What kind of variable is ethnic identity classified as?

Ethnic identity is best classified as a nominal variable because it represents categories or groups that do not have a specific order or ranking associated with them. Nominal variables are qualitative and categorize people based on attributes or characteristics. Ethnic identity can represent different cultural groups, such as Hispanic, African American, White, Asian, etc., without implying any hierarchy or numerical value among them.

In contrast, ordinal variables would indicate a ranked order among categories (like socio-economic status), while interval and ratio variables involve measurable quantities with consistent intervals and a true zero point, neither of which applies to ethnic identity. This classification into nominal variables is crucial in research contexts, particularly in social work, as it helps to design studies that appropriately consider the unique experiences and challenges faced by individuals within different ethnic groups.