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4.1: No History is Linear

  • Page ID
    324829
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    There is a tendency to think of history as a linear, progressive, and constantly advancing timeline of human potential. It is not. History is full of setbacks that taint the image of humankind. It loops backward to bring back thinking of the past that may not even be relevant to the present. It establishes hints of progress here and there, but at times, none here nor there, and perhaps nowhere all at once. In other words, history is messy if not simply chaotic.

    The history of sociology is no exception. The sociological engagement with race and ethnicity is not a monolithic tradition—certainly not linear—but a contested and evolving state, profoundly shaped by its historical context. Its development can be charted through a chronological progression of paradigms, from early scientific racism to contemporary intersectional and systemic analyses.


    This page titled 4.1: No History is Linear is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Salvador Jiménez Murguía.