Dr. Nadia Kim received a RESI Faculty Research Grant for her book project titled "Sociology and the Race Problem: The Failure of a Perspective, Again?" This project is inspired by James B. McKee's 1993 book titled "Sociology and the Race Problem: The Failure of a Perspective." In this book McKee addresses the early sociological work in the United States and how it treated race taking the reader back to the intellectual world in which the early sociologist worked. McKee shows how early research in race and ethnicity failed to accurately perceive or interpret race relations during past century. McKee argues that the failure of that research was faulty assumptions and inappropriate conceptualizations of issues which, then, led to flawed observations and misguided theories (Jaret 1995).
Dr. Kim's project has the desired goal of “deemphasiz[ing] constant ‘innovation,’ publication, or internal debates and critiques, and to just step back and let the communities, especially the most marginalized, do the teaching.” When asked about the inspiration for her project, she stated that she was unsettled by current study practices in sociology when it came to Asian American and Latine groups. Her project focuses on the treatment of race and racism, the impact of white nationalism against Latinx, Muslim, and Asian American populations, and why the sociological perspective did not anticipate those impacts after long standing sociohistorical patterns (see more on the award and its recipients on RESI page).
Congratulations, Dr. Kim!