INDICATORS FOR THE STUDY OF THE RACIAL IDENTITY: A PROPOSAL FROM THE CUBAN SOCIAL REALITY

Abstract

The present study focused on the racial identity phenomenon, a complex, controversial, dialectical, historical-concrete, sociocultural, multifactorial, subjective-objective, and individual-collective topic. Regardless of whether there are doubts regarding its existence, it is argued that it is part of cultural identity and that, in the current Cuban context, it is related to racialized cultural practices. Its relevance lies in the fact that it introduces a proposal of indicators through which it can be investigated concretely. Its impact is revealed in the precision of data that would allow the evaluation of this topic. This investigation has not been based on a single scientific paradigm; however, the dialectical-materialist paradigm served as the primary reference for diagnosing the socio-racial situation in Santiago de Cuba Province. The qualitative-quantitative (mixed) method has characterized this study by applying techniques such as surveys, interviews, observation, and content analysis. The sample has been significant (17,911 individuals between 2021 and 2023), selected using a non-probabilistic, intentional procedure. The objective pursued has been to determine the indicators that can be used to investigate the phenomenon of racial identity in a concrete way in current Cuban society.