A Comparative Study of Racial and Ethnic Classifications in Censuses

这是一项对22个国家人口普查中种族/民族分类的比较研究。种族和民族的分类本质上是对人民进行分类的一种方式；“我们”和“其他人”，并且必须相当灵活和情境化。然而，通过历史或制度程序，灵活和情境定义往往具有固定和僵化的特征。在这项比较研究中，每个成员都研究了一两个国家的人口普查，并特别研究了这些人口普查从早期或殖民时期到现在是如何划分人民的。人们普遍发现，每个国家的种族/民族分类差别很大。人口普查的方法随着时间的推移而变化，目前在许多国家似乎普遍采用自我申报的方式。通过自我声明，意味着人们可以选择一个种族/民族群体来识别自己，而不考虑他们的血统数量，在多种族/民族国家的情况下，每个种族/民族群体都试图增加其成员，以相互竞争以获得有限的资源。因此，在这些情况下进行人口普查是一场政治斗争。此外，一些国家还设计了一种新的分类：2000年美国人口普查允许一个人隶属于多个群体，2001年英国人口普查增加了一个“混合”类别。我们的研究更清楚、更广泛地揭示了种族和民族作为社会结构的本质。

This is a comparative study of racial/ethnic classifications in censuses of twenty-two nations. The classification of race and ethnic groups is essentially one way of classifying peoples; 'we' and 'others', and must have been considerably flexible and situational. Yet flexible and situational definitions tend to assume fixed and rigid characteristics through historical or institutional procedures. In this comparative study, each member has studied one or two nations' censuses and examined particularly how such censuses divided peoples from the early or colonial period to the present.It was found generally that the racial/ethnic classification was quite different in each nation. Method of taking census has changed from time to time and at present self-declaration seems to be common in many nations. By self-declaration it is meant that persons can choose a racial/ethnic group to identify themselves regardless of their blood quantum and in case of multi-racial/ethnic nations each racial/ethnic group tries to increase its members for competing each other to acquire the limited resources. Consequently, census taking in these cases assumes a political struggle. Besides, a new classification was contrived in some nations: USA Census 2000 permitted a person affiliating to multiple groups and Census 2001 of Great Britain additionally listed a 'mixed' category. Our study has revealed nature of race and ethnicity as social construction more clearly and widely.