Overview

The US is transforming into a multiracial society: today one-in-six new marriages are interracial and the multiple-race population is the fastest-growing youth group in the country. In Politics Beyond Black and White, Lauren D. Davenport examines the ascendance of multiracial identities and their implications for American society and the political landscape. Amassing unprecedented evidence, this book systematically investigates how race is constructed and how it influences political behavior. Professor Davenport shows that biracials' identities are the product of family, interpersonal interactions, environment, and, most compellingly, gender stereotypes and social class. These identities, in turn, shape attitudes across a range of political issues, from affirmative action to same-sex marriage, and multiracial identifiers are shown to be culturally and politically progressive. But the book also reveals lingering prejudices against race-mixing, and that intermarriage and identification are highly correlated with economic prosperity. Overall findings suggest that multiracialism is poised to dismantle some racial boundaries, while reinforcing others.

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9781108444330

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Reviews

'This is a brilliant achievement that trumpets the arrival of an important new voice in political science. Addressing one of the most striking trends in recent American history, Davenport sets a new standard for scholarship on race, gender, and mixed race identities.' Taeku Lee, University of California, Berkeley 'This path-breaking book provides the first large-scale analyses of biracial Americans' racial identities, their political attitudes, and the complex connections between them. While observers have long understood that race and ethnicity are socially constructed, Davenport reveals just how this process works, and how deeply political it is in its origins and consequences. With great skill and creativity, Davenport sheds new light on the nature - and future - of politics in our increasingly multi-racial and multi-ethnic society.' Martin Gilens, Princeton University, New Jersey 'Lauren D. Davenport has done two things in one book that elude some social scientists for entire careers. She asks new questions about an emerging social phenomenon, and offers answers that are both well-theorized and empirically supported. This book will serve as our foundational understanding of multi-racial populations and their political thinking. Mixed-race Americans, far from being merely an average of disparate identities, have a new and surprising perspective on American politics and one that is uniquely informed by their social identities. This important book provides insight into our evolving racial future.' Gary M. Segura, University of California, Los Angeles 'Davenport's foundational book is the most careful and rigorous work to date on the sociological causes and political consequences of multiracial identification in America. This growing group of citizens with diverse ethnic backgrounds will likely play a vital role in electoral politics in the years to come, and her book therefore provides a vital foundation for understanding how individuals internalize and then navigate the racial conflicts so prevalent in our society today. It comes at the perfect historical moment, and students of race and politics, political psychology, and public opinion will find in this book a wealth of puzzles to dive in and try to solve.' Nicholas Valentino, University of Michigan 'Not many books are truly path-breaking. This one is. Filled with careful research and telling anecdotes, Davenport's work is an eye-opening guide to an increasingly important sector of the American electorate.' Christopher Achen, Princeton University , New Jersey 'By decoupling ancestry and racial identification, Davenport offers a necessary and nuanced addition to literature on the multiracial experience in the United States. Politics Beyond Black and White is a clearly written and compelling read not only for sociologists and political scientists but also for anyone interested in multiracial identity and its implications for the future of American politics.' Aliya Saperstein, Stanford University, California 'This is a brilliant achievement that trumpets the arrival of an important new voice in political science. Addressing one of the most striking trends in recent American history, Davenport sets a new standard for scholarship on race, gender, and mixed race identities.' Taeku Lee, University of California, Berkeley 'This path-breaking book provides the first large-scale analyses of biracial Americans' racial identities, their political attitudes, and the complex connections between them. While observers have long understood that race and ethnicity are socially constructed, Davenport reveals just how this process works, and how deeply political it is in its origins and consequences. With great skill and creativity, Davenport sheds new light on the nature - and future - of politics in our increasingly multi-racial and multi-ethnic society.' Martin Gilens, Princeton University, New Jersey Advance praise: 'Lauren D. Davenport has done two things in one book that elude some social scientists for entire careers. She asks new questions about an emerging social phenomenon, and offers answers that are both well-theorized and empirically supported. This book will serve as our foundational understanding of multi-racial populations and their political thinking. Mixed-race Americans, far from being merely an average of disparate identities, have a new and surprising perspective on American politics and one that is uniquely informed by their social identities. This important book provides insight into our evolving racial future.' Gary M. Segura, University of California, Los Angeles Advance praise: 'Davenport's foundational book is the most careful and rigorous work to date on the sociological causes and political consequences of multiracial identification in America. This growing group of citizens with diverse ethnic backgrounds will likely play a vital role in electoral politics in the years to come, and her book therefore provides a vital foundation for understanding how individuals internalize and then navigate the racial conflicts so prevalent in our society today. It comes at the perfect historical moment, and students of race and politics, political psychology, and public opinion will find in this book a wealth of puzzles to dive in and try to solve.' Nicholas Valentino, University of Michigan Advance praise: 'Not many books are truly path-breaking. This one is. Filled with careful research and telling anecdotes, Davenport's work is an eye-opening guide to an increasingly important sector of the American electorate.' Christopher Achen, Princeton University , New Jersey Advance praise: 'By decoupling ancestry and racial identification, Davenport offers a necessary and nuanced addition to literature on the multiracial experience in the United States. Politics Beyond Black and White is a clearly written and compelling read not only for sociologists and political scientists but also for anyone interested in multiracial identity and its implications for the future of American politics.' Aliya Saperstein, Stanford University, California

Advance praise: 'This is a brilliant achievement that trumpets the arrival of an important new voice in political science. Addressing one of the most striking trends in recent American history, Davenport sets a new standard for scholarship on race, gender, and mixed race identities.' Taeku Lee, University of California, Berkeley Advance praise: 'This path-breaking book provides the first large-scale analyses of biracial Americans' racial identities, their political attitudes, and the complex connections between them. While observers have long understood that race and ethnicity are socially constructed, Davenport reveals just how this process works, and how deeply political it is in its origins and consequences. With great skill and creativity, Davenport sheds new light on the nature - and future - of politics in our increasingly multi-racial and multi-ethnic society.' Martin Gilens, Princeton University Advance praise: 'Lauren D. Davenport has done two things in one book that elude some social scientists for entire careers. She asks new questions about an emerging social phenomenon, and offers answers that are both well-theorized and empirically supported. This book will serve as our foundational understanding of multi-racial populations and their political thinking. Mixed-race Americans, far from being merely an average of disparate identities, have a new and surprising perspective on American politics and one that is uniquely informed by their social identities. This important book provides insight into our evolving racial future.' Gary M. Segura, University of California, Los Angeles Advance praise: 'Davenport's foundational book is the most careful and rigorous work to date on the sociological causes and political consequences of multiracial identification in America. This growing group of citizens with diverse ethnic backgrounds will likely play a vital role in electoral politics in the years to come, and her book therefore provides a vital foundation for understanding how individuals internalize and then navigate the racial conflicts so prevalent in our society today. It comes at the perfect historical moment, and students of race and politics, political psychology, and public opinion will find in this book a wealth of puzzles to dive in and try to solve.' Nicholas Valentino, University of Michigan Advance praise: 'Not many books are truly path-breaking. This one is. Filled with careful research and telling anecdotes, Davenport's work is an eye-opening guide to an increasingly important sector of the American electorate.' Christopher Achen, Princeton University Advance praise: 'By decoupling ancestry and racial identification, Davenport offers a necessary and nuanced addition to literature on the multiracial experience in the United States. Politics Beyond Black and White is a clearly written and compelling read not only for sociologists and political scientists but also for anyone interested in multiracial identity and its implications for the future of American politics.' Aliya Saperstein, Stanford University

'This is a brilliant achievement that trumpets the arrival of an important new voice in political science. Addressing one of the most striking trends in recent American history, Davenport sets a new standard for scholarship on race, gender, and mixed race identities.' Taeku Lee, University of California, Berkeley 'This path-breaking book provides the first large-scale analyses of biracial Americans' racial identities, their political attitudes, and the complex connections between them. While observers have long understood that race and ethnicity are socially constructed, Davenport reveals just how this process works, and how deeply political it is in its origins and consequences. With great skill and creativity, Davenport sheds new light on the nature - and future - of politics in our increasingly multi-racial and multi-ethnic society.' Martin Gilens, Princeton University, New Jersey 'Lauren D. Davenport has done two things in one book that elude some social scientists for entire careers. She asks new questions about an emerging social phenomenon, and offers answers that are both well-theorized and empirically supported. This book will serve as our foundational understanding of multi-racial populations and their political thinking. Mixed-race Americans, far from being merely an average of disparate identities, have a new and surprising perspective on American politics and one that is uniquely informed by their social identities. This important book provides insight into our evolving racial future.' Gary M. Segura, University of California, Los Angeles 'Davenport's foundational book is the most careful and rigorous work to date on the sociological causes and political consequences of multiracial identification in America. This growing group of citizens with diverse ethnic backgrounds will likely play a vital role in electoral politics in the years to come, and her book therefore provides a vital foundation for understanding how individuals internalize and then navigate the racial conflicts so prevalent in our society today. It comes at the perfect historical moment, and students of race and politics, political psychology, and public opinion will find in this book a wealth of puzzles to dive in and try to solve.' Nicholas Valentino, University of Michigan 'Not many books are truly path-breaking. This one is. Filled with careful research and telling anecdotes, Davenport's work is an eye-opening guide to an increasingly important sector of the American electorate.' Christopher Achen, Princeton University , New Jersey 'By decoupling ancestry and racial identification, Davenport offers a necessary and nuanced addition to literature on the multiracial experience in the United States. Politics Beyond Black and White is a clearly written and compelling read not only for sociologists and political scientists but also for anyone interested in multiracial identity and its implications for the future of American politics.' Aliya Saperstein, Stanford University, California

Author Information

Lauren D. Davenport is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Stanford University, where she is also a faculty affiliate at the Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity. She received her Ph.D. from Princeton University. Her research has been published in the American Political Science Review and the American Sociological Review, as well as featured in national media outlets including CNN, Time, NBC News, and National Public Radio.

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