An Exploration of the Mapuche Classificatory Scheme in Chile

Maria Unzueta

In the recent years, political scientists have been questioning the mismatch between the constructivist understanding of race and ethnicity and the methodological approaches used to estimate the effects of race and ethnicity on different outcomes. A possible solution to this problem, they propose, is a constructivist theory of race and ethnicity that distinguishes between ethnoracial categories and the attributes that define those categories. Taking advantage of work on the cognitive underpinnings of culture I explore the Mapuche classificatory scheme in Chile. Using a factorial survey design where the dependent variable is ethnoracial classification, I analyze which attributes make up this particular category. In light of my results, I discuss possible consequences for a constructivist theory of race and ethnicity.

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 Presented in Session 9. Marriage, Family, Households, & Unions; Gender, Race, & Ethnicity