Racial fluidity in the Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte: individual characteristics and local context in the construction of race

Abstract The article discusses how individual variables and neighborhood characteristics influence heteroclassification and its differences with racial self-classification, in the Belo Horizonte Metropolitan Area. The analysis seeks to understand the social construction of race and its fluidity in society, given that different types of classifications reflect distinct experiences and interpretations of race. Data used are from the BH Area Survey (2005), the Brazilian Demographic Census (2010) and the Human Development Atlas (2013), for the analysis we used logistic regression models. Results indicate that hetero-classification is influenced by individual and contextual characteristics. For those who self-identify as white, schooling, income and local racial distribution are associated with opportunities of being hetero-classified as white, whereas for individuals self-identifying as black, only schooling increases the chances of being hetero-classified as white. Thus, we conclude that there is racial fluidity in the Belo Horizonte Metropolitan Area, in the sense that classification is influenced by socioeconomic and contextual characteristics.

摘要：本文以贝洛奥里藏特都会区（Belo Horizonte Metropolitan Area）为研究场景，探讨个体变量与邻里特征对异种族分类（heteroclassification）的影响，及其与种族自我分类（racial self-classification）的差异。鉴于不同类型的种族分类模式映射出差异化的种族体验与认知，本分析旨在剖析种族的社会建构性及其在社会中的流动性。本研究采用的数据集包括贝洛奥里藏特都会区调查（BH Area Survey, 2005）、巴西人口普查（Brazilian Demographic Census, 2010）与人类发展图集（Human Development Atlas, 2013），并运用逻辑回归模型（logistic regression models）开展分析。研究结果显示，异种族分类受到个体与情境特征的共同影响。对于自我认同为白人的群体而言，受教育程度、收入水平与本地种族分布均与被异种族分类为白人的概率显著相关；而对于自我认同为黑人的群体，仅受教育程度会提升其被异种族分类为白人的可能性。据此，本研究认为贝洛奥里藏特都会区存在种族流动性，即种族分类受到社会经济与情境特征的调控。