Beyond White Ethnicity Developing a Sociological Understanding of Native American Identity Reclamation

Through qualitative analysis of individuals, Kathleen J. Fitzgerald studies the social construction of racial and ethnic identity in Beyond White Ethnicity. Fitzgerald focuses on Native Americans who, despite a previously unacknowledged and uncelebrated background, are embracing and reclaiming their heritage in their everyday lives. Focusing on the purpose, process, and problems of this reclamation, Fitzgerald's research provides an understanding of these issues. She also exposes how institutional power relations are racialized, how race is a social and political construction, and helps us understand larger cultural transformations. This insightful collection of research should be of interest to those who study sociology, anthropology, or cultural studies. Book jacket.

Kathleen J. Fitzgerald is associate professor of sociology at Columbia College