Sociology and Anthropology Vol. 5(4), pp. 353 - 361
DOI: 10.13189/sa.2017.050409
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The Invisibility of Race: A Pragmatic Approximation to the Concept


Liza Hayes *
Department of Sociology, University of Miami, United States

ABSTRACT

Our society is racially characterized by subtle forms of discrimination and prejudice. At the present time, people have adopted an attitude of racial denial, reinforcing an attitude of racial invisibility. This study is the first qualitative attempt to measure Franklin's paradigm, the invisible paradigm. Using data from the African- American study (N=2, 864), I examine the relation between race invisibility with discrimination, social recognition, and group affiliation. Three hypotheses were tested: (1) discrimination affects the individual's perception of race visibility, micro-aggression, and group affiliation; (2) social recognition is related to group affiliation and visibility; and (3) group affiliation mediates the relationship between discrimination and visibility. Results from the path analysis show that perceived discrimination has a negative and significant association with micro-aggression and visibility and a positive and significant association with group affiliation. Group affiliation mediated the relationship between discrimination and visibility. Social recognition, however, does not affect race visibility directly. Its effect is mediated through group affiliation. This study contributes to the social knowledge of the way discrimination affects minority ethnic groups' micro-aggression, group affiliation, and racial visibility.

KEYWORDS
Race, Discrimination, Micro-aggression

Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Liza Hayes , "The Invisibility of Race: A Pragmatic Approximation to the Concept," Sociology and Anthropology, Vol. 5, No. 4, pp. 353 - 361, 2017. DOI: 10.13189/sa.2017.050409.

(b). APA Format:
Liza Hayes (2017). The Invisibility of Race: A Pragmatic Approximation to the Concept. Sociology and Anthropology, 5(4), 353 - 361. DOI: 10.13189/sa.2017.050409.