Hierarchical Structures and Social Value: The Creation of Black and Irish Identities in the United States

Combining theoretical and historical analysis, this book develops the thesis that the concepts of 'race' and 'ethnicity' are socially constructed. It demonstrates that the social values placed upon Blacks and Irish immigrants in the US result from their placement into specific labour categories rather than from inherent attributes.Richard Williams is the author of 'Hierarchical Structures and Social Value: The Creation of Black and Irish Identities in the United States', published 1990 under ISBN 9780521351478 and ISBN 0521351472.