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How Racial Measures Affect the Estimation of Racial Inequality

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  • Rademakers, Robbert
  • van Hoorn, André

Abstract

Although racial inequalities are much researched, studies differ on the specific measure of individuals’ racial identity that they consider. This can affect the comparability of results across studies and, more importantly, the estimation of racial inequality in society. We estimate the extent of racial inequalities using four common measures of individuals’ race. Analyzing the same set of individuals, results confirm that estimated racial inequalities vary greatly depending on the measure of race considered. The endogeneity of measured race with respect to socioeconomic status seems to account for part of the variation in estimated racial inequalities across the four race measures.

Suggested Citation

  • Rademakers, Robbert & van Hoorn, André, 2022. "How Racial Measures Affect the Estimation of Racial Inequality," MPRA Paper 121770, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:121770
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    File URL: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/121770/1/MPRA_paper_121770.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Racial disparities; Race measurement; Racial fluidity; Endogenous race; Discrimination; Self-identified race; Assigned race;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I32 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Measurement and Analysis of Poverty
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J71 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Hiring and Firing
    • N32 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - U.S.; Canada: 1913-

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