This volume investigates the complex social, political, and historical constructions of race and ethnicity within the contemporary global landscape. Authors Charlton D. McIlwain and Stephen M. Caliendo assemble a comprehensive framework that examines how racial categories are defined, maintained, and challenged across various institutional structures. The text synthesizes diverse academic perspectives to provide a rigorous analysis of identity formation and systemic inequality.

Reader & Expert Consensus: Experts recognize this volume as a foundational reference text for students and researchers exploring the intersection of race and social structures. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the breadth of the scholarly contributions included in the collection.