Eileen Patten Analysis Questions

The first article in my selection is titled: “Who is Multiracial? Depends on How You Ask” by Eileen Patten. This article addresses the issue of self-identification in relation to one’s race. Patten notes that one’s race is not something that is simply defined. In fact, many different factors determine the way in which one identifies himself, herself, or their self. Because of this, Patten seeks to address and breakdown the differentiating components in one’s own racial identification. The article begins with an explanation of a study that Patten and her team coordinated to better understand the mind set of multiracial Americans. The team conducted a total of six different surveys, each geared to understand a different aspect of multiracial people groups. One example of the team’s calculated …show more content…
These questions inquired about the participant’s family history, like their parents and grandparents’ races. Because the numbers of identified multiracial Americans seemed to rise with these added questions, Patton was able to draw an interesting conclusion. She concluded that “race” is something that is not solely attributed to one’s family background. Instead, one’s self-identified race is influenced by a plethora of other factors like one’s upbringing, physical qualities, etc. The second article in my selection is titled “Trends in Attitudes About Marriage, Childbearing, and Sexual Behavior” by Jill Daugherty and Casey Copen. This article discusses and evaluates the differentiating views on controversial topics over a period of time. Surveys when given to the participants in the form of an in-person interview. The topics of marriage, premarital sex/childbearing, divorce, LGBT rights, and sexual behavior were evaluated in the surveys. The findings of these surveys are broken down and then compared to previously conducted