@article {205361,
	title = {Race as a {\textquoteright}Bundle of Sticks{\textquoteright}: Designs that Estimate Effects of Seemingly Immutable Characteristics},
	journal = {Annual Review of Political Science},
	volume = {19},
	year = {2016},
	note = {Select Media Coverage:\&nbsp;Vox},
	month = {2016},
	pages = {499-522},
	abstract = {Although understanding the role of race, ethnicity, and identity is central to political science, methodological debates persist about whether it is possible to estimate the effect of something {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}immutable.{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} At the heart of the debate is an older theoretical question: is race best understood under an essentialist or constructivist framework?\&nbsp;In contrast to the {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}immutable characteristics{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} or essentialist approach, we argue that race should be operationalized as a {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}bundle of sticks{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} that can be disaggregated into elements. With elements of race, causal claims may be possible using two designs: (1) studies that measure the effect of exposure to a racial cue and (2) studies that exploit within-group variation to measure the effect of some manipulable element. These designs can reconcile scholarship on race and causation and offer a clear framework for future research.},
	url = {http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev-polisci-032015-010015},
	author = {Maya Sen and Omar Wasow}
}
