Theories and Models of Ethnic Inequality

Beginning with the seminal work of Robert Park (1950), there have been numerous efforts to develop sociological theories to classify and explain the variations in ethnic (and racial’) inequality overtime and space. Yet it is apparent even to the novice that there is no single paradigm that dominates the field. Research findings accumulate, but rarely lead to systematic and cumulative empirical generalizations about the nature and evolution of interethnic relations. There is a wide range of theoretical propositions in the field of race and ethnic relations (Blalock, 1967). Yet few are integrated with larger theory or uniform methods of empirical research. To the extent that schools of research exist, they tend to focus upon common sources of data and analytical methods (historical, attitude surveys, etc.). In this paper, review the development of a school of