Hierarchical structures and social value : the creation of Black and Irish identities in the United States
Richard E. Williams, Cambridge University Press (Publisher)
Combining theoretical and historical analysis, this book develops the thesis that the concepts of 'race' and 'ethnicity' are socially constructed. It demonstrates that the social values placed upon Blacks and Irish immigrants in the US result from their placement into specific labour categories rather than from inherent attributes.
Print Book, English, 1990
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge [etc.], 1990
XIII, [1], 190 s. : il. ; 24 cm.
9780521351478, 0521351472
1000025362
Preface; List of maps, tables, chart; 1. 'Race' and 'ethnicity': forms of vertical classification; 2. Historical structures and social marks as hierarchical systems; 3. The hierarchical context of the creation of the United States; 4. Structural slots and identity creation in 17th century Virginia; 5. The hierarchical structure of West African societies: theoretical notions; 6. The logic of a trade in humans; 7. The creation of a slave labor slot in Virginia; 8. America on the eve of mass migration from Ireland; 9. Ireland in the periphery; 10. The Great Famine and forced emigration; 11. Conclusion; Notes; Appendix; Bibliography; Index.