J. Eric Oliver

J. Eric Oliver, associate professor of political science at the University of Chicago, will write a book on the impact of multiracial segregation on American democracy. New waves of immigration from Asia and Latin America are forcing the United States to contend with the competing claims of a range of racial and ethnic groups. Yet even as the nation moves toward this multiracial plurality, most racial and ethnic groups continue to lead highly segregated lives. Oliver will explore the implications of this multiracial segregation for American race relations and civic participation, arguing that dominant hypotheses for explaining racial attitudes need revision within the new multiracial reality. Using data from the 1990 and 2000 Censuses, Oliver will examine how racial and economic environments, at both the metropolitan and suburban levels, affect racial attitudes among Asian Americans, blacks, Latinos, and whites. During his year in residency, Oliver will also study the political dimensions of the American obesity epidemic, a major issue that has not been studied by social scientists.