Research Proposal

Research Proposal

Background

Struggles over land, money and power are certainly a common source of disquiet andconflict in many regions of the world. However, with regard to the Afro-Dominican identity, the conflicts are also tinged with an underlying conflict arising form fundamentally polarized concept of ethnic and racial identity. The racial identity has the potential to foment coalition building between the Afro Dominican community. 'Negritude', a concept that has come to represent a sense of pride in black racial identity, culture, and heritage across the Afro-Dominican diaspora, is a foundational underpinning for such coalition building (Higgins, 2007).

Problem Statement

Dominicans have been grappling withethnicity issues throughout their history. In the Dominicans, the central issue has been how to reconcile the dominant presence of an African-descended population with a nationally held Eurocentric ethnic ideology.

Significance

The Dominicans have defined their own national identity as being the polar opposite of what Dominicans perceive to be Dominican or of African descent. Within these parameters, Afro-Dominicans are what the others are not.

Instead, dark complexioned Dominicans refer to themselves as 'indios'. 'Mirrors of the heart' also provides evidence that the practice of 'blancamiento' ('whitening') is alive and well in modern Afro-Dominican society (Richard, 2008).

Despite the fact people of Afro-Dominican heritage cannot be viewed as a monolithic community, black African racial heritage is arguably the most fundamental cultural kinship between people of Afro-Dominican descent throughout the world. Consequently, racial identity, in many ways, has the potential to impact notions of shared interests and linked fate. Some scholars would argue that black identity has the potential to serve as a more cohesive and durable foundation for coalitions between people of black African descent across African diaspora communities than does shared interests and linked fate.



Theoretical Framework

An archaeology of such Afro-Dominican ideologies show that despite their self-proclaimed antiracism and apparent promotion of integration and harmonious homogeneity, they constitute little more than narratives of white supremacy that always come with an attendant concept of whitening {blanqueamiento or branqueamento). Early Afro-Dominican foundational texts, written by "white" and white-mesh'zo intellectuals, clearly demonstrate that the discussions of race and cultural mixings have been grounded on racist premises and theories that were very popular in nineteenth-century Afro-Dominican culture.

Proposed Methodology

For this paper, qualitative research approach will be used. As a qualitative research methodology, constructivism closely echoes this same perspective-centered foundation. Constructivism is not driven by hypothesis-testing or the attempt to replicate results found in previous experiments, but rather seeks to highlight the subjects' way of understanding the world around them.

Research Question

Has the racial identity played a significant role in shaping the distinction between the Afro-Dominicans?

Data Collection

Various data collection methods will be used to 'cross check' the information being gathered. For example, much of the data will be collected from interviews, participant observations and personal experience field notes reflecting the identity bias in the Afro-Dominican culture. The information taken from these data sources will be used to 'double check' the data collected from the interviews.

Document collection will be the most fruitful data source for this ...