Chapter 8: Race and Ethnicity

double-consciousness

WEB DuBois's term for divided identity experienced by blacks in the U.S.

pluralism

a cultural pattern of intergroup relations that enourages racial and ethnic variation within a society

cultural assimilation

the process by which racial or ethnic groups are absorbed into the dominant group by adopting the dominant group's culture

assimilation

a pattern of relations between ethnic or racial groups in which the minority group is absorbed into the mainstream or dominant group, making society more homogenous

racism

a set of beliefs about the superiority of one racial or ethnic group; used to justify unquality and often rooted in the assumption that differences between groups are genetic - often rooted in assumption that differences among groups are biologically based; negative view of group's cultural characteristics - presumes one group is better than the other

ethnicity

a socially defined category based on common language, religion, nationality, history, or another cultural factor - category composed of men and women who share a common cultural heritage - minority racial or ethnic group which is at social disadvantage and underrepresented

race

a socially defined category based on real or perceived biological differences between groups of people - no "pure" races; no such thing as "superior" race -race is not based on biology - racial categories change over time - racial categories never have firm boundaries

situational ethnicity

an ethnic identity that can be either displayed or concealed depending on its usefulness in a given situation - involves kind of cost-benefit analysis that symbolic ethnicity does not: we need to appraise each situation to determine whether or not it favors our ethnicity - based on situation when one is going to reveal an identity - if it it not useful, a person is not going to display his/her ethnicity

symbolic ethnicity

an ethnic identity that is only relevant on specific occasions and does not significantly impact everyday life - enactments of ethnic ethnicity that occur only on special occasions

functionalist approach to understanding race

an explanation of how prejudice and discrimination develop, by focusing on social solidarity and group cohesion - groups have tendency toward ethnocentrism (belief that ones own culture and way of life are right/normal - positive feelings about ones group are strong ties that bind people together - cohesiveness can lead members to see others in unfavorable light

prejudice

an idea about the characteristics of a group that is applied to all members of that group and is unlikely to change regardless of the evidence - leads to discrimination: an action or behavior that results in unequal treatment of individuals because of their membership in a certain racial/ethnic group

race consciousness

an ideology that acknowledges race as a powerful social construct that shapes our individual and social experiences - awareness of the importance of race in our everyday lives and dealings with social institutions

color-blind racism

an ideology that removes race as an explanation for any form of unequal treatment

individual discrimination

discrimination carried out by one person against another - occurs when one person treats others unfairly because of their race/ethnicity

institutional discrimination

discrimination carried out systematically by insitutions (political, economic, educational, and others) that affect all members of a group come into contact with it - results: income inequalities, quality of life (expectancy for non-whites is less years, inferior healthcare, food, shelter, etc.)

conflict approach to understanding race

focuses on struggle for power and control - "split labor market" keeps wages low for racial and ethnic minorities - link between race and class does not provide explanation for stratification

minority group

members of a social group that is systematically denied the same access to power and resources available to society's dominant groups but who are not necessarily fewer in number than the dominant groups - group or member of distinct racial, religious, ethnic, or political identity that is smaller or less powerful than the communities controlling group - defined as group of people singled out for unequal treatment by their physical or cultural characteristics and who regard themselves as object of collective discrimination - denied access to power/resources - more likely to perceive themselves as targets of collective discrimination - membership may serve as kind of "master status," overriding any other status (i.e. gender, age) - members may be subjected to racist beliefs about group as a whole/suffer from social disadvantages - cannot technically be a 'group'; group does not have common purpose - category of people

passing

presenting yourself as a member of a different racial or ethnic group than the one you were born into - living as if one is a member of a different racial category - manufacturing/maintaining new identity that is more beneficial than ones real identity

affirmative action

programs or policies that seek to rectify the effects of past discrimination by increasing representation and ensuring equal opportunity for any previously disadvantaged group

miscegenation

romantic, sexual, or marital relationships between people of different races

cultural appropriation

the adoption of cultural elements belonging to an oppressed group of members of the dominant group, without permission and often for the dominant group's gain - when dominant group adopts cultural elements from a marginalized group and use them for their own advantage (i.e. art, music, dance, etc.)

genocide

the deliberate and systematic externation of a racial, ethnic, national, or cultural group

internal colonialism

the economic and political domination and subjugation of the minority group by the controlling group within a nation

population transfer

the forcible removal of a group of people from the territory they have occupied

segregation

the formal and legal separation of groups by race or ethnicity

racial assimilation

the process by which racial minority groups are absorbed into the dominant group through intermarriage

embodied identity

those elements of identity that are generated through others' perceptions of our physical traits

discrimination

unequal treatment of individuals based on their membership in a social group; usually motivated by prejudice - motivated by desire of the majority to gain or increase control over scarce goods/services - person can be prejudiced and still not discriminate against others