Scenario Activity CH9 - 12

CH10 As a political campaign expert with a background in sociology, you have been contacted by this candidate to assess the situation. The candidate is primarily concerned that his decline in trust among the public is related to prejudicial views concerning his Italian ancestry. In your first meeting together, he asks for your opinion. How do you respond?

While the decline in trust might be related to anti-Italian prejudice, this cannot adequately explain the sudden drop in trust, and the root of the issue most likely is another factor.

CH11 According to city records, including those of the police, the number of anti-Semitic allegations has been stable for nearly a decade, with few significant deviations. On the other hand, reported incidents by defamation groups are three times higher over the past two-month period. While Jewish defamation groups have been quick to apply the label of anti-Semitism to criticism of Israel, the police and city have not. This rise, though, happens to coincide with a surge in peaceful protests outside the Israeli consulate concerning its Middle East policies. Do you still believe that rising allegations of anti-Semitism are due to misperceptions and mislabeling?

Yes. It is obvious by the facts that reports of anti-Semitism by the city and police have remained stable, yet a rise in allegations by Jewish defamation groups happens to coincide with a surge in protests against the policies of Israel. As such, claims of rising anti-Semitism are being applied to instances of protests against a foreign government.

CH10 In investigating the situation, you have discovered that there are repeated reported instances of anti-Italian prejudice in the city, though they are limited and cannot solely explain the sudden drop in voter trust in the candidate. You also take into account that, despite the recent release of an inflammatory movie portraying Italian Americans and organized crime in a negative light, three out of seven city councilmen are Italian Americans, and their popularity and trust levels have remained high regardless of the movie. Do you still believe that anti-Italian American prejudice cannot fully explain the decline in trust?

Yes. It is obvious in light of facts that the sudden drop in trust is due to other factors besides Italian American prejudice. If prejudice was a factor, the candidate would never have had high levels of trust and popularity initially.

CH9 Asian Americans, as a whole, are at or near the top of the stratification system in terms educational levels in the United States. Much of this has been attributed to Asian cultural beliefs that encourage advancement. In a large municipality on the West coast, the educational success of Asian Americans has made national news. Asian American high school students have consistently scored the highest on state mathematics aptitude tests and are second only to whites on verbal aptitude tests, though they are closing the difference. This success has led many to brand Asian Americans as a "model minority," while at the same time causing a rise in prejudicial views and jealousy among non-Asian Americans. Let's review a few concepts before you make a decision about this scenario. How do Asian Americans compare to other racial/ethnic minorities in terms of structural assimilation?

Asian Americans have exceedingly high rates of occupational and residential integration.

CH9 In the United States, according to the widespread consensus of sociologists and psychologists, which of the following is the primary factor in explaining high educational achievement among the majority of Asian Americans?

Asian cultural values, which emphasize the importance of education and cohesiveness of the family.

CH10 Summary

At your urging, the candidate releases job details proving his business dealings were legitimate and that the accusations against him were false. Furthermore, the candidate speaks out against the movie and comments on its role in perpetuating negative stereotypes of Italian Americans. In the wake of this, his trust levels slowly rise, though regardless he is still favored easily to win the election.

CH9 Summary

Cultural values that stress the importance of hard work and education as a means of advancement and fulfilling family expectations, as exhibited by many Asian Americans, are viewed by the school board as the primary explanation for their high academic achievement. While Asian Americans do benefit from better structural factors than students of other racial/ethnic minorities, these do not result from preferential treatment. As a result, the school board is studying plans to stress the motivational values and importance placed on education as a tool for advancement, which is prevalent in Asian American households, as a way for encouraging all students to succeed.

CH12 SUMMARY

Given the facts that the complaining passenger is schizophrenic, and that the Arab American couple was not subject to any prejudicial views beyond that, the Arab American rights group has withdrawn its interest in bringing the matter to court. The passenger has apologized and released a statement citing that his concerns that day emanated from his being in an angered state exacerbated by the Arab man talking on his phone loudly in the terminal.

CH11 SUMMARY

In light of your investigation, the city council had convened a meeting between Jewish defamation groups and Arab American groups that have led protests against the policies of Israel. All sides have agreed to better understand what constitutes anti-Semitism and to identify when criticism of a foreign state transcends legitimate points and enters into the anti-Semitic realm. As a side benefit, Jewish defamation and Arab American groups have taken this opportunity to forge a bond committed to mutual peace and prosperity.

CH9 In what way does the view of Asian Americans as a "model minority" due to high educational rates negatively influence students?

It can often burden students who feel compelled to do exceedingly well in their studies and in other pursuits to uphold this image.

CH10 Allegations have emerged over the past month through social media that the candidate used nonunion labor and cheated employees while he was head of a construction group in the city. While there is no proof, such ideas are being circulated, and the candidate has so far failed to dispute them. Let's review a few more concepts before you make another decision about this scenario. In the U.S. political world today, which of the following is true for Italian Americans?

Italian Americans no longer rely on the support of substantial ethnic populations to gain office.

CH11 How do views on anti-Semitism in the United States differ between the general population and the Jewish American population?

More so than the general populations, Jewish Americans believe that anti-Semitism is more rampant.

CH11 Why were protests against the Israeli government during the 2000s more visible in Western Europe than in the United States?

Most Western European countries have much larger Muslim populations than the United States.

CH11 There is a significant gap between the number of anti-Semitic allegations reported by Jewish defamation groups and those investigated by local authorities. As a sociology expert, you have been tasked by the city council to explore the issue. You have been asked, based on your knowledge of anti-Semitism in America, if it is on the rise in the city.

No. While the figures of reported anti-Semitism are rising, they have done so only recently, and you believe that charges of anti-Semitism are arising from misperceptions and mislabeling.

CH10 Why does the view of Italian Americans as being involved in organized crime persist today?

Prevalent media depictions of Italian Americans portray them this way.

CH11 The disconnect in allegations of anti-Semitism can be placed on the willingness of Jewish defamation groups to label criticism of Israeli government policies as anti-Semitism. In the past two months, rising hostility in Israel and Palestine has resulted in mass protests against Israel across the United States including in this city. While the protests, mainly led by Arab American groups, have been peaceful and without conflict, they have been sharply critical of Israeli policies as well as the use of terrorism by certain Palestinian groups. Let's review a few more concepts before you make another decision about this scenario. Why does the existence of Israel complicate the issue of anti-Semitism?

Questions exist as to whether anti-Israeli sentiments equate with anti-Semitism.

CH12 Why are anti-Muslim and anti-Arab beliefs and actions so common in the United States today?

Recent historical events, coupled with a failure to understand Islam and the Arab American community, have resulted in a majority of the population harboring misconstrued perceptions.

CH10 Beginning with large-scale immigration in the late nineteenth century, Italians in the United States were the objects of prejudice and discrimination, sometimes of a particularly virulent nature. Perhaps the most persistent negative stereotype that Italian Americans have had to deal with involves their identification with organized crime. Even though Italian Americans are no longer subject to the brutal prejudices of the past, anti-Italian American sentiments still exist in the country. An Italian American city council candidate in a small metropolis has been seen for months in polls as the likely victor in upcoming November elections. Recently, though, surveys have shown a marked decline in the public's perception of trust in the candidate. It is not improbable that, in America today, many citizens still harbor negative views of Italian Americans. Let's review a few concepts before you make a decision about this scenario. In terms of structural assimilation, how has the Italian American community moved over decades?

The Italian American community has steadily advanced in terms of structural assimilation.

CH12 The Arab American couple on the day of the incident were waiting in the airport terminal. Both were professionally dressed, as they were on their way to a conference in New York. The man, though, was overheard talking loudly in Arabic on his phone prior to boarding, so much so that several waiting passengers moved away from their seats. Let's review a few more concepts before you make another decision about this scenario. Why do the effects of Islamophobia, which have developed over the decades in the United States, impact all Arab Americans?

The distinction made between Arabs as an ethnic group and Islam as a religion in American society is limited.

CH9 While the facts show that Asian American students in the city have a higher level of educational success, it is still unclear if this can be primarily attributed to cultural factors. The specific issues raised are the degree to which Asian Americans benefit from external factors and whether preferential treatment is indeed an issue. In investigating the situation, you conduct surveys and analyze demographics. Overall, Asian American students spend on average three and six more hours a week engaged in education-related activities than white and other minority students, respectively. Overwhelmingly, 70 percent of Asian American students are at least second-generation, and of them 90 percent live in racially diverse neighborhoods and come from middle- and higher-income homes. Of the remaining 30 percent who are first-generation, the majority come from middle-class and high-income homes, though they live in more segregated, inner-city, immigrant communities. Regarding the latter, students from low-income households in segregated neighborhoods still score higher overall in educational attainment than other racial/ethnic minorities. Overall, 90 percent of Asian American students surveyed are planning to attend university--a full 10 points higher than any other group. When asked about what motivated them, over 80 percent pointed to both a willingness to make their parents proud and to achieve economic success. Based on what have you learned, do you still believe that the educational success of Asian American students in your city is primarily tied to cultural values that are independent of external, structural factors?

Yes. Regardless of time spent in the United States, or residential and economic class factors, Asian American students overall spend more time devoted to education and have a higher willingness to advance it beyond high school. This is mostly true regardless of structural factors, and overwhelmingly Asian American students link their academic motivation to family concerns.

CH12 The removal of the Arab American couple stemmed from concerns voiced by one passenger who had overhead the man yelling in Arabic. It has been revealed that this passenger suffers from schizophrenia and a fear of flying and, as the couple was leaving the plane, apologized. The airline informed the couple that a passenger had complained and, to prevent any disruptions, offered them a reimbursement for the flight and priority boarding on the next flight out. Fully understanding the situation, the couple agreed to leave, while one passenger--a woman who lost her husband in the 9/11 attacks--criticized the pilot for asking the couple to leave. In light of this, do you still believe that this incident was not an act of Islamophobic discrimination?

Yes. The Arab American couple was not forcibly ejected from the flight; instead, they offered to leave to prevent a negative situation. The airline showed no malice, and the complaining passenger quickly apologized.

CH12 An Arab American man and his wife were recently asked to disembark a domestic flight in the United States over fears voiced by a passenger on board. The couple complied, and there was no further incident. The airline reimbursed them for the flight and gave them priority seating on the next available flight. Now, an Arab American rights group is seeking on behalf of the couple to bring this to court citing Islamophobic discrimination. As a sociology expert with a specialty in discrimination in the post-9/11 world, you have been asked to lend your professional opinion before motions are made to bring the case to court. Specifically, you are asked by the group if you believe that the removal of the couple from the plane was a clear act of unwarranted discrimination against Arab Americans. How do you respond?

You do not believe this incident was a blatant act of overt discrimination but you cannot be certain. While the couple was discriminated against, the relatively peaceful nature of the situation and the lack of slander do not make it appear negatively intentional.

CH9 As a sociologist, the local school board has contracted you to explore the high achievement of Asian American students in your city. While school administrators are proud of the success of these students, students from other ethnic minorities have not experienced the same levels of educational achievement. Based on what you already know of trends in the Asian American community, the school board has asked you to assess the cause of their achievement over other racial/ethnic groups. Specifically, they want to know the extent to which cultural values affect this success, or if it is due to preferential treatment over other racial/ethnic minorities in the city. What is your response?

You explain that, based on what you know of Asian American communities, their educational success is mostly tied to cultural values that are independent of external factors.

CH 9 Members of the local school board are keen to attribute the success of Asian American students to cultural factors that emphasize the importance of education and the cohesiveness of the family. Both serve as motivation to accomplish academically. Some in the city are not convinced, particularly leaders of other racial/ethnic groups who believe that schools with large Asian American student populations are receiving better funding and support. They argue that, unlike other racial/ethnic groups with a long history in the United States, many Asian American students are from families that have only immigrated over the past generation and have rapidly overcome hurdles that have served to limit advancement to other groups. Let's review a few more concepts before you make another decision about this scenario. Unlike the prevailing American motivational thought, it is argued that which of the following provides a greater incentive to educational success for most Asian Americans?

accomplishment on behalf of the family

CH12 Arab Americans have experienced a high level of both individual and institutional discrimination, ranging from verbal abuse to physical attacks to official government policies. Islamophobia (fear of and hostility toward Muslims), based on negative stereotypes, has been evident in the United States in the past several decades, reaching a high point following the terrorist attack of 9/11. In the wake of the 9/11 attacks and American military action in the Middle East, acts of prejudice against the Arab and Muslim American community have been on the rise. Recently, an Arab American man and his wife were asked to disembark from a domestic flight after a passenger voiced concern over their presence on board. Let's review a few concepts before you make a decision about this scenario. Muslim Americans ________.

encompass a wide variety of peoples

CH10 Despite achieving great upward mobility over generations, what continues to drive ethnic exclusion of successful Italian Americans in many areas of American society?

perseverance of traditional, demeaning Italian American stereotypes

CH11 Anti-Jewish attitudes and actions (anti-Semitism) in the United States have included not only negative stereotyping but also widespread exclusion from certain educational institutions, business areas, and social organizations. Anti-Semitism has waned considerably in recent decades, and although some aspects of anti-Jewish prejudice and discrimination remain apparent, these are not organized, popular efforts, as they were in earlier periods. The nature of anti-Semitism is changing, as are the perceptions of what constitutes it, both within and outside the Jewish community. Allegations of anti-Semitism are on the rise over the past two months in a large, multiethnic, U.S. city. Race relations in the city have been stable for decades, and it hosts a thriving Jewish American as well as a growing Arab American population. Let's review a few concepts before you make a decision about this scenario. What forms the basis for anti-Semitism?

prejudice and hostility toward Jews

CH12 Generally, the views that Americans have of Islam are based on what?

stereotypical portrayals of Muslims in the media