Sociology Chapter 11

ethnicity

*Cultural values and norms that distinguish the members of a given group from others*. An ethnic group is one whose members share a distinct awareness of a common cultural identity, separating them from other groups. In virtually all societies, ethnic differences are associated with variations in power and material wealth. Where ethnic differences are also racial, such divisions are sometimes especially pronounced.

minority group

A group of people in a minority in a given society who, because of their distinct physical or cultural characteristics, find themselves in situations of inequality within that society.

pluralism

A model for ethnic relations in which all ethnic groups in the United States retain their independent and separate identities, yet *share equally in the rights and powers of citizenship*.

situational ethnicity

A woman who was born in India but raised in the United States defers to her parents at home, wearing traditional clothing and helping prepare meals for her father and brothers, while at her job she wears Western clothes and is an assertive leader for a team of ten men and women. This scenario is an example of __________.

In such situations there is often a severe backlash against the dominant ethnic minority by the ethnic majority who are eager to claim all the country's political and economic power for themselves and punish their former oppressors.

According to law professor *Amy Chua*, why does the introduction of democracy to countries that have been ruled or dominated by an ethnic minority sometimes lead to more rather than less ethnic conflict?

cultural differences; biological ones

As it has become unacceptable in American society to openly express racist views, some scholars claim that a "new racism" is on the rise, which focuses on _______ between groups rather than _________.

race

Differences in human physical characteristics used to categorize large numbers of individuals.

many have low education levels and few marketable job skills, which makes it difficult for them to find gainful employment

Economist *George Borjas* has argued that since the 1980s more immigrants to the United States are reliant on government assistance because ________.

multiculturalism

Ethnic groups *exist separately* and share equally in economic and political life.

situational ethnicity

Ethnic identity that is chosen for the moment *based on the social setting or situation*.

symbolic ethnicity

Ethnic identity that is retained only for symbolic importance.

antiracism

Forms of thought and/or practice that seek to confront, eradicate and/or ameliorate racism.

hearing-impaired people

From a sociologist's perspective, which of the following constitutes a minority group in the United States?

scapegoats

Individuals or groups *blamed for wrongs that were not of their doing*.

the promotion, by governmental, educational, or corporate institutions, of policies that favor certain groups while discriminating against others

Institutional racism can be defined as _________.

institutional racism

Patterns of discrimination based on ethnicity that have become structured into existing social institutions.

numerous ethnic cultures *live separately yet participate in the larger society's economic* and political life

Pluralism is a model of ethnic relations in which ________________.

the process by which people use *understandings of race to classify individuals or groups*

Racialization can be defined as ________.

ethnic cleansing

The *creation of ethnically homogeneous territories* through the mass expulsion of other ethnic populations.

racism

The attribution of characteristics of superiority or inferiority to a population sharing certain physically inherited characteristics. Racism is one specific form of prejudice, focusing on physical variations between people. Racist attitudes became entrenched during the period of Western colonial expansion, but seem also to rest on mechanisms of prejudice and discrimination found in human societies today.

prejudice

The holding of preconceived ideas about an individual or group, ideas that are resistant to change even in the face of new information. Prejudice may be either positive or negative.

melting pot

The idea that ethnic differences can be *combined* to create new patterns of behavior drawing on diverse cultural sources.

immigration

The movement of people into one country from another *for the purpose of settlement*.

emigration

The movement of people out of one country in order to settle in another.

segregation

The practices of keeping racial and ethnic groups physically separate, thereby maintaining the superior position of the dominant group.

racialization

The process by which understandings of race are used to classify individuals or groups of people. Racial distinctions are more than ways of describing human differences; they are also important factors in the reproduction of patterns of power and inequality.

racial literacy

The skills taught to children of multiracial families to help them cope with racial hierarchies and to integrate multiple ethnic identities.

class; race

The sociologist *William Julius Wilson* has argued that discrimination and disadvantages based on _______ are now just as important as those based on ________ in explaining the persistently high rates of poverty in black communities.

genocide

The systematic, *planned destruction* of a racial, political, or cultural group.

stereotyping

Thinking in terms of fixed and inflexible categories.

Both groups were forcibly subjugated to the rule of whites.

What distinguishes African Americans and Native Americans from many other racial minorities and immigrant groups in the United States?

Prejudice refers to opinions or attitudes, while discrimination refers to behavior.

What is the difference between prejudice and discrimination?

Cubans

Which of the following Latino groups has seen two major waves of immigrants, with members of the second wave forming the bulk of the "working class" for members of the first wave?

large cities

Which of the following demographic areas consistently experiences a high level of educational segregation?

the specific information a potential migrant has about job and housing opportunities in the country where he is thinking of moving

Which of the following is an example of a micro-level factor that can influence migration?

A woman whose maternal grandparents came to the United States from Norway participates in a Norwegian folk dance group and bakes Norwegian pastries for special occasions.

Which of the following is an example of symbolic ethnicity?

Blacks experience a higher rate of unemployment than whites.

Which of the following is an explanation for the income gap between blacks and whites?

a Mexican American woman

Which of the following people is most likely to be found at the bottom of the economic ladder in the United States?

The indigenous population was decimated by disease, war, and genocide perpetrated or introduced by Europeans.

Which of the following statements can be said to be true of the colonization experience in the United States, Canada, South America, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand?

New immigrant groups often experienced significant discrimination from more established immigrant groups.

Which of the following statements characterizes how new immigrant groups arriving in the United States in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were treated by those immigrants who were more firmly established?

Latinos

Which social group was the only one to see an improvement in household family income (adjusted for inflation) in the 1990s?

push factors

With regard to migration, the dynamics within a country of origin that *force people to emigrate*, such as war, famine, or political oppression, are referred to as ________.

assimilation

Yelena's family moved to the United States from Russia when she was a small child. Her parents only permitted her to speak English at home and they quickly embraced American holidays such as Halloween and Thanksgiving, and American pastimes such as baseball and miniature golf. This example describes which model of ethnic integration?

Ethnicity

_______ refers to *cultural practices* and outlooks of a given community that have emerged historically and *set people apart*.

Segregation

________ can be defined as the legal or social practice of separating people on the basis of their race or ethnicity.

The system of racial segregation established in South Africa.

apartheid

The acceptance of a minority group by a majority population, in which the new group takes on the values and norms of the dominant culture.

assimilation

The *dispersal of an ethnic population from an original homeland into foreign areas*, often in a forced manner or under traumatic circumstances.

diaspora

*Behavior that denies to the members of a particular group resources or rewards* that can be obtained by others. Individuals who are prejudiced against others may not engage in discriminatory practices against them; conversely, people may act in a discriminatory fashion toward a group even though they are not prejudiced against that group.

discrimination

The *transferring of ideas* or emotions from their true source to another object.

displacement