1. Racial Self-Categorization in Adolescence: Multiracial Development and Social Pathways (EJ743952)
    
Author(s):
 Hitlin, Steven; Brown, J. Scott; Elder, Glen H., Jr.
 
Source:
 Child Development, v77 n5 p1298-1308 Sep-Oct 2006
 
 Pub Date:
 2006-00-00
 
Pub Type(s):
 Journal Articles; Reports - Research
 
Peer-Reviewed:
 Yes
 
 

Abstract:
Research on multiracial individuals is often cross-sectional, obscuring the fluid nature of multiracial self-categorization across time. Pathways of racial self-identification are developed from a nationally representative sample of adolescents aged 14-18, measured again 5 years later. A significant proportion of multiracial adolescents change racial self-identification across time. Youth who ever report being multiracial are 4 times as likely to switch self-identification as to report consistent multiracial identities. Across this time, more multiracial adolescents either add a racial category (diversify) or subtract one (consolidate) than maintain consistent multiracial self-categorization. Exploratory multinomial analyses show few differences between these pathways on select psychological and social characteristics. Results lend quantitative support to qualitative studies indicating the fluidity of racial self-categorization. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software.