This week you learned about the U.S. Census Bureau’s most recent racial and ethnic categories. For this assignment, we will analyze the concepts of race, ethnicity, and gender as social constructs, just as sociologists do.  We will examine racial and ethnic categories used in the 2020 Census with the four racial, ethnic, and gender categories used in the 1790 Census: Free white males, free white females, all other free persons, slaves (Pew Research Center, 2020).

*This assignment is adapted from Glaser (2018).

Section 1: Case Study Subject

• In this section, identify one person to focus on in your case study (this person can be you, someone you know, or a public figure).

Section 2: Analysis

• In this section, explain how this person might have been categorized by the 1790 Census and explain how this person would have been categorized by the 2020 Census.
• Compare and contrast how this person’s two potential categorizations on the 1790 and 2020. How does this demonstrate that the concepts of race, ethnicity, and even gender change over time as social constructs?

Section 3: Reflection

• In this section, suggest changes to ethnic, racial, and/or gender categories in a future U.S. census. What changes or new categories would most accurately show the diversity of the U.S. population, improve education about inequalities, and promote social justice?  Explain your recommendations.