Soc 200 Ch 11 Race and Ethnicity openstax
functionalism on race
***all the elements of society have functions that promote solidarity and maintain order and stability in society*** ONE: people from various racial and ethnic backgrounds interacting harmoniously in a state of social balance. Problems arise when one or more racial or ethnic groups experience inequalities and discriminations creating temporary dysfunction in society. To restore the society's pre-disturbed state or to seek a new equilibrium, the police department and various parts of the system require changes and compensatory adjustments. TWO: discuss the way racism can contribute positively to the functioning of society by strengthening bonds between in-group members through the ostracism of out-group members. Argues that newcomers must assimilate by adopting the dominant group's ways -Racial-ethnic inequality provides a large pool of cheap labor -It also maintains the dominant group's current status -prejudice is functional for society and creates in-group solidarity
conflict theory on race
***often applied to inequalities of gender, social class, education, race, and ethnicity.*** Racial and ethnic differences create intergroup conflict Minority and majority groups have different interests and may find themselves at odds as they attempt to secure and protect their interests -would examine the numerous past and current struggles between the White ruling class and racial and ethnic minorities, noting specific conflicts that have arisen when the dominant group perceived a threat from the minority group. -The years since the Civil War have showed a pattern of attempted disenfranchisement, with gerrymandering and voter suppression efforts aimed at predominantly minority neighborhoods.
How to be antiracist
**breaking the vicious cycle of structural racism and implicit bias**propose that we must work collaboratively within ourselves, our institutions, and our networks to challenge racism at local, national and global levels. -Understand and own the racist ideas in which we have been socialized and the racist biases that these ideas have created within each of us. -Identify racist policies, practices, and procedures and replace them with antiracist policies, practices, and procedures. Understanding and owning the racist ideas, and recognizing your own privilege, is a good and brave thing. *****We cannot erase racism simply by enacting laws to abolish it, because it is embedded in our complex reality that relates to educational, economic, criminal, political, and other social systems. Importantly, everyone can become antiracist by making conscious choices daily. Being racist or antiracist is not about who you are; it is about what you do (Carter and Snyder 2020).****
amalgamation
**melting pot**the process by which a minority group and a majority group combine to form a new gro -sees the combination of cultures that results in a new culture entirely -Amalgamationin the form of miscegenation is achieved through intermarriage between races.
Interactionist perspective on race
**race and ethnicity provide strong symbols as sources of identity. some interactionists propose that the symbols of race, not race itself, are what lead to racism** -ONE: Herbert Blumer (1958) suggested that racial prejudice is formed through interactions between members of the dominant group: Without these interactions, individuals in the dominant group would not hold racist views. These interactions contribute to an abstract picture of the subordinate group that allows the dominant group to support its view of the subordinate group, and thus maintains the status quo. An example of this might be an individual whose beliefs about a particular group are based on images conveyed in popular media, and those are unquestionably believed because the individual has never personally met a member of that group. TWO:is to look at how people define their races and the race of others. Some people who claim a White identity have a greater amount of skin pigmentation than some people who claim a Black identity; how did they come to define themselves as Black or White?
History has shown us many examples of the scapegoating of a subordinate group.
-Adolf Hitler blamed the Jewish population for Germany's social and economic problems. -US-recent immigrants have frequently been the scapegoat for the nation's—or an individual's—woes. Many states have enacted laws to disenfranchise immigrants; these laws are popular because they let the dominant group scapegoat a subordinate group.
Arab immigrants
-first Arab immigrants came to this country in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. They were predominantly Syrian, Lebanese, and Jordanian Christians, and they came to escape persecution and to make a better life. These early immigrants and their descendants, who were more likely to think of themselves as Syrian or Lebanese than Arab, represent almost half of the Arab American population today -Restrictive immigration policies from the 1920s until 1965 curtailed immigration, but Arab immigration since 1965 has been steady. Immigrants from this time period have been more likely to be Muslim and more highly educated, escaping political unrest and looking for better opportunities. -9/11-Islamophobia (irrational fear of or hatred against Muslims)
Native Americans
-only nonimmigrant people in the United States. -once numbered in the millions but by 2010 made up only 0.9 percent of U.S. populace HISTORY: -European diseases caused the most deaths, overt mistreatment and massacres -only minority group in the United States whose subordination occurred purely through conquest by the dominant group -discrimination against Native Americans was codified and formalized in a series of laws intended to subjugate them and keep them from gaining any power. -culture was further eroded by the establishment of boarding schools in the late nineteenth century. "civilizing" run by both Christian missionaries and US gov assimilating -located off-reservation to ensure that children were separated from their families and culture. Schools forced children to cut their hair, speak English, and practice Christianity. Physical and sexual abuses were rampant for decades; only in 1987 did the Bureau of Indian Affairs issue a policy on sexual abuse in boarding schools. Some scholars argue that many of the problems that Native Americans face today result from almost a century of mistreatment at these boarding schools. CURRENTLY: Long-term poverty, inadequate education, cultural dislocation, and high rates of unemployment contribute to Native American populations falling to the bottom of the economic spectrum. Native Americans also suffer disproportionately with lower life expectancies than most groups in the United States.
New Racism
-racism has been replaced by a more subtle form of racial prejudice, termed laissez-faire, symbolic, or modern racism, that amounts to a "kinder, gentler, antiblack ideology" that avoids notions of the past biological inferiority predjudice. -involves stereotypes about African Americans, a belief that their poverty is due to their cultural inferiority, and opposition to government policies to help them. Similar views exist about Latinos. In effect, this new form of prejudice blames African Americans and Latinos themselves for their low socioeconomic standing and involves such beliefs that they simply do not want to work hard or lack the motivation. Blatantly denying the fact that systemic racism is still embedded in our institutions and systems and are still keeping them from upward mobility.
history of miscegenation
-rare and illegal prior to 20th century -the sexual subordination of enslaved people did result in children of mixed race, these children were usually considered Black, and therefore, property. -exception creole -French and African American-greater social, economic, and educational opportunities than most African Americans. -the removal of miscegenation laws and a trend toward equal rights and legal protection against racism have steadily reduced the social stigma attached to racial exogamy (exogamy refers to marriage outside a person's core social unit). It is now common for the children of racially mixed parents to acknowledge and celebrate their various ethnic identities.
intersection theory on race
-which suggests we cannot separate the effects of race, class, gender, sexual orientation, and other attributes -When we examine race and how it can bring us both advantages and disadvantages, it is important to acknowledge that the way we experience race is shaped, for example, by our gender and class. Multiple layers of disadvantage intersect to create the way we experience race. -example, if we want to understand prejudice, we must understand that the prejudice focused on a White woman because of her gender is very different from the layered prejudice focused on an Asian woman in poverty, who is affected by stereotypes related to being poor, being a woman, and her ethnic status.
Prejudice and discrimination can overlap and intersect in many ways.
1. Unprejudiced nondiscriminators are open-minded, tolerant, and accepting individuals. 2. Unprejudiced discriminators might be those who unthinkingly practice sexism in their workplace by not considering women or gender nonconforming people for certain positions that have traditionally been held by men. 3. Prejudiced nondiscriminators are those who hold racist beliefs but don't act on them, such as a racist store owner who serves minority customers. 4. Prejudiced discriminators include those who actively make disparaging remarks about others or who perpetuate hate crimes.
Sociologists measure the degree to which immigrants have assimilated to a new culture with four benchmarks:
1. socioeconomic status, 2. spatial concentration, 3. language assimilation, and 4 intermarriage.
Types of Prejudice
Ageism, such as believing that someone is "too old" or "too young" to work in a particular role or participate in a specific activity Classism, which may include having a negative belief about someone based on their income or looking down on someone because they are "poor" or a member of the working class Homophobia, often defined as feeling a sense of discomfort, fear, distrust, or hatred for people who are members of the LGBTQ+ community and do not identify as heterosexual Nationalism, which involves believing that the interests of your state's group are more important than those of other groups Racism, which involves having a negative attitude toward members of a certain racial or ethnic group rooted in systems of power and oppression Religious prejudice, which involves feeling negatively toward someone because of their religious beliefs, practices, or ideologies Sexism, which involves holding certain stereotypes or beliefs about someone based on their sex or gender, such as feeling as if they can't (or can) do something based on this factor Xenophobia, which involves disliking or fearing someone who the person considers "foreign" or "strange," often in the context of their native country
Which group has made the most socioeconomic gains? Why do you think that group has had more success than others have?
Asian Americans are the highest-income, best-educated and fastest-growing racial group in the United States. They are more satisfied than the general public with their lives, finances and the direction of the country, and they place more value than other Americans do on marriage, parenthood, hard work and career success, according to a comprehensive new nationwide survey by the Pew Research Center.
In your opinion, which group had the easiest time coming to this country? Which group had the hardest time? Why?
Depending on the time period Easiest time: -The well-off English-speakers from the British Isles who came here originally for economic gain and freedom of religion -the Germans due to their wealth and ability to build enclaves and support for one another -the Japanese because their government negotiated with US to protect them -Cubans-due to their wealth, education, and refugee status Hardest time: -African Americans- -Forced to come here into slavery -no starker illustration of the dominant-subordinate group relationship than that of slavery. -to justify their severely discriminatory behavior, slaveholders and their supporters viewed Black people as innately inferior.-Whippings, executions, rapes, and denial of schooling and health care were widely practiced. -Their children were born into slavery
Cedric's uncle believes that racism and discrimination have made a positive impact on society - but only in the lives of those who are members of the dominant group. Which sociological perspective is Cedric's uncle coming from?
Functionalism
When Wendy's sorority sisters discover that Wendy is a lesbian, they hold a secret meeting to decide if Wendy should still be allowed to pledge. A handful of the sisters vote "no." This is an example of:
Homophobia
Do you believe immigration laws should foster an approach of pluralism, assimilation, or amalgamation? Which perspective do you think is most supported by current U.S. immigration policies?
Ideally I would prefer pluralism (the salad bowl) but true pluralism is a difficult goal to reach. It requires mutual respect and is often missing in America. Instead and based on history, I believe assimilation or the melting pot is the most supported by US immigration policies. It posits a society where cultural differences aren't embraced as much as erased. May lead to the loss of the minority group's cultural identity as they become absorbed into the dominant culture, but assimilation has minimal to no impact on the majority group's cultural identity. Subordinate cultures give up their own traditions in order to conform to their new environment.
Which intergroup relation do you think is the most beneficial to the subordinate group? To society as a whole? Why?
In a Utopian world, Pluralism would be most beneficial. As everyone would not need to conform to a dominate culture. Everyone would be respected and each culture retains its own identity and yet adds to the flavor of the whole.
Functionalism (Émile Durkheim)
Main Assumption: Social stability is necessary for a strong society, and adequate socialization and social integration are necessary for social stability. Society's social institutions perform important functions to help ensure social stability. Slow social change is desirable, but rapid social change threatens social order. Social Problems view: Social problems weaken a society's stability but do not reflect fundamental faults in how the society is structured. Solutions to social problems should take the form of gradual social reform rather than sudden and far-reaching change. Despite their negative effects, social problems often also serve important functions for society.
Symbolic Interactionism (Weber & Mead)
Main Assumptions: People construct their roles as they interact; they do not merely learn the roles that society has set out for them. As this interaction occurs, individuals negotiate their definitions of the situations in which they find themselves and socially construct the reality of these situations. In so doing, they rely heavily on symbols such as words and gestures to reach a shared understanding of their interaction. Social Problem view: Social problems arise from the interaction of individuals. People who engage in socially problematic behaviors often learn these behaviors from other people. Individuals also learn their perceptions of social problems from other people.
Conflict Theory (Karl Marx)
Main Assumptions: Society is characterized by pervasive inequality based on social class, race, gender, and other factors. Far-reaching social change is needed to reduce or eliminate social inequality and to create an egalitarian society. Social Problem views: Social problems arise from fundamental faults in the structure of a society and both reflect and reinforce inequalities based on social class, race, gender, and other dimensions. Successful solutions to social problems must involve far-reaching change in the structure of society.
Give three examples of White privilege. Do you know people who have experienced this? From what perspective?
Me. I have experienced this as a white women. 1. The Privilege Of Being Insulated From The Daily Toll Of Racism -shows how little sense it makes for only those facing the heel-end of oppression to do all the work -the movement for racial justice needs more White Americans to get involved I have experienced this. 2. The Privilege Of Escaping Violent Stereotypes Associated With My Race -White people have been responsible for unspeakable atrocities against people of color—genocide, forced migrations, lynchings—what a set up that violent stereotypes attach to people of color and not to White. I have experienced this privilege 3. The Privilege Of Playing The Colorblind Card, Wiping The Slate Clean Of Centuries Of Racism Race is a fundamental part of their identities and deserves to be acknowledged and appreciated. Yes, race is a social construction based on physical differences that, genetically speaking, make as much sense as classifying people by fingerprint pattern and blood type I was never taught colorblindedness and have learned more about the true history in my own research later in life than ever in public schools.
different experiences of various ethnic groups in the United States from colonization to now
Most of these groups underwent a period of disenfranchisement in which they were relegated to the bottom of the social hierarchy before they managed (for those who could) to achieve social mobility. Because of this achievement, the U.S. is still a "dream destination" for millions of people living in other countries. -Today, the U.S. society is multicultural, multiracial and multiethnic that is composed of people from several national origins.
According to the social construction of race school of thought, race is:
Not biologically identifiable
Give an example of stereotyping that you see in everyday life. Explain what would need to happen for this to be eliminated.
Personal ones: People without college degrees are not smart. Old people do not understand technology. Women are nurturers. Women should be the ones to cook and clean. Someone with a southern accent and low income are not smart. My children are adopted b/c they do not have white skin like me. requiring a radical reorientation of our consciousness 1. educate yourself-get factual info--increase your self awareness and awareness of racism----follow antiracist activists and scholars on social media 2.Meet new people-experience reciprocal relationships with cross-racial, cross-cultural interactions 3. Learning to be self-aware, to understand our own cultural perspectives, how our social identities have been shaped, and how they, in turn, have informed our perspectives. 4. advocate for fair treatment throughout the organizations 5. Use your sociological imagination Stereotype replacement (learning to recognize one's stereotypical responses to other people, and to generate non-stereotypical alternatives to explain that person's behavior) Counter-stereotypic imaging (remembering or imagining people from stereotyped groups who do not fit the stereotype) Individuating (paying attention to other things about someone besides the stereotypes of their group-personal things that can help you see them as an individual, not just a group member) Perspective-taking (imagining what the world looks like through the eyes of a stereotyped person) Contact (deliberately seeking opportunities to get to know people from stereotyped groups)
institutional discrimination
Practices that discriminate, legally or illegally, against a minority group by virtue of its ethnicity, gender, culture, age, sexual orientation, or other target of societal or company prejudice -a societal system has developed with embedded disenfranchisement of a group, such as the U.S. military's historical nonacceptance of minority sexualities -can also include the promotion of a group's status, such in the case of privilege, which is the benefits people receive simply by being part of the dominant group.
de jure segregation
Racial segregation that occurs because of laws or administrative decisions by public agencies. ====Jim Crow laws that required segregated facilities for Black and White people. These laws were codified in 1896's landmark Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson, which stated that "separate but equal" facilities were constitutional. For the next five decades, Black people were subjected to legalized discrimination, forced to live, work, and go to school in separate—but unequal—facilities. It wasn't until 1954 and the Brown v. Board of Education case that the Supreme Court declared that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal," thus ending de jure segregation in the United States.===
De jure vs. de facto discrimination
Racial segregation, especially in public schools, that happens "by fact" rather than by legal requirement. For example, often the concentration of African-Americans in certain neighborhoods produces neighborhood schools that are predominantly black, or segregated in fact ( de facto ), although not by law ( de jure ).
What is the worst example of culture of prejudice you can think of? What are your reasons for thinking it is the worst?
Racism- Prejudice is learned through living in and observing a society where prejudices exist -prejudice against Japanese Americans after Pearl Harbor simply for a genetic link -anti-Semites groups/Hitler prejudice against Jewish people. -prejudicial thoughts about racial minorities in work force income gaps -prejudice against Blacks- blaming them for the inequalities they endure through systemic racism (implicit new racism) -overrepresentation of Blacks and Hispanics in our prisons and the prejudice that they are violent in how they are racially profiled -islamophobia -ethnocentricity- (prejudice and some past laws about interracial marriages) -disenfranchisement of almost every race of immigrants throughout history and today -Reinforced through stereotypes in our media, our social groups, family, church, laws, and institutions, and through confirmation bias -People of color are over-represented in low-paying jobs and underrepresented in middle class schools so could be seen as their role
How do redlining and racial steering contribute to institutionalized racism?
Redlining and racial steering practices that economically distinguish against black and brown minorities because they live in areas with less money invested in them, resulting in fewer resources. Increasing the wealth gap and stunting upward mobility. Redlining, or the practice of avoiding fiscal incentive to invest in areas with a high minority population, effectively halts any economic progress in that area. If individuals or businesses do not invest in those communities, their economic deficiencies will persist and they will continue to struggle. Racial steering, the practice of steering minorities (usually black) away from wealthy real estate, creates areas of bad real estate in which only minorities live. This contributes to institutional racism because black people are more likely to be born in poor areas, resulting in less wealth entering the world
de facto segregation
Segregation resulting from economic or social conditions or personal choice. unwritten custom or traditions resulting from economic or social conditions or personal choice -Racial segregation that occurs in schools, not as a result of the law, but as a result of patterns of residential settlement -ex. schools, a race-based wealth gap, urban sprawl, and a Black unemployment rate three times that of the White unemployment rate worsened existing racial tensions in Ferguson while also reflecting nationwide racial inequalities
What is the difference between sex and gender?
Sex refers to physical or physiological differences between males and females, while gender is the extent to which one identifies as being either masculine or feminine
Tasha believes that gender is about the division of labor in the family. In the pre-industrial era, men were the hunter-gatherers and bread-winners, and women were keepers of the home. After World War II, changes in the family structure allowed women to become breadwinners also, altering the roles of the family. From what sociological perspective do Tasha's thoughts come?
Structural Functionalsim
Discriminatory laws that discriminated against Native Americans
The Indian Removal Act of 1830 forced the relocation of any Native tribes east of the Mississippi River to lands west of the river. The Indian Appropriation Acts funded further removals and declared that no Indian tribe could be recognized as an independent nation, tribe, or power with which the U.S. government would have to make treaties. This made it even easier for the U.S. government to take land it wanted. The Dawes Act of 1887 reversed the policy of isolating Native Americans on reservations, instead forcing them onto individual properties that were intermingled with White settlers, thereby reducing their capacity for power as a group.
Why do you think the term "minority" has persisted when the word "subordinate" is more descriptive?
The term minority as a definition refers to numerical connotations and may be seen as not as bad as subordinate. Subordinate means of lower rank or position; a person under control or authority of another person; or treated or regarded as of lesser importance than something or someone else.
Culture of Prejudice Theory
The theory that prejudice is inherent in culture and a form of social repression sustained through fear and ignorance. -We grow up surrounded by images of stereotypes and casual expressions of racism and prejudice. -It is easy to see how someone living in the Northeastern United States, who may know no Mexican Americans personally, might gain a stereotyped impression from such sources as Speedy Gonzalez or Taco Bell's talking Chihuahua. Because we are all exposed to these images and thoughts, it is impossible to know to what extent they have influenced our thought processes.
African Americans
WHY THEY CAME -the exemplar minority group in the United States whose ancestors did not come here by choice. -Dutch sea captain brought the first Africans to the Virginia colony of Jamestown in 1619 and sold them as indentured servants. (Indentured servants are people who are committed to work for a certain period of time, typically without formal pay). (white & black) -growing agricultural economy demanded greater and cheaper labor, and by 1705, Virginia passed the slave codes declaring that any foreign-born non-Christian could be enslaved, and that enslaved people were considered property. -with Black Africans being kidnapped from their own lands and shipped to the New World on the trans-Atlantic journey known as the Middle Passage.then laws their children born into slavery-1808 sold like livestock in US HISTORY OF INTERGROUP RELATIONS: -no starker illustration of the dominant-subordinate group relationship than that of slavery. -to justify their severely discriminatory behavior, slaveholders and their supporters viewed Black people as innately inferior.-Whippings, executions, rapes, and denial of schooling and health care were widely practiced. -an excellent example of conflict theory's perspective on race relations; the dominant group needed complete control over the subordinate group in order to maintain its power. Civil War-abolition of slavery on moral grounds -civil rights movement a century later was characterized by boycotts, marches, sit-ins, and freedom rides: demonstrations by a subordinate group and their supporters that would no longer willingly submit to domination. The major blow to America's formally institutionalized racism was the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This Act, which is still important today, banned discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. CURRENTLY: Although government-sponsored, formalized discrimination against African Americans has been outlawed, true equality does not yet exist. -Black people's overall equality level with White people has been generally improving. Measuring standards of civic engagement, economics, education, and others, -Index notes a growing trend of increased inequality with White people, especially in the areas of unemployment, insurance coverage, and incarceration. Black people also trail White people considerably in the areas of economics, health, and education -the echoes of centuries of disempowerment are still evident.
The term doing gender can be defined as:
When people perform tasks based upon the gender assigned to them by society and, in turn, themselves.
subordinate group
a group of people who have less power than the dominant group
dominant group
a group of people who have more power in a society than any of the subordinate groups
Charles Wagley and Marvin Harris (1958)
a minority group is distinguished by five characteristics: (1) unequal treatment and less power over their lives, (2) distinguishing physical or cultural traits like skin color or language, (3) involuntary membership in the group, (4) awareness of subordination, and (5) high rate of in-group marriage. Additional examples of minority groups LGBTQ community, religious practitioners whose faith is not widely practiced where they live, and people with disabilities.
antiracist
a person who opposes racism and acts for racial justice
The term sexual orientation can be defined as:
a person's emotional and sexual attraction to a particular sex
racism
a set of attitudes, beliefs, and practices that are used to justify the belief that one racial category is somehow superior or inferior to others
Which federal act or program was designed to allow more Hispanic American immigration, not block it? a. The Bracero Program b. Immigration Reform and Control Act c. Operation Wetback d. SB 1070
a. The Bracero Program
Amalgamation is represented by the _____________ metaphor. a. melting pot b. Statue of Liberty c. salad bowl d. separate but equal
a. melting pot
minority group
any group of people who are singled out from the others for differential and unequal treatment (subordinate group) -It is the lack of power that is the predominant characteristic of a minority not numbers -"any group of people who, because of their physical or cultural characteristics, are singled out from the others in the society in which they live for differential and unequal treatment, and who therefore regard themselves as objects of collective discrimination."
Prejudice is to discrimination as
attitude is to action, lust is to sex
Which subordinate group is often referred to as the "model minority?" a. African Americans b. Asian Americans c. White ethnic Americans d. Native Americans
b. Asian Americans
What is discrimination? a. Biased thoughts against an individual or group b. Biased actions against an individual or group c. Belief that a race different from yours is inferior d. Another word for stereotyping
b. Biased actions against an individual or group
. What intergroup relationship is represented by the "salad bowl" metaphor? a. Assimilation b. Pluralism c. Amalgamation c. Segregation
b. Pluralism
Scapegoat theory shows that: a. subordinate groups blame dominant groups for their problems b. dominant groups blame subordinate groups for their problems c. some people are predisposed to prejudice d. all of the above
b. dominant groups blame subordinate groups for their problems
Speedy Gonzalez is an example of: a. intersection theory b. stereotyping c. interactionist view d. culture of prejudice
b. stereotyping
prejudice
biased thought based on flawed assumptions about a group of people -not based on personal experience; instead, it is a prejudgment -used fictional, fear-instilling stories to justify new laws and harsh treatment -experience can lead people to feel that their prejudice is confirmed or justified. This is a type of confirmation bias. prejudice. Even a minor social offense committed by a member of the ethnic group, like crossing the street outside the crosswalk or talking too loudly on a bus, could confirm the prejudice. -it isn't instinctive. it—is most often taught and learned. -teaching arrives in many forms, from direct instruction or indoctrination, to observation and socialization. Movies, books, charismatic speakers, and even a desire to impress others can all support the development of prejudices.
Which perspective focuses on the interaction of race, class, and gender in the disadvantages faced by women?
black feminism
In recent years, a growing number of sociologists have argued that:
both gender and sex are socially constructed
Which intergroup relation displays the least tolerance? a. Segregation b. Assimilation c. Genocide d. Expulsion
c. Genocide
Many Arab Americans face _______________, especially after 9/11. a. racism b. segregation c. Islamophobia d. prejudice
c. Islamophobia
Which of the following is the best explanation of racism as a social fact? a. It needs to be eradicated by laws. b. It is like a magic pill. c. It does not need the actions of individuals to continue. d. None of the above
c. It does not need the actions of individuals to continue.
What is the one defining feature of a minority group? a. Self-definition b. Numerical minority c. Lack of power d. Strong cultural identity
c. Lack of power
As a White person in the United States, being reasonably sure that you will be dealing with authority figures of the same race as you is a result of: a. intersection theory b. conflict theory c. White privilege d. scapegoating theory
c. White privilege
When thinking about gender, Jeff sees men as the dominant social group and women the subordinate group. Exploitation of the subordinate group has created social problems, such as high rates of poverty among single mothers. Which sociological perspective best fit Jeff's views?
conflict theory
As a sociological concept, ethnicity refers to:
cultural practices & values, such as language, religion, and styles of dress & more
Which of the following is an example of a numerical majority being treated as a subordinate group? a. Jewish people in Germany b. Creoles in New Orleans c. White people in Brazil d. Black people under apartheid in South Africa
d. Black people under apartheid in South Africa
. Why did most White ethnic Americans come to the United States? a. For a better life b. To escape oppression c. Because they were forced out of their own countries d. a and b only
d. For a better life and to escape oppression
What makes Native Americans unique as a subordinate group in the United States? a. They are the only group that experienced expulsion. b. They are the only group that was segregated. c. They are the only group that was enslaved. d. They are the only group that is indigenous to the United States.
d. They are the only group that is indigenous to the United States
Stereotypes can be based on: a. race b. ethnicity c. gender d. all of the above
d. all of the above
. The racial term "African American" can refer to: a. a Black person living in the United States b. people whose ancestors came to the United States through the slave trade c. a White person who originated in Africa and now lives in the United States d. any of the above
d. any of the above
Ethnicity describes shared: a. beliefs b. language c. religion d. any of the above
d. any of the above
What doctrine justified legal segregation in the South? a. Jim Crow b. Plessy v. Ferguson c. De jure d. Separate but equal
d. separate but equal is the doctrine-Plessy v. Ferguson was the case that made it into a law in response to the Jim Crow laws. Brown v Board of Education "separate but equal" was unconstitutional
sedimentation of racial inequality
describes the intergenerational impact of both practical and legalized racism that limits the abilities of black people to accumulate wealth -ex. identifying redlining in Ferguson as a cause of the unbalanced racial composition in the community, in local political establishments, and in the police force ******This situation has not much changed in the United States. After Michael Brown, dozens of unarmed Black people have been shot and killed by police. Studies find no change to the racial disparity in the use of deadly force by police*******
Historical Racism is
economic inequality or social disparity caused by past racism. For example, African-Americans have had their opportunities in wealth, education and employment adversely affected due to the mistreatment of their ancestors during the slavery and post-slavery period
Causes of prejudice
economic or political competition, displaced aggression, maintenance of self esteem, conformity to social norms -Stereotypes -Categorizing -Prejudgments -Outgroup Homogeneity Bias -Historical Events -Family, Friends, and Social Groups
Scholars use the term ____ to refer to the psychological, social, and cultural differences between women and men.
gender
race
grouping of humankind based on shared physical or social qualities that can vary from one society to another.
Hispanic immigrants
have been some disagreements over whether Hispanic or Latino is the correct term for a group this diverse, and whether it would be better for people to refer to themselves as being of their origin specifically WHY THEY CAME -Mexican Americans form the largest Hispanic subgroup and also the oldest. -early 1900s in response to the need for inexepensive agricultural labor. -often circular; workers would stay for a few years and then go back to Mexico with more money than they could have made in their country of origin. -Cuban Americans are the second-largest Hispanic subgroup -immigration to US started after Fidel Castro came to power in 1959 and reached its crest with the Mariel boatlift in 1980. Castro's Cuban Revolution ushered in an era of communism that continues to this day. -To avoid having their assets seized by the government, many wealthy and educated Cubans migrated north, generally to the Miami area. History of Intergroup Relations -official federal Bracero Program offered protection to Mexican guest workers. - 1954 also saw the enactment of "Operation Wetback," which deported thousands of illegal Mexican workers -standard of living not so low as to make permanent migration the goal of most Mexicans.-strengthening of the border that began with 1986's Immigration Reform and Control Act has made one-way migration the rule for most Mexicans. -Cuban immigrants, perhaps due to wealth and education, given refugee status and offered protection and social services -Cuban Migration Agreement of 1995 has curtailed legal immigration from Cuba, leading many Cubans to try to immigrate illegally by boat. -government applied a "wet foot/dry foot" policy-ended in 2017 CURRENTLY -"the slow rates of economic and civic assimilation set Mexicans apart from other immigrants, and may reflect the fact that the large numbers of Mexican immigrants residing in the United States undocumented have few opportunities to advance themselves along these dimensions." -Cuban Americans are often seen as a model minority group within the larger Hispanic group. Many Cubans had higher socioeconomic status when they arrived in this country, and their anti-Communist agenda has made them welcome refugees to this country. In south Florida, especially, Cuban Americans are active in local politics and professional life. As with Asian Americans, however, being a model minority can mask the issue of powerlessness that these minority groups face in U.S. society. -Arizona, where a stringent immigration law—known as SB 1070-Formally titled "Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act, the law requires that during a lawful stop, detention, or arrest, Arizona police officers must establish the immigration status of anyone they suspect may be here illegally. The law makes it a crime for individuals to fail to have documents confirming their legal status, and it gives police officers the right to detain people they suspect may be in the country illegally.this law will encourage racial profiling (the illegal practice of law enforcement using race as a basis for suspecting someone of a crime), making it hazardous to be caught "Driving While Brown," a takeoff on the legal term Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) or the slang reference of "Driving While Black." Driving While Brown refers to the likelihood of getting pulled over just for being nonWhite.
pan-ethnic identity
identification with a broad ethnic group regardless of one's country of origin or descent -Sometimes, either to build bridges between ethnic groups, promote civil rights, gain recognition, or other reasons, diverse but closely associated ethnic groups may develop a "pan-ethnic" group.
Racist attitudes and beliefs are often more insidious and harder to pin down than specific racist practices. They become more complex due to
implicit bias (also referred to as unconscious bias) which is the process of associating stereotypes or attitudes towards categories of people without conscious awareness - which can result in unfair actions and decisions that are at odds with one's conscious beliefs about fairness and equality ****in schools we often see "honors" and "gifted" classes quickly filled with White students while the majority of Black and Latino students are placed in the lower track classes. As a result, our mind consciously and unconsciously starts to associate Black and Latino students with being less intelligent, less capable. -placing the student of color into a lower and less rigorous track, we reproduce the inequity and the vicious cycle of structural racism and implicit bias continues. -voting rights, FHA loans, residential segregations, access to education, green spaces, resources, safety, heathcare, etc., jobs, hiring + advancements
Almost all mainstream voices in the United States oppose racism. Despite this, racism is prevalent in
in several forms. ex. newspaper uses people's race to identify individuals accused of a crime, it may enhance stereotypes of a certain minority and practices like racial steering, in which real estate agents direct prospective homeowners toward or away from certain neighborhoods based on their race
Cultural Racism occurs when the assumption of
inferiority of one or more races is built into the culture of a society. For example, the European culture is considered supposedly more mature, evolved and rational than other cultures (Blaut 1992). A study showed that White and Asian American students with high GPAs experience greater social acceptance while Black and Native American students with high GPAs are rejected by their peers
Studies have shown that ______ persists, even though ______ appears to be markedly reduced.
institutional racism; overt prejudice
exogamy
marriage between people of different social categories
According to some scholars, biologically-based racism has been replaced by _____, which uses cultural differences to exclude certain groups.
new racism
Color-Avoidance Racism (sometimes referred to as "colorblind racism") is an avoidance
of racial language by European-Americans that the racism is no longer an issue. The U.S. cultural narrative that typically focuses on individual racism fails to recognize systemic racism. It has arisen since the post-Civil Rights era and supports racism while avoiding any reference to race
In the United States, the mutual respect required by pluralism is
often missing, and the nation's past model of a melting pot posits a society where cultural differences aren't embraced as much as erased.
Colorism is a form of racism, in which someone believes
one type of skin tone is superior or inferior to another within a racial group. For example, if an employer believes a Black employee with a darker skin tone is less capable than a Black employee with lighter skin tone, that is colorism. Studies suggest that darker skinned African Americans experience more discrimination than lighter skinned African Americans
stereotypes
oversimplified ideas about groups of people -can be based on race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation—almost any characteristic. -may be positive but most often negative -generalization that doesn't take individual differences into account. -rarely created; rather, they are recycled from subordinate groups that have assimilated into society and are reused to describe newly subordinate groups. For example, many stereotypes that are currently used to characterize new immigrants were used earlier in American history to characterize Irish and Eastern European immigrants.
As a sociological concept, race refers to:
physical variations in human beings singled out by members of a community or society as socially significant
Which intergroup would create a mutual respect on the part of all cultures, both dominant and subordinate, creating a multicultural environment of acceptance but is a difficult goal to reach?
pluralism
most tolerant form of intergroup relations. no distinction is made between minority and majority groups, but instead there's equal standing.
pluralism
Individual or Interpersonal Racism refers to
prejudice and discrimination executed by individuals consciously and unconsciously that occurs between individuals. Examples include telling a racist joke and believing in the superiority of White people.
discrimination
prejudiced action against a group of people -can be based on race, ethnicity, age, religion, health, and other categories. -example, discrimination based on race or ethnicity can take many forms, from unfair housing practices such as redlining to biased hiring systems. Overt discrimination has long been part of U.S. history. ("Help Wanted: No Irish Need Apply." And southern Jim Crow laws, with their "Whites Only" signs,) -form and severity of discrimination vary significantly, they are considered forms of oppression.
systemic racism
racism embedded in social institutions; also referred to as institutional racism and structural racism
Segregation
refers to the physical separation of two groups, particularly in residence, but also in workplace and social functions. de jure-(segregation that is enforced by law) de facto-(segregation that occurs without laws but because of other factors).
Asian Americans
represent a great diversity of cultures and backgrounds. How and Why They Came -mid 19th century china men whose intention was to work for several years in order to earn incomes to support their families.-gold rush Transcontinental Railroad construction-mining and agricultural work.-Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. -Japanese 1880s-came to Hawaii to participate in the sugar industry; others came to the mainland, especially to California.-their gov negotiated w US to ensure the well-being of their immigrants. -more recent Korean (gradual) and Vietnam (post V war political refugees seeking asylum) Refugee Act of 1980 History of Intergroup Relations -Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.-White workers blamed Chinese migrants for taking jobs, and the passage of the Act meant the number of Chinese workers decreased. Chinese men did not have the funds to return to China or to bring their families to the United States, so they remained physically and culturally segregated in the Chinatowns of large cities. -Immigration Act of 1924, further curtailed Chinese immigration. The Act included the race-based National Origins Act, which was aimed at keeping U.S. ethnic stock as undiluted as possible by reducing "undesirable" immigrants. not until after the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 that Chinese immigration again increased, and many Chinese families were reunited. -California Alien Land Law of 1913 was aimed at them and other Asian immigrants, and it prohibited immigrants from owning land. An even uglier action was the Japanese internment camps of World War II CURRENTLY been subject to their share of racial prejudice, despite the seemingly positive stereotype as the model minority. The model minority stereotype is applied to a minority group that is seen as reaching significant educational, professional, and socioeconomic levels without challenging the existing establishment. This stereotype is typically applied to Asian groups in the United States, and it can result in unrealistic expectations by putting a stigma on members of this group that do not meet the expectations. Stereotyping all Asians as smart and capable can also lead to a lack of much-needed government assistance and to educational and professional discrimination.
white privilege
rights or immunities granted to people as a particular benefit or favor simply because they are white -But until they gain a good degree of self-awareness, few people are willing to acknowledge the benefits they themselves receive by being a part of the dominant group. Why not? Some may feel it lessens their accomplishments, others may feel a degree of guilt, and still others may feel that admitting to privilege makes them seem like a bad or mean person. -privilege is an institutional condition, not a personal one. It exists whether the person asks for it or not. "invisible weightless knapsack full of special provisions"
People who are blamed for things that are not their fault are called:
scapegoats
ethnicity
shared culture, which may include heritage, language, religion, and more -individuals may be identified or self-identify with ethnicities in complex, even contradictory, ways.
Racial Profiling is a type of systemic racism that involves the
singling out of racial minorities for differential treatment, usually harsher treatment. The disparate treatment of racial minorities by law enforcement officials is a common example of racial profiling in the United States. For example, a study on the Driver's License Privilege to All Minnesota Residents from 2008 to 2010 found that the percentage of Latinos arrested was disproportionally high (Feist 2013). Similarly, the disproportionate number of Black men arrested, charged, and convicted of crimes reflect racial profiling.
When people adopt an identity in some contexts but not in others, they are practicing:
situational ethnicity
there is no minority group that fits easily in a category or that can be described simply.
sociologists believe that individual experiences can often be understood in light of their social characteristics (such as race, class, or gender), we must balance this perspective with awareness that no two individuals' experiences are alike. Making generalizations can lead to stereotypes and prejudice. The same is true for White ethnic Americans, who come from diverse backgrounds and have had a great variety of experiences.
_____, thinking in terms of fixed and inflexible categories, often involves the psychological mechanism of _____, directing hostility or anger toward objects that are not really the source of those feelings.
stereotypical thinking;displacement
scapegoat theory
suggests that the dominant group will displace its unfocused aggression onto a subordinate group
Systemic Racism, also called structural racism or institutional racism, is
systems and structures that have procedures or processes that disadvantages racial minority groups. Systemic racism occurs in organizations as discriminatory treatments and unfair policies based on race that result in inequitable outcomes for White people over people of color. For example, a school system where students of color are distributed into underfunded schools and out of the higher-resourced schools.
Intergroup level of tolerance assimilation
the United States, which has a history of welcoming and absorbing immigrants from different lands, assimilation has been a function of immigration. -may lead to the loss of the minority group's cultural identity as they become absorbed into the dominant culture, but assimilation has minimal to no impact on the majority group's cultural identity. -subordinate cultures give up their own traditions in order to conform to their new environment. -When faced with racial and ethnic discrimination, it can be difficult for new immigrants to fully assimilate. Language assimilation, in particular, can be a formidable barrier, limiting employment and educational options and therefore constraining growth in socioeconomic status.
expulsion
the act of a dominant group forcing a subordinate group to leave a certain area or even the country -Trail of Tears and the Holocaust, expulsion can be a factor in genocide. -Expulsion has often occurred historically with an ethnic or racial basis. 1942 FDR after pearl harbor US establishment of internment camps for anyone with as little as one-eighth (great-grandparent who was Japanese) Japanese ancestry -Japanese U.S. citizens, many of them children, were held in these camps for up to four years, despite the fact that there was never any evidence of collusion or espionage.
racial steering
the act of real estate agents directing prospective homeowners toward or away from certain neighborhoods based on their race
colorism
the belief that one type of skin tone is superior to another within a racial group
genocide
the deliberate annihilation of a targeted (usually subordinate) group -the most toxic intergroup relationship. -has included both the intent to exterminate a group and the function of exterminating of a group, intentional or not. (introduction of European diseases and Native American lack of immunity to them; Holocaust) -modern day genocide-As part of an ongoing land conflict, the Sudanese government and their state-sponsored Janjaweed militia have led a campaign of killing, forced displacement, and systematic rape of Darfuri people. Although a treaty was signed in 2011, the peace is fragile.
White Americans
the dominant racial group in the United States. Why They Came for a better life or/and to escape oppressions -Germans came both for economic opportunity and to escape political unrest and military conscription wanted to escape from an oppressive government. Irish not always as well off financially, especially after the Irish Potato Famine of 1845. settled mainly in the cities of the East Coast, where they were employed as laborers and where they faced significant discrimination. -Eastern Europeans were peasants forced into a hardscrabble existence in their native lands; political unrest, land shortages, and crop failures drove them to seek better opportunities in the United States. The Eastern European immigration wave also included Jewish people escaping pogroms (anti-Jewish massacres) of Eastern Europe and the Pale of Settlement in what was then Poland and Russia. History of Intergroup Relations -German immigrants were not victimized to the same degree -exception to this was during the lead up to World War I and through World War II, when anti-German sentiment was virulent. -Irish-poor-underclass-oppressed by English for centuries-saw as a race apart: dirty, lacking ambition, and suitable for only the most menial jobs. Italians-Southern and Eastern Europe was also subject to intense discrimination and prejudice-2nd + 3rd gens of Germans and Irish saw them as dregs of Europe and worried about the purity of the American race-lived in segregated slums in Northeastern cities, and in some cases were even victims of violence and lynching -undertook physical labor at lower pay than other workers, often doing the dangerous work that other laborers were reluctant to take on, CURRENTLY Germans-mostly culturally assimilated-more Irish Americans than in Ireland slowly assimilated and accepted-Italian Americans almost culturally assimilated "Little Italy" neighborhoods more accepted after WWII-Jewish identity is interesting and varied, in that many Jewish people consider themselves as members of a collective ethnic group as well as a religion, and many Jewish people feel connected by their ancestry as well as their religion.
pluralism
the ideal of the United States as a "salad bowl:" a mixture of different cultures where each culture retains its own identity and yet adds to the "flavor" of the whole
Miscegenation
the interbreeding of people considered to be of different racial types
sedimentation of racial inequality
the intergenerational impact of de facto and de jure racism that limits the abilities of Black people to accumulate wealth
segregation
the physical separation of two groups, particularly in residence, but also in workplace and social functions -Sociologists use segregation indices to measure racial segregation of different races in different areas. The indices employ a scale from zero to 100, where zero is the most integrated and 100 is the least. In the New York metropolitan area, for instance, the Black-White segregation index was seventy-nine for the years 2005-2009. This means that 79 percent of either Black or White people would have to move in order for each neighborhood to have the same racial balance as the whole metro region
redlining
the practice of routinely refusing mortgages for households and business located in predominately minority communities
assimilation
the process by which a minority individual or group takes on the characteristics of the dominant culture
social construction of race
the school of thought that race is not biologically identifiable -previous racial categories were based on pseudoscience; they were often used to justify racist practices -research and other confirming studies indicate that any generally lower IQ among a racial group was more about nurture than nature -recently some members of racial groups "reclaim" terms previously used to insult them (Rao 2018). These examples are more evidence of the social construction of race, and our evolving relationships among people and groups. -the process by which people come to define a group as a race based in part on physical characteristics, but also on historical, cultural, and economic factors
White privilege
the societal privilege that benefits White people, or those perceived to be White, over non-White people in some societies, including the United States
model minority
the stereotype applied to a minority group that is seen as reaching higher educational, professional, and socioeconomic levels without protest against the majority establishment
racial profiling
the use by law enforcement of race alone to determine whether to stop and detain someone
culture of prejudice
theory that prejudice is embedded in our culture
intersection theory
theory that suggests we cannot separate the effects of race, class, gender, sexual orientation, and other attributes
A person who is biologically female but identifies with the male gender and has undergone surgery to alter her body is considered _________________.
transsexual
Race vs. Ethnicity vs. Nationality
• Race: biological (Black, asian, white) socially constructed • Ethnicity: socially constructed (Asian-American) • Nationality: identity w/ a group of people who share legal attachment and personal allegiance to a particular country (Canadian) • Race: a socially constructed category of people who share biologically transmitted traits that members of a society consider important • Ethnicity: a shared cultural heritage • Nationality: citizenship in a political territory (what passport you hold) • The Social Construction of Race