Ethnic mythology: If scholars define a myth as real, it can have real consequences

Abstract

Black ethnicity is not unique. Like other forms, it is deeply rooted in an elaborate mythology that gives blacks a ready-made legend of their origin, a set of praiseworthy heroes, and a source of cultural invigoration. What is most intriguing about it is its widespread acceptance by social scientists and lay persons alike, both within and beyond the black community. Stephen Steinberg maintains that ethnicity is a useful myth for explaining differences between groups without having to take serious account of structural factors. His hypothesis is anathema to writers who use ethnicity as a measure of cultural adroitness and who see personality, family, and community development as outgrowths of it. Over the years this myth has led to invidious comparisons between blacks and whites, and between native and foreign-born blacks. Although it is an important issue my purpose is not to discuss the data inadequacies that surround this issue but rather the role of the so-called “Matthew Effect” (or the partial citation phenomenon) in explaining the origin of this myth and the reason scholars continue to embrace it.