RESEARCH STARTER

Racial hierarchy

Racial hierarchy refers to a social structure in which races are ranked in a way that establishes a power dynamic, typically with one race at the top and others below. In the United States, this hierarchy has historically positioned White individuals at the highest level, while ethnic minorities have been placed lower in the social order. However, this ranking is not simply binary; stratification also exists among the various ethnic groups, resulting in a complex and multifaceted hierarchy. Sociological perspectives have evolved to view this hierarchy as a transition from overt domination to more subtle forms of hegemony, particularly following landmark movements like the Civil Rights movement.

While blatant markers of racial domination, such as segregation laws, have been abolished, more nuanced indicators of racial hierarchy persist, influencing various aspects of society, including business and everyday interactions. Historical examples, such as apartheid in South Africa and the Jim Crow laws in the U.S., illustrate the implications of these power structures. Additionally, contemporary dynamics, like the geographical distribution of racial groups, continue to reinforce segregation and hierarchical organization. Understanding these layers of racial hierarchy is essential for analyzing social power and relationships in modern society.

Full Article

A hierarchy is a social system in which power is distributed among different layers with little ambiguity as to who has the power. The more hierarchical a system is, the greater the distance between its top and bottom. The racial hierarchy in the United States has been of White individuals at the top and ethnic minorities at the bottom. However, stratification also exists among the ethnic minorities. A profound historical shift in the role of power in social life and how it is organized has resulted in stratification among ethnic minorities, creating a multifaceted rather than binary racial hierarchy (social stratification theories). Much of the shift involves what sociologists Howard Winant and Michael Omi refer to as the transition from domination to hegemony in their book Racial Formation in the United States (1986).

Although the racial hierarchy was overtly clear with White domination before the Civil Rights movement (1954-1968), in modern society, the idea of which race is at the top and which is at the bottom is often not completely clear. As society has become more complex, racial power has increasingly taken the form of the ability to control events and resources, and people have become more hierarchically organized. Prominent examples of racial hierarchy at work in society include South Africa's apartheid—a system of racial segregation used in South Africa from 1948 to 1994—as well as the Jim Crow laws in the United States and reservation dedications of Indigenous peoples. Although overt markers of domination (such as segregation) are no longer visible in society, other signs (such as the geography of race) reinforce racial segregation and hierarchy. Racial hierarchies can occur in business relationships and other commonplace interactions.


Bibliography

Bendix, Reinhard, and Seymour Martin Lipset. Class, Status, and Power; Social Stratification in Comparative Perspective. Free Press, 1966.

Bonilla-Silva, Eduardo, and Amanda E. Lewis. “Mechanisms and Mechanics of Racial Hierarchy: Focusing on the ‘How’ of Racism.” Ethnic and Racial Studies, vol. 49, no. 2, 2026, pp. 359–69, doi.org/10.1080/01419870.2025.2570476. Accessed 21 Jan. 20256

Christopher, Gail C. “Addressing Racism and Its Deeply Entrenched Dynamics: A 21st Century Imperative.” Health Equity, vol. 7, no. 1, 2023, pp. 19–23, doi.org/10.1089/heq.2022.29018.gcc. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.

DiTomaso, Nancy. “The Invention of Race and the Persistence of Racial Hierarchy: White Privilege, White Supremacy, and White Colorblindness.” Social and Personality Psychology Compass, vol. 18, no. 4, 2024, doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12953. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.

Hochschiled, Jennifer L., et al. Creating a New Racial Order: How Immigration, Multiracialism, Genomics, and the Young Can Remake Race in America. Princeton UP, 2012.

Lazarus-Black, Mindie. Contested States: Law, Hegemony, and Resistance. Routledge, 1994.

Omi, Michael, and Howard Winant. Racial Formation in the United States. Routledge, 2015.

Song, Miri. Racial Hierarchy. Routledge, 2004.

Full Article

A hierarchy is a social system in which power is distributed among different layers with little ambiguity as to who has the power. The more hierarchical a system is, the greater the distance between its top and bottom. The racial hierarchy in the United States has been of White individuals at the top and ethnic minorities at the bottom. However, stratification also exists among the ethnic minorities. A profound historical shift in the role of power in social life and how it is organized has resulted in stratification among ethnic minorities, creating a multifaceted rather than binary racial hierarchy (social stratification theories). Much of the shift involves what sociologists Howard Winant and Michael Omi refer to as the transition from domination to hegemony in their book Racial Formation in the United States (1986).

Although the racial hierarchy was overtly clear with White domination before the Civil Rights movement (1954-1968), in modern society, the idea of which race is at the top and which is at the bottom is often not completely clear. As society has become more complex, racial power has increasingly taken the form of the ability to control events and resources, and people have become more hierarchically organized. Prominent examples of racial hierarchy at work in society include South Africa's apartheid—a system of racial segregation used in South Africa from 1948 to 1994—as well as the Jim Crow laws in the United States and reservation dedications of Indigenous peoples. Although overt markers of domination (such as segregation) are no longer visible in society, other signs (such as the geography of race) reinforce racial segregation and hierarchy. Racial hierarchies can occur in business relationships and other commonplace interactions.


Bibliography

Bendix, Reinhard, and Seymour Martin Lipset. Class, Status, and Power; Social Stratification in Comparative Perspective. Free Press, 1966.

Bonilla-Silva, Eduardo, and Amanda E. Lewis. “Mechanisms and Mechanics of Racial Hierarchy: Focusing on the ‘How’ of Racism.” Ethnic and Racial Studies, vol. 49, no. 2, 2026, pp. 359–69, doi.org/10.1080/01419870.2025.2570476. Accessed 21 Jan. 20256

Christopher, Gail C. “Addressing Racism and Its Deeply Entrenched Dynamics: A 21st Century Imperative.” Health Equity, vol. 7, no. 1, 2023, pp. 19–23, doi.org/10.1089/heq.2022.29018.gcc. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.

DiTomaso, Nancy. “The Invention of Race and the Persistence of Racial Hierarchy: White Privilege, White Supremacy, and White Colorblindness.” Social and Personality Psychology Compass, vol. 18, no. 4, 2024, doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12953. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.

Hochschiled, Jennifer L., et al. Creating a New Racial Order: How Immigration, Multiracialism, Genomics, and the Young Can Remake Race in America. Princeton UP, 2012.

Lazarus-Black, Mindie. Contested States: Law, Hegemony, and Resistance. Routledge, 1994.

Omi, Michael, and Howard Winant. Racial Formation in the United States. Routledge, 2015.

Song, Miri. Racial Hierarchy. Routledge, 2004.

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