Sociology exam 2 study questions
What is the history of the Hmong community?
During the Vietnam War, the US recruited Hmong people in Laos to fight in the war (this was known as The Secret War. Because of this service, the US eventually took in a large number of Hmong refugees.
Why does Derrick Bell critique the decision in Brown v. Board Education?
He says that the court focused too much on the "separate" side of the equation and not enough on the "equal" side of the equation, leading to a decision that didn't adequately enforce the need for the education system to be "good" rather than just "equal."
What specifically is the author of this piece calling for?
"All 85 million acres of national-park sites should be turned over to a consortium of federally recognized tribes in the United States."
Why does The Cosby Show make some people uncomfortable?
"As the dominant representation of blacks on TV, it suggests that blacks are solely responsible for their social conditions, with no acknowledgement of the severely constricted life opportunities that most black people face. . . . it's not the representation itself (a child of college-educated parents is believable), but the role it begins to play in our culture, the status it takes on as being, well, truly representative. . . . The social vision of ''Cosby'' reflecting the minuscule integration of blacks into the upper middle class throws the blame for black poverty back onto the impoverished."
What was the "problem" with The Cosby Show?
"Ostensibly a "positive" image of a Black family, the show was criticized for inviting white viewers to believe that racial progress had already been achieved."
What is the central puzzle CRT seeks to understand?
"The students saw that stark racial inequality had persisted despite the civil rights legislation of the 1950s and '60s. They sought, and then developed, new tools and principles to understand why."
What myth did the success of the Cosby show contradict?
"What lies behind these sorts of arguments is a belief that social policies affecting black Americans were largely determined by our popular images in the media. . . . ''Cosby'' exposes more white Americans than ever before to the most nobly idealized blacks in the history of entertainment, yet social and economic conditions for the average black American have not been bleaker in a very long time." In other words, social policies that hurt or fail to help Black Americans are not solely driven by caricatured or negative views held by White people—they are entrenched in the system so that they can operate even alongside TV programming promoting a notion of racial equality.
What were the three major pieces of Civil Rights legislation? What is White flight?
1. Civil Rights Act of 1964- Bans segregation and employment discrimination 2. Voting Rights Act of 1965- Bans various tools used by states (particularly Southern states) to restrict Black voters and implements federal monitoring in states with a history of discrimination against Black voters (the latter later overturned in a 2013 Surpeme Court decision) 3. Fair Housing Act of 1968- Bans housing discrimination (but does not eliminate it—legalistic fallacy)
What are two remedies for racial inequality in schools discussed in lecture? What is the biggest challenge faced by school administrators in addressing racial inequality?
1. Curriculum- Reduce Eurocentricity in the curriculum and highlight voices of color more 2. Professional learning- Training to tackle implicit bias The biggest challenge is that so much of the achievement gap is driven by deeply entrenched structural factors that school administrators don't really have the ability to address. Things like disparities in school funding, residential segregation, and the correlation between socioeconomic status and school achievement.
Excluding graduation rates and test scores, give 5 examples of structural educational disparities shown in lecture.
1. Higher student loan debt for Black Americans in particular 2. Higher rate of suspensions for Black students in particular 3.Underrepresentation of American Indian and Black students in particular in advanced (AP) classes 4.Concentration of Black and Hispanic teachers in schools with higher percentages of minority students and higher levels of socioeconomic disadvantage 5. School funding disparities based on local property tax base
What were the three generations of segregation?
1. Pre-Segregation- Racial subordination/domination is prevalent, so segregation was relatively low. Racial minorities could be "controlled" by White Supremacy and violence without achieving "separation." 2. Segregation- Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) represents a formal endorsement of legal segregation by the Supreme Court. After abolition undermined subordination, segregation (particularly in the South, but also in the North through somewhat less formal strategies) became the new approach to enforcing White Supremacy 3. Post-Civil Rights- Brown v. Board (1954) ends segregation and Civil Rights laws a decade later abolish legalized racial discrimination. There is an initial integration effort, although it peters out over time and settles into a system of de-facto segregation with deep structural inequalities
Explain the relevance of the following elements of the criminal justice system for mass incarceration:
1. Public defenders- Lower income defendants and defendants of color are way more likely to require their services. They have much worse outcomes than private attorneys (and tend to be given overwhelming case loads that prevent them from giving each defendant/case the attention/day in court they deserve) 2. Mandatory minimum sentences- A law that says that if a defendant is convicted of a particular crime, the judge must sentence them to a minimum amount of years. These laws were used to make sentences longer under mass incarceration and limited the ability of judges (who can consider all factors in a case) to use discretion when sentencing. They also can be used to bully defendants into plea deals using the threat of a conviction and mandatory minimum sentence 3. Death penalty- The death penalty tends to disproportionately be used on defendants of color and there is also a strong correlation between the race of victims and death penalty sentences (White victims are much more likely to result in death penalty sentences) 4. Recidivism- When someone reoffends (commits a crime and then later commits another crime). Evidence from lecture suggests that recidivism rates are very high in the US, which suggests that our criminal justice system is not very good at "rehabilitating" criminals
Describe the two visions for Black education advocated for by W. E. B. DuBois, and Booker T. Washington.
1. Vocational schools (Washington)- work within the system of White domination by focusing on "practical" vocational skills (technical education) 2. Talented Tenth (DuBois)- identify African-Americans students with the most potential to become leaders in the community and give them a top-notch liberal arts education that will allow them to rise in society and help overthrow White domination
When was this article written? What is its thesis? What is its conclusion?
1989. Thesis: "There is very little connection between the social status of black Americans and the fabricated images of black people that Americans consume each day . . . Today, blacks are doing much better on TV than they are in real life." Conclusion: "The representations of blacks on TV is a very poor index to our social advancement or political progress."
What is negotiated authenticity?
A kind of Blackness presented on TV that may be produced by Black storytellers but only within the boundaries allowed by White executives and audiences. The depictions of race on TV are structured by the racial hierarchy present in the entertainment industry and "racial authenticity" in media is always subject to that process.
What is a food desert? What creates them?
A neighborhood/place that lacks/is far from supermarkets, and particularly healthy food options These tend to occur in two places- rural areas and poor neighborhoods. They are also tied to the state of transportation (e.g. poor public transportation options coupled with limited car ownership makes food options less accessible)
What is stop and frisk and how does it relate to race?
A policy in New York City where police would randomly stop pedestrians and search them for weapons and drugs. The policy became controversial because the people being stopped were overwhelmingly African American (90% compared to being 24% of the city's population) leading to accusations of racial profiling and violation of civil rights.
What was the Southern Strategy?
A strategy by Richard Nixon to convince working class Whites to vote for him (a Republican) by talking a lot about crime and chaos in inner city neighborhoods. The idea was to try and benefit from the opposition to the Civil Rights movement among Southern Whites by making statements that drew on racial resentment without being "explicitly" racist (dog-whistle politics)
What is acculturation? What is assimilation?
Acculturation is when individuals of a minority culture participate in the majority culture but hold on to aspects of their original culture (the majority culture incorporates these aspects) Assimilation is when individuals of a minority culture are fully absorbed into the majority culture and give up their original culture in the process
Define and explain the difference between the following terms: acculturation, amalgamation, assimilation, appropriation
Acculturation: process of social, psychological and cultural change that results from blending between cultures Amalgamation: mixing two cultures to create a new culture Assimilation: brings one culture into a dominant one Appropriation: occurs when members of one ethnic or racial group adopt a cultural product associated with another The key differences: appropriation maintains two separate cultures, the rest tend to create 1. Assimilation gives up the minority culture, while amalgamation and acculturation preserve elements of it. Amalgamation creates a new culture, while acculturation modifies the majority culture.
Why did the subprime mortgage crisis have a disproportionate racial impact?
African Americans (as well as Hispanics) were way more likely to receive sub-prime loans (partly a consequence of the wealth gap). The collapse in the housing market meant that many houses were worth less than the value of these loans leading to widespread foreclosures that particularly impacted African Americans and Hispanics
What is the conflict taking place around the Stibnite Gold Project?
An Idaho mining company is seeking to develop a gold mine that will also produce a key element for renewable energy batteries. However, this project could threaten the local fish habitats relied on by the Nez Perce tribe.
What was sharecropping? Why was it historically significant?
An attempt to redistribute Southern land after the Civil War to newly freed Blacks ("40 acres and a mule") was shut down by President Andrew Johnson (a Southerner and Lincoln's successor post-assassination), who redistributed the land back to White owners. Newly freed Blacks were forced to become wage laborers on the land in return for a share of agricultural produce. These arrangements were heavily tilted in favor of White landowners and became a system that essentially replicated the labor exploitation and social control of slavery post-abolition and reinforced White supremacy in the South
Simone Manuel
Became the first Black American woman to win an individual Olympic gold in swimming in 2016 (in part due to long history of exclusion of African Americans from swimming facilities)
Why does Ellis say that, "all of the necessary ingredients for structural racism have been present for so long"?
Because Minneapolis has a long history of entrenched residential segregation and it has never been addressed allowing racial inequality to persist in the city.
Why does Jones (and equity leaders of color like him) experience "a profound sense of frustration and disappointment)?
Because he is criticized from all sides for the district's shortcomings even while he doesn't have the power to really implement or develop transformative changes (and has his proposals often ignored). Furthermore, as an educator of color, he feels a personal responsibility for students of color he advocates for.
What was the effect of the Great Migration on residential segregation?
Before the Great Migration, the number of African Americans in Northern cities was relatively small and they didn't experience a lot of segregation. After the Great Migration, the number of African Americans increased significantly and it helped lead to the creation of racially segregated neighborhoods (with Blacks being confined to neighborhoods with much worse quality housing that soon became overcrowded)
What is Bell's point about Brown v. Board and the idea of a "personal failure"?
Bell argued that Brown v. Board did not resolve structural racial inequalities, but it did create the illusion of equality and thus legitimated the status quo. It made the achievement gap seem like a personal failure rather than an issue of denied equality.
What is happening in Binghampton?
Binghamton has been revitalized and is undergoing gentrification (home prices are rising and long-term residents are getting priced out)
Rose Robinson
Civil Rights Activist and high jumper who refused to stand for the national anthem in 1959 and later declined participating in international trips meant to showcase America's achievement of racial equality during the Cold War
According to Ray, what can be done about racial stereotyping?
Contact theory- increasing interaction with members of minority groups reduces prejudice and stereotyping. Ray says we need more interaction between majority and minority groups.
What is the difference between cultural capital and social capital?
Cultural capital- One's own knowledge and experience with cultural practices Social capital- Who you know, the resources accrued from one's social network
Why did DuBois say, "'The more highly trained we become, the less we can laugh at [Black] comedy."
DuBois was suggesting that Black comedy is always based on the undercurrent of racism—of laughing at Black characters for their shortcomings not as equals but as someone looking down on someone.
What is the historical context behind the emergence of hip hop?
Emerged as a form of protest and resistance on behalf of Black Americans. The question raised in lecture was whether or to what degree it has maintained that as the central substantive feature of the genre.
What are ethnic enclaves and what are the three theories to explain them? What are colonias?
Ethnic enclaves- Concentration of a particular ethnic group in a neighborhood (an Irish neighborhood, Koreatown, etc...) Three theories: 1) Spatial assimilation thesis- New immigrants start in enclaves and then assimilate 2) Ethnic community thesis- New immigrants choose to settle in enclaves because they're spaces where their culture is preserved 3) Racial segregation- New immigrants are forced into enclaves by housing discrimination elsewhere Colonia- Unofficial (limited official services) very low-income communities along the US-Mexico border
Jack Johnson
First African-American world heavyweight boxing champion in 1908, which invoked opposition from White people
What was the purpose of Indian Boarding Schools?
Forced assimilation (completely eliminate Native culture and replace it with European/White culture including Christianity and vocational skills)
Harry Edwards
Founder of the Sociology of Sports and civil rights activist
What is racial authenticity? How does it relate to pop culture?
From lecturer, racial authenticity is: "The notion of racial identity that seeks to define the essence of racial groups by including or excluding certain behaviors from the repertoire that constitutes a group's aesthetic identity" Racial authenticity in pop culture is "negotiated" within the power dynamics of the entertainment industry (with disproportionately White executives) Pop culture can also lead to a deceptive understanding of race whether through the portrayal of stereotypes, by suggesting that racial inequality is resolved, or by suggesting that the life experiences of racial minorities is entirely defined by racial trauma
What is gentrification? What is zoning? What is NIMBYism?
Gentrification is when lower-income, often diverse urban neighborhoods begin experiencing a surge of interest and investment leading to rising property values, but also long-time residents getting priced out (and often the neighborhood getting increasingly White). Zoning is what governs what can and cannot be done and what can and cannot be built on a particular plot of land. In many cities, there is controversy about land zoned only for single family houses, since multi-family buildings increase the supply of housing and of affordable housing in the city. NIMBY stands for Not In My Backyard and refers to residents who don't want projects located near them. For example, local residents blocking a new apartment building with many affordable housing units because they're concerned that it will hurt their property values would be "NIMBYs"
What is meant in lecture by the term "colorblind representation"?
Having a diverse cast (representation), but not actually addressing the implications of that (no attention to racial issues, characters not really contextualized at all by their race/ethnic background). This is in contrast to shows that feature diverse casts and heavily focus on the implications of that for its characters' experiences
What happened to the Bates' farm?
In the early 1980s, there was an agricultural recession in the midwest and many farmers fell behind on their loan payments. The Bates were unable to secure government assistance and had their farm foreclosed on.
What does the article mean when it says, "Fifty years later, Black writers and producers are more likely to encounter the opposite problem"
In the past, Black writers and producers weren't really allowed to talk about racial issues on TV (and if they were it was only in ways palatable to White producers). Today, they are, but networks are increasingly demanding that Black writers explore issues of racial trauma and racism to the point where it's becoming almost exploitative and where racial authenticity is still being defined in a narrow way.
What is the individualistic fallacy? What is the tokenistic fallacy? How are they relevant to the depiction of race in pop culture?
Individualistic- Racism is always individual and about prejudice (an individual having negative views of people of a different race) and not structural Tokenistic- If one member of a racial minority group can achieve success (Barack Obama), there are no longer any racial barriers facing that racial group For individualistic, Depictions of racism in film often emphasize racism as an individual/prejudicial phenomenon and miss the bigger picture of structural racism (Crash, Green Book, etc...) For tokenistic, this relates to the argument that the Cosby Show, by depicting a socioeconomically successful Black family, sent the message that there were no more racial barriers in society and equality was fully achieved.
What is the difference between institutionalized and direct action?
Institutionalized- Methods of protest proscribed or allowed by institutions. Direct- Methods of protest that were not supported by institutions and are thus more "disruptive" to the status quo
What was the critique of the New Jim Crow argument presented in lecture?
It isn't clear that the War on Drugs is the main reason for mass incarceration, since most prisoners are in state rather than federal prison, and are there for violent crime convictions rather than drug crime convictions. It seems like a key driver of mass incarceration was changes in sentencing practices (making them much harsher) by prosecutors at the state level
Is the project supported by local residents?
It seems like the project is supported by many local residents due to company investments in the area as well as the promise of jobs, but it is opposed by the local tribe.
Summarize the history of swimming and race described in lecture.
Jim Crow involved segregated swimming pools, and Black pools were extremely unequal. Desegregation led to the closure of many public pools (to avoid having an integrated space). Swim clubs also systematically excluded Black Americans during the 1950s and 1960s (later on white flight/residential segregation continued to achieve de facto exclusion in many white dominated swimming spaces)
What was observed in lecture about the representation of Latinos in pop culture?
Latinos are disproportionately young and interested in seeing content that accurately depicts their culture, but Latinos are currently significantly underrepresented in pop culture. As the influence of the Latino community continues to grow in coming years, this is something that should be expected to change
How do liberals and conservatives define bigotry differently according to the author?
Liberals define it by outcome, conservative define it by intention
What do liberals need to do according to the author? What do conservatives need to do?
Liberals need to stop stigmatizing conservatives for having a different definition of bigotry or different views on issues like race. Conservatives need to stop being naive about the racially unequal effects of some policies they advocate.
What does Ray argue about the role of the "hoodie" in the killing of Trayvon Martin? What is criminalization?
Lots of individuals wear hoodies and are not stereotyped as dangerous or threatening. Trayvon Martin was killed because he was a Black male and was stereotyped and criminalized for that not because he wore a hoodie. Criminalization is the inability to separate a person from criminality based on their group identity.
What is the composition of farmworkers today? Why is this the case?
Majority are foreign-born and around 50% are undocumented. The reason is that labor conditions for farmworkers are terrible and historically agricultural producers have relied on heavily exploitative labor with low wages, long hours, and poor regulation. Since this makes it hard to recruit workers, agricultural employers have relied on laborers with very little bargaining power.
What is the "Minnesota Paradox"?
Minneapolis is a place that rates very highly in terms of "best places to live" but also has one of the highest levels of racial inequality in the country.
What argument does the film make about the prison industrial complex?
One of the ways that mass incarceration has been perpetuated is by corporations that profit off it. ALEC is a political group that brings together state legislators and corporations to pass legislation. CCA (private prison company) was a member of ALEC and sought policies that would increase incarceration, since this led to more profits for CCA.
What has made access to grants challenging for Hmong farmers in Wisconsin?
The grants exist, but many Hmong farmers are unaware of them. The article attributes this to technology barriers, language barriers, and the lack of a Wisconsin advocacy organization for Hmong farmers.
What does Fielding-Singh observe about the difference in how parents of different socioeconomic classes approach junk food for their kids?
Parents from higher socioeconomic classes tend to regulate their children's diets more aggressively and cut out junk food. Parents from lower socioeconomic classes are more willing to compromise on junk food and fast food, because it's something they can finally "say yes" to and it ensures that they won't waste food (since their children will finish meals) and it's often economically efficient (cheap).
What are some "structural" elements in this article?
Pay gap between White and non-White writers, the disproprtionate number of White people working as executives; basically anything that points to the existence of a racial hierarchy in the entertainment industry in terms of which racial groups have access to the most power and resources.
What is John Pfaff's critique of Alexander's work? How does Alexander respond?
Pfaff pointed out that only 16% of state prisoners were there on drug charges and even fewer were both low level and nonviolent. So very few state prisoners are non-violent drug offenders. Alexander responds by saying there are many more people affected by the system than those in prisons including people on probation, parole, people who were formerly incarcerated, and people in heavily affected communities.
What is narrowcasting? How does it relate to changes in media over time?
Pop culture media that is aimed at a particular audience/sub-group rather than all people. In particular, media that is aimed towards a racial/ethnic group and depicts something about the experiences or lives of members of that racial/ethnic group. In the past, TV shows were almost always aimed towards a broad audience and sought to avoid alienating any members of that audience by focusing on racial issues. Today, with the rise of cable and then streaming, broadcasters accept that they are targeting smaller but enthusiastic audiences and embrace (to a degree) shows that are about racial issues
What is the problem faced by residents in Orange Mound? How is it reflective of a broader societal problem?
Property values in the neighborhood dropped 30 percent from 2009 to 2019. The broader problem is how across America, property ownership has yielded huge wealth for White families but not for Black families.
What is new about the kinds of activism happening in sports? What is significant about this?
Protest in sports has been shifting from the previous model of individual acts of protest to more collective action. This is significant because collective action can be more effective since it overcomes the risk a single athlete can face for an act of individual protest.
What are the key tenets of Critical Race Theory according to the article?
Race as a social construction, rejection of colorblindness, acknowledge of racial disparities that currently exist in the US, structural analysis of how the racial hierarchy has persisted
What are the four obstacles faced in equity work?
Reluctance to redesign structures and systems Awareness without accountability A position on the margins All the responsibility, little of the authority
What is residential segregation? How is it measured? How do researchers test for housing discrimination?
Residential segregation is when racial groups are distributed throughout an area so that members of different racial groups tend not to inhabit the same spaces. It is measured by a dissimilarity index, which just measures what percent of a minority group would have to move in order for the distribution to be uniform (a higher score means higher levels of segregation). Researchers test for housing discrimination through audit studies- pairs of testers are sent to buy/rent a house or apartment who have an identical profile, but are of different races. If members of one racial group are consistently treated differently across a large number of experiments, that is evidence of discrimination
What was the incident that according to Alexander, "Forever changed the way I viewed myself as a civil-rights lawyer and the system I was up against"? Why was it so impactful?
She encountered a young African-American man who had taken detailed notes on his encounters with the police (stops, searches, frisks) over a 9 month period. She was considering him as a potential plaintiff in a class-action racial profiling lawsuit, but then discovered that he was a convicted drug felon (he said that police had planted the drugs on him). When she told him that she couldn't represent him, he asked what was to become of him and told her about how he'd taken the plea because he was scared of jail and now his life was ruined (can't get a job, can't get into public housing, can't get food stamps).
According to Alexander, did Black communities support mass incarceration? Why or why not?
She says that they did call for public safety, but they also called for investment in jobs and education and many other aspects of improving communities and that the only investment that came was in building up a system of mass incarceration. So she says that public safety is supported, but mass incarceration is not what Black communities were asking for.
What was "the Shonda effect"?
Shonda Rhimes—a Black female showrunner—launched the show Grey's Anatomy about a diverse group of doctors, which became a huge hit. "In the years following her breakaway success, the industry green-lit a wave of new series by and about people of color, a seismic change that has been called 'the Shonda effect.'"
What are similarities and differences between the housing situation experienced in poor rural white communities and poor urban nonwhite communities
Similarities: Isolation from economic opportunities, inadequate housing, stigmatization, environmental problems, political neglect Differences: someone leaving a poor rural white community (to go to college say) won't face barriers or discrimination based on what they look like, very different politics in these two places
What does Fielding-Singh say about how food is used by different parents in relation to assimilation?
Some parents try to avoid feeding their children foods from their culture or sending them to school with those foods because they want their child to "fit in" and assimilate. These parents are very concerned about the stereotypes others might hold of their childrens' diets. Other parents try to preserve their cultural traditions through food.
Describe the trajectory over time of the crime rate.
Steady increase from 1960 to 1980 Steady and persistent decline from 1990 to 2010 Similar pattern in the violent crime rate
A. Describe the following three theories in the context of the criminal justice system: structural functionalism, symbolic interaction, conflict theory
Structural functionalism- Structural is that there is a racial hierarchy in the criminal justice system where some racial groups have less access to resources/receive worse outcomes. Functionalist adds that criminal justice outcomes are a product of all the different systems in society working together and that the criminal justice system serves a "function" in society (to bring people together in society by punishing those who break its rules). Symbolic interactionism- The perceptions and meanings of race that operate in and influence events in the criminal justice system (a judge giving harsher sentences to a member of a minority group because they perceive them to be more "dangerous") Conflict theory- Looking at how economic inequality drives outcomes in the criminal justice system (e.g. how the system of cash bail has differential effects for defendants of different socioeconomic status)
Why might suburban poverty be rising?
Suburbs originally built by White flight (White people fleeing cities). Now, we see the reverse pattern, with many White people moving back into cities (gentrification) and pricing out lower income non-Whites who then move to the suburbs (creating a mix of wealthy suburbs and poor suburbs). Furthermore, low income people in suburbs have less access to employment and social services than in major cities
What is SNAP? Who is eligible for this program?
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (often referred to as "food stamps"). The program is intended to help low-income families afford food as well as foods that can contribute to a healthy diet (fresh fruits and vegetable). Eligibility is based on being low-income, although states can ban persons convicted of felonies from the program
What theoretical perspective does this reading reflect?
Symbolic- how Black men are perceived/what meanings are attributed to them
What is Ellis' conclusion about the "Minnesota Paradox"?
That it is really an "American paradox." What is happening in Minneapolis in terms of persisting structural racism and the lack of an appetite to do anything about it is what has happened for a long time all over America.
What is the significance of the film's title ("13th")?
The 13th Amendment abolished slavery, but maintained an exception for "punishment for crime." The film is arguing that through mass incarceration, the criminal justice system has become a new system of controlling and dominating African Americans and stripping them of their rights, replacing earliest systems like slavery and Jim Crow segregation.
Describe the public and private housing policies of the federal government in the mid-20th century and their impact on segregation.
The context is that cities were overcrowded and needed more housing and much better quality housing (urbanization had led to the buildup of slums and tenements that often did not follow building or occupancy codes) Public- Build affordable public housing projects. However, these were segregated projects, and most were Whites-only Private- Subsidize private housing construction and homebuying, particularly in the suburbs. This government support was often explicitly discriminatory through redlining, which meant that Whites were given an overwhelming government-driven advantage in home ownership that ensured the persistence of a wealth gap until today
What is Shomari Jones' job title and what are his duties? What is "equity"?
The director of equity and strategic engagement for the Bellevue School District. His job is to work on and propose equity initiatives and to maintain the relationship between local communities of color and district staff. Equity is seeking equality that accounts for the particular needs of different people.
What evidence was presented in lecture for the "racialization of drug use"?
The disparity in sentencing between crack and cocaine (despite being the same drug, the latter received far harsher sentences and also was the version of the drug predominantly used by Blacks while the latter was predominantly used by Whites) The fact that a higher proportion of White high school seniors report using drugs, but Blacks are arrested for drug crimes at way higher rates
What is the "economic wall" surrounding Orange Mound? What are the historical factors that have created and sustained it?
The economic wall is the difficulty Orange Mound has faced as a predominantly Black neighborhood attracting investment and social support. Historically, Memphis was a city that saw significant white flight, but continued to provide services to White suburbs after residents fled, while failing to provide basic serves to Black neighborhoods.
What is code switching? How does it relate to the idea of oppositional culture? Is it an example of a structural or symbolic phenomenon?
The existence of a racial hierarchy can result in a contrast between the dominant culture and a minority culture. To the extent that the minority culture is shaped by pushing back against the dominant culture- this is known as oppositional culture. For a person from a minority culture, they may seek to "fit in" to the dominant culture in some spaces (predominantly white institutions for example) while practicing the minority culture when they're in other spaces (at home for example). To the extent that someone "switches" their behavior between these two cultures depending on the space they're in, they're practicing code switching. It's an example of a symbolic phenomenon because it's about racial meanings and how they interact in different spaces.
What is the argument that Priya Fielding-Singh set out to debunk? How did she conduct research to do this?
The food desert argument or "This idea that there are low-income communities, often communities of color, that do not have supermarkets within their bounds and that this lack of supermarkets leads to a lack of fresh produce, which leads to poor diet quality." Her research involved 160 interviews with parents and kids as well as extensive in-person observations of the food habits of families.
What is "the achievement gap"
The large disparities in educational outcomes by students of different races. Can most easily be measured by graduation rates and test scores (lecture included a number of charts showing these gaps)
Why does the piece state that "the American West began with war but concluded with parks."
The piece argues that these parks were founded on land that once belonged to Native Americans and were seized by invading armies or through coerced treaties that were not even fully honored. The piece is essentially saying that these parks and the beautiful nature that they represent were used to cover up the history of bloodshed and injustice that led up to their creation.
What was the difference between the war on crime and the war on drugs?
The war on crime was a rhetorical political strategy by Nixon to use fear of crime to win elections. The war on drugs was an actual policy put into place by Reagan involving widespread investment in the prison system and efforts to put more and more people in prison. So the war on crime was more so rhetoric, the war on drugs was policy.
What is the prison boom? Describe the trajectory over time and the statistical trends with the incarceration rate.
The significant increase in the number of prisons and incarceration rate after 1970. This represented (to some degree) a shift in strategy toward mass incarceration, as America has a much higher incarceration rate than other countries despite similar crime rates. The incarceration rate began climbing sometime around 1970 and saw a massive increase until 2010. Other data shows how incarceration rates are particularly high for African Americans, especially African American men with no high school diploma
What is the strict scrutiny test? Why does it apply to affirmative action? What are its two components?
The strict scrutiny test is applied to affirmative action policies to assess whether they are constitutional. It is a strict legal standard because affirmative action policies seemingly violate the 14th amendment (equal protection clause) and thus require an "exception." Its two components are: it must have a compelling objective and it must be narrowly tailored (to that objective).
Why did the percentage of Black farmers go from 14% in the 1920s to 1.5% today?
The video argues that explicit government discrimination in agricultural assistance programs—including in the 1980s—was a big factor driving this decline.
What was the difference between the two Homestead Acts?
They were of very different sizes. 1862 Act (almost entirely for White people)- 1.5 million families 1866 Act (for African Americans)- 4000-5500 African Americans Also, the 1862 land was "good land" and the 1866 land was not (a lot of it was unfarmable)
John Carlos
Third place at the 200m sprint at the 1968 Olympics who famously held up a fist at the medal ceremony to symbolize Black power and solidarity
Why did the use of the term Critical Race Theory "skyrocket" according to the article?
Trump saw a Tucker Carlson interview with someone from a conservative think tank about it and issued an executive memo banning it in federal agencies. Conservative politicians/groups then picked up the term as a way to refer to race-related ideas they disagreed with.
Describe the three key affirmative action cases discussed in lecture.
UC Davis v. Bakke (1978)- The medical school at UC Davis used a quota system (16 out of 100 spots were designated for minority students). The Supreme Court ruled that a quota system was not narrowly tailored (it gave race too big of a role in the admissions process) and deemed the policy unconstitutional. Quotas have been illegal ever since Grutter v. Bollinger (2003)- The law school at University of Michigan used holistic admissions to pursue an objective of diversity to improve the educational experience offered to students. The Supreme Court found the latter to be a compelling objective and found that holistic admissions was narrowly tailored since race only played a small role in the process SFFA v. Harvard (2019)- Harvard was sued by a conservative group opposing affirmative action (SFFA) through an Asian American plaintiff alleging that Asian Americans were facing discrimination (a quota or "ceiling") in the admissions process at Harvard. The argument was that more Asian Americans should be getting admitted if the application process was based solely on academics, however Harvard uses a holistic admissions approach, which is where the discrepancy comes from. It is unclear that these dynamics really have anything to do with affirmative action and courts have ruled in favor of Harvard in the case.
What are the three social psychological processes discussed in the article through which racial stereotypes persist?
Ultimate attribution error- Undesirable characteristics exhibited by out-group members are perceived by those in the in-group as innate (negative behaviors are biological or rooted in one's culture). Positive characteristics are exhibited to external factors (education). Subjective uncertainty- When there is minimal understanding of how someone should be categorized, individuals use stereotypes Selective perception- Individuals see only behaviors that confirm their stereotypes and not those that refute them
What is blackface and what is its historical context? What is yellowface?
When performers or people paint their face to portray a Black "character" This originated in minstrel shows (from 1830 to 1910) that used blackface to make fun of Black people and promote White supremacy. Yellowface is when White actors were cast to play Asian characters, which could also involve painting their face in addition to other extreme racial stereotypes and caricatures
What is felony disenfranchisement? What does the film argue about it?
When someone is convicted of a felony in most states, they lose their right to vote. In some states, they don't regain this right even after they've been released from prison and gone through probation. The film frames this as part of the "New Jim Crow" analogy with mass incarceration since the voting rights of (disproportionately) Black Americans have been curtailed through felony convictions.
What is tracking? How does it relate to race?
When students are assigned to different classes based on their perceived ability (assigning some students to AP classes and some students to regular classes for example). It relates to race because A) There are significant disparities by race in who ends up in these advances classes B) Tracking can accelerate initial disparities between students if those in more advanced classes get a "better" education and C) This can allow segregated educational experiences to persist even in integrated schools
C) What happened to the 4 billion relief plan for minority farmers in the American Rescue Plan?
White farmers sued alleging reverse discrimination leading to the suspension of the program.
Tommie Smith
Winner of the 200m sprint at the 1968 Olympics who famously held up a fist at the medal ceremony symbolize Black power and solidarity
Wilma Rudolph
Won three gold medals in track and field at the 1960 Olympics and refused to attend her city's homecoming parade unless it was integrated (it was, for the first time)
