation of ourselves is going to affect how others perceive us. We expect a certain reaction, and, if lucky, we get the one we desire and feel good about it. But more than that, Cooley...
53.3K
01:30Self Within Cultural Contexts
29
Cultural frameworks for understanding the self are often categorized into two broad orientations: individualism and collectivism. These paradigms influence how people define themselves, relate to others, and interpret their social worlds. Each orientation offers distinct perspectives on autonomy, responsibility, and the role of the individual within a community.Individualistic CulturesIn individualistic cultures like North America and Western Europe, identity is understood as autonomous and...
29
01:29Social Identity
59
Social identity constitutes a significant aspect of an individual’s self-concept, shaped by membership in various social groups, including gender, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and political affiliation. Individuals associate specific traits with particular social groups, leading to internalization of these traits. For example, musicians are often perceived as creative, while women are frequently associated with nurturing tendencies. Once individuals identify with a...
59
01:23The Role of Culture
165
Culture plays a crucial role in shaping self-identity and influencing thought and behavior, a foundational interest within social psychology. The multicultural perspective recognizes that individuals do not exist in a vacuum; instead, their experiences, perceptions, and actions are deeply influenced by the intersecting dimensions of their cultural, ethnic, and social group affiliations.Cultural Influence on Self-Identity and Social PerceptionCultural frameworks inform how individuals define...
165