Chapter 9: Race and Ethnicity

1. isolate discrimination 2. small-group discrimination 3. direct institutionalized discrimination 4. indirect institutionalized discrimination

4 major types of discrimination by Joe Feagin

Middle Eastern Americans

Includes immigrants from Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, and Jordan * The Lebanese, Syrians, and Iranians primarily come from middle class backgrounds. * most Iranian immigrants initially hoped to return to Iran; however, many have become U.S. citizens

individual discrimination

behavior consisting of one-on-one acts by members of the dominant group that harm members of the dominant group that harm members of the subordinate group pr their property

Jackie Robinson

broke baseball's "color line" in 1947

Middle East

geographic region from Afghanistan to Libya and including Arabia, Cyprus and Asiatic Turkey

critical race theory

derives its foundation from the US civil rights tradition

class perspective

emphasize the role of capitalist class in racial exploitation

inequalitarian pluralism or segregation

exists when specific ethnic groups are set apart from the dominant group and have unequal access to power and privelege

symbolic interactionists (2)

exmine how microlevel contacts between people may produce either greater racial tolerance or increased levels of hostility

Hispanic

first used by the US government to designate people of Latin American and Spanish descent living in the US

functionalists

focus on the macro level intergroup processes that occur between the dominant group and subordinate groups in society

internal colonialism

according to conflict theories, a practice that occurs when members of a racial or ethnic group are conquered or colonized and forcibly placed under the economic and political control of the dominant group

Dawes act

allowed the federal government to usurp Native American lands for the benefit of corporations and other nonnative settlers who sought to turn a profit from oil and gas exploration

socially constructed reality

an approach that social significance that people accord to race is more significant than any biological differences that might exist among people who are placed in arbitrary categories.

kye

an association that grants members money on a rotating basis to gain access to more capital (Korean Americans)

conflict theorists

analyze power and economic differentials between the dominant group and dominant group and subordinate groups

unprejudiced nondiscriminators

are not personally prejudiced and do not discriminate against other

Latino (males) Latina (females), Hispanic Americans

are used interchangeably to refer to people who trace their origins to Spanish-speaking Latin America and Iberian peninsula

cultural, structural, biological and psychological stages

assimilation occurs at several distinct levels

theory of racial formation

states that actions of the government substantially define racial and ethnic relations in the US

sports opportunity structure

the availability of facilities, coaching and competition in the schools and community recreation programs in their area

ethnic pluralism

the coexistence of a variety of distinct racial and ethnic groups within one society

institutional discrimination

the day-to-day practices of organizations and institutions that have a harmful effect on members of subordinate groups

genocide

the deliberate, systematic killing of an entire people or nation

split labor market

the division of economy into two areas of employment, a primary sector or upper tier, composed of higher paid (usually dominant group) workers in more-secure jobs, and a secondary sector or lower tier, composed of lower paid (often subordinate group) workers in jobs with little security and hazardous working conditions

gendered racism

the interactive effect of racism and sexism on the exploitation of women of color

Japanese Americans or immigrants

were men who worked on sugar plantation in the Hawaiian Islands in the 1860's

isolate discrimination

harmful action intentionally taken by a dominant-group member against a member of a subordinate group; occurs without the support of other members of the dominant group in the immediate social or community context

small-group discrimination

harmful action intentionally taken by a limited number of dominant-group members against members of subordinate groups, is not supported by existing norms or other dominant-group members in the immediate social or community context

ethnic cleansing

has been used to define a policy of "cleansing" geographic areas by forcing persons of other races or religions to flee or die

Filipinos

have among the highest level of educational attainment among Asian Americans

hijabs

head to toe covering that leaves only the face exposed

prejudiced discriminators

hold personal prejudices and actively discriminate against others

prejudiced nondiscriminators

hold personal prejudices but do not discriminate due to peer pressure, legal demands, or a desire for profits

Indochinese Americans

include people from Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Laos; are firs or second generation residents of the US

Mexican Americans or Chicanos

including both native and foreign-born people of Mexican origin; largest segment of the Latino/a population in the Us which is about 2/3

psychological assimilation

involves a change in racial or ethnic self-identification on the part of an individuall

discrimination

involves actions or practices of dominant-group members (or their representatives) that have a harmful effect on members of a subordinate group

Lynching

is a killing carried out by a group of vigilantes seeking revenge for an actual or imagined crime by the victim

white ethnic Americans

is applied to a wide diversity of immigrants who trace their origins to Ireland and to Eastern and Southern European countries such as Poland, Italy, Greece, Germany, Yugoslavia and Russian and other former Soviet republics

subordinate group

is one whose members, because of physical or cultural characteristics, are disadvantaged and subjected to unequal treatment and discrimination by the dominant group, African Americans

Chinese Americans

largest Asian American group`

Cuban Americans

live in the Southeast, esp. Florida; have fared somewhat better than other Latinos because they were affluent professionals and businesspeople who fled Cuba after Fidel Castro's 1959 Marxist revolutionist

Puerto Ricans

make up 9% of the Hispanic-origin people in the US

symbolic interactionist perspectives

make us aware of the importance of intergroup contact and the fact that it may either intensify or reduce racial and ethnic stereotyping and prejudice

unprejudiced discriminators

may have no personal prejudice but still engage in discriminatory behavior because of peer-group pressure or economic, political or social interests

overt racism

more blatant and may take the form of public statements about the "inferiority" of members of a racial or ethnic group; calling a player of color a derogatory name

civil disobedience

nonviolent action seeking to change a policy or law by refusing to comply with it- to call attention to racial inequalities and to demand greater inclusion of African Americans in all areas of public life

cultural assimilation or acculturation

occurs when members of an ethnic group adopt dominant-group traits such as language, dress, values, religion, and food preferences

biological assimilation or amalgamation

occurs when members of one group marry those of other social or ethnic groups

structural assimilation or integration

occurs when members of subordinate racial or ethnic groups gain acceptance in everyday social interaction with members of the dominant group

subtle racism

often hidden from sight and more difficult to recognize

direct institutionalized discrimination

organizationally prescribed or community-prescribed action that intentionally has a differential and negative impact on members of the subordinate groups; are carried out by a number of dominant-group members based on the norms of the immediate organization or community

stereotype

over-generalizations about the appearance, behavior, or other characteristics of members of particular categories

sincere fictions

personal beliefs that reflect larger societal mythologies, such as "I am not a racist" or "I have never discriminated against anyone"

anti-Semitism

prejudice, hostile attitudes and discriminatory behavior targeted at Jews

de facto segregation

racial separation and inequality enforced by custom; more difficult to document that de jure segregation

de jure segregation

refers to laws that systematically enforce by physical and social separation of African American in all areas of public life

ethnicity

refers to one's cultural background or national origin.

Affirmative action

refers to policies or procedures that are intended to promote equal opportunity for categories of people deemed to have been previously excluded from equality in education, employment, and other fields on the basis of characteristic such as race or ethnicity

indirect institutionalized discrimination

refers to practices that have harmful effect on subordinate-group members even though the organizationally or community-prescribed norms or regulations guiding these actions were initially established with no intent or harm

ethnocentrism

refers to the tendency to regard one's own culture and group as the standard

Nisei

second generation Japanese Americans

Filipino Americans

second largest category of Asian Americans

equalitarian pluralism or accommodation

a situation in which ethnic groups coexist in equality with one another

caste perspective

views racial and ethnic inequality as a permanent feature of US society

Asian Americans

Fastest growing racial minority in the U.S. * includes Japanese, Korean, Filipino and Indochinese Americans

authoritarian personality

(theory of prejudice) by Theodor Adorno, a personality characterized by excessive conformity, submissiveness to authority, intolerance, insecurity, a high level of superstition, and rigid, stereotypic thinking

frustration-aggression hypothesis

(theory of prejudice) states that people who are frustrated in their efforts to achieve a highly desired goal will respond with a pattern of aggression toward others

scapegoat

(theory of prejudice) the object of their aggression (frustration-aggression people) becomes this; a person or group that is incapable of offering resistance to the hostility or aggression of others; used as substitute for the actual source of frustration

symbolic interactionists

According to ______, prejudice results from social learning, in other words, it is learned from observing and imitating significant others.

1. unique cultural traits, such as language, clothing, holidays, or religious practices 2. a sense of community 3. a feeling of ethnocentrism 4. ascribed membership from birth 5. territoriality, or the tendency to occupy a distinct geographic area by choice and/or self protection

Ethnic groups share 5 main characteristics

1. have equal status 2. pursue the same goals 3. cooperate with one another to achieve their goals 4. receive positive feedback when they interact with one another in positive, nondiscriminatory ways

In contact hypothesis, symbolic interactionists point out that contact between people from divergent groups should lead to favorable attitudes and behavior when certain factors are present. Members of each group must _____, _____, _____, ______.

Latino or Hispanic-Americans

Includes Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans and Cuban Americans * Many Mexican American families have lived in the U.S. for 4 or 5 generations and have made significant contributions. *in 1917, Puerto Ricans acquired U.S. citizenship and the right to move freely to and from the mainland.

dominant and subordinate

Many sociologists prefer the terms _____ and _____ to identify power relationships that are based on perceived racial, ethnic, or other attributes and identities

1. unprejudiced nondiscriminators 2. unprejudiced discriminators 3. prejudiced nondiscriminators 4. prejudiced discriminators

Robert Merton identified 4 combinations of attitudes and responses of discrimination

1. a reduction in opportunities for developing sport skills 2. restricted opportunities for participation 3. lessening of Native American' interest in competing with and against non-Native Americans

Native American scholar Joseph B. Oxendine attributes the lack of athletic participation to these factors:

racism

a set of attitudes, beliefs, and practices that is used to justify the superior treatment of one racial or ethnic group and the inferior treatment of another racial or ethnic group * recent studies have shown that the underlying reasoning behind racism differs according to factors such as gender, age, class, and geography

(T or F) Social stratification has been based on race and ethnicity

Race and ethnicity take on importance because of how people act in regard to these terms drastically affects other people's lives, including how they are treated, and even how long they live. * nonetheless, how we classify people based on race has changed over time.

white, black, Asian or Pacific Islander, and American Indian or Alaska Native

Racial categories identified by the US Census Bureau are ________.

African Americans

Slavery was rationalized by stereotyping African Americans as inferior and childlike. *Civil Rights Acts of 1964 & 1965 sought to eliminate discrimination in education, housing, employment and health care.

Asian Americans

The US Census Bureau uses the this term ti designate the many diverse group with roots in Asia

majority group and minority group

The terms _______ and _______ are widely used, but their meanings are less clear as the composition of the US population continues to change

assimilation

a process by which members of subordinate racial and ethnic groups become absorbed into the dominant culture

not a biological one

Today, sociologists emphasize that race is a "socially constructed reality" which means _______.

race

a category of people who have been singled out as inferior or superior, often on the basis of real or alleged physical characteristics such as skin color, hair texture, eye shape and other subjectively selected attributes * race has little meaning biologically due to interbreeding in the human population

ethnic group

a collection of people distinguished, by others or by themselves, primarily on the basis of cultural or nationality characteristics

interest convergence

a crucial factor in bringing about social change

US Patriot Act

a law giving the federal government greater authority to engage in searches and surveillance with less judicial review than previously

prejudice

a negative attitude based on faulty generalization about members of specific racial, ethnic or other groups; from the Latin word, "prae" (before) and "judicium" (judgement), which means that people may be biased either for or against members of other groups even before they have had any contact with them

reverse discrimination

a person who is better qualified being denied a position because another person received preferential treatment as a result of affirmative action

dominant group

a racial or ethnic group that has the greatest power and resources in a society, whites with Northern European ancestry

self determination

the right to choose their own way of life

segregation

the spatial and social separation of categories of people by race, ethnicity, class, gender and/or religion

Cobel v. Salazar

thirteen-year old lawsuit that accused the government of mishandling revenues generated by the extraction of natural resources from American Indian land trusts as a result of the Dawes Act

anti miscegenation laws

which prohibited sexual intercourse or marriage between persons of different races