Sociology - Real World - Ch 8: Race / Ethnic Group Issues
In 2010, the Census Bureau allowed Americans to check more than one box when identifying their race. What percentage of the population took advantage of this and identified as multiracial?
2.9 percent
Though it was written to help all veterans regardless of race, African Americans were typically excluded from home ownership.
How did the G.I. Bill of Rights, which provided funds for home loans, affect African Americans?
Plantation owners in America often argued that the Africans they imported were better off as slaves, because they didn't have the mental capacity to run their own lives. Today this seems both racist and crazy, as clearly slaves had been fine when they lived in Africa. How could such racist beliefs flourish?
Such beliefs justify social arrangements between dominant and minority groups that benefit those who accept them.
Which of the following countries is an example of a pluralistic culture in which people of French, Italian, and German heritage live peacefully together in political and economic unity?
Switzerland
In 2009 there were only five African Americans who were CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, or 1 percent of the total number of Fortune 500 CEOs. Given that African Americans make up more than 11 percent of the U.S. population, what does this tell you?
Jobs are not distributed regardless of race and ethnicity
What metaphor best describes cultures that have embraced multiculturalism and pluralism?
a salad bowl
How do sociologists define race?
a social category based on real or perceived biological differences
The "ethnic miracle" is a term used to describe the process by which European immigrants and their descendants stopped being treated as members of minority groups, and became assimilated into the dominant group. What kind of sociologist believes that this happened because it made society run much more efficiently?
a structural functionalist
An objective measure of poverty, defined by the inability to meet minimal standards for food, shelter, clothing, or health care.
absolute deprivation
What does an individual need to be able to do in order to sound authentically African American when interacting with others online?
be able to include racially relevant content and language in interactions
What is an example of a prejudice?
believing that Asians are better at math
A socially defined category based on common language, religion, nationality, history, or another cultural factor (page 222)
ethnicity
The massacre of 1.5 million Armenians by the Turkish government after World War I is known as the ______________
forgotten genocide
The deliberate and systematic extermination of a racial, ethnic, national, or cultural group (page 238)
genocide
The deliberate and systematic extermination of a racial, ethnic, or national group is called
genocide
The deliberate and systematic extermination of a racial, ethnic, or national group is called:
genocide
What do sociologists call it when an African American individual is told he is not really "black enough"?
identity challenge
There are a number of derogatory terms in the United States for members of minority groups who have assimilated. "Oreo," "twinkie," and "coconut" are all rude terms for people who are one color on the outside, but "white on the inside," that is, people whose behavior doesn't match their skin color. What term embodies these insults?
identity challenges
Why do many people hope that the Internet will have a democratic influence on society?
in an online interaction, there is no way to see what people look like
Discrimination carried out by one person against another (page 228)
individual discrimination
Romantic, sexual, or marital relationships between people of different races (page 232)
miscegenation
Given what you know about the average income associated with the four racial groups and their health care, what information is surprising?
more Asians are without health insurance than Whites
If a landlord was found guilty of discriminatory practices for refusing to rent to Hispanic tenants, what could be seen as evidence that it was a case of individual discrimination?
other Hispanics tenants were able to find places to rent
In the novel The Human Stain by Philip Roth, a professor at a college in the Northeast is forced into early retirement after he is accused of racism. The charge turns out to be ironic when the reader learns that the professor has a secret: he was born to African American parents and has been covering up his heritage and living as a white man for his whole adult life. What is this an example of?
passing
Presenting yourself as a member of a different racial or ethnic group than the one you were born into (page 231)
passing
A socially defined category based on real or perceived biological differences between groups of people (page 222)
race
A study prepared by the United Church of Christ's Commission on Racial Justice argued that African American and Hispanic communities are much more likely to be located near toxic waste dumps than white communities. What does this tell you about race in America?
race can have an effect on health
The Brazilian census has traditionally only had four racial categories: preto, branco, amarelo, and pardo. However, in everyday life, Brazilians have many other racial categories, including moreno, mulato, neguinho, and pretinho. Most of these terms don't have an equivalent in the United States. What does this tell you?
race is a social construct
The process by which racial minority groups are absorbed into the dominant group through intermarriage (page 241)
racial assimilation
What is it called when members of a racial minority group intermarry and have children with members of the dominant group until the races are completely mixed?
racial assimilation
According to one study, in Pennsylvania, black defendants on trial for murder were 40 percent more likely to receive the death penalty than whites convicted of similar crimes. This indicates that the criminal justice system has a ___________.
racial bias
A set of beliefs about the superiority of one racial or ethnic group compared to another is
racism
A set of beliefs about the superiority of one racial or ethnic group compared to another is:
racism
A set of beliefs about the superiority of one racial or ethnic group; used to justify inequality and often rooted in the assumption that differences between groups are genetic (page 226)
racism
The Bell Curve by Richard J. Herrnstein and Charles Murray generated an enormous amount of controversy when it first came out, largely because it suggested that racial differences in IQ scores were due to genetically driven differences in intelligence and argued that "both genes and the environment have something to do with racial differences." For those who disagreed, this seemed like a very familiar argument, because:
racist beliefs are often rooted in the assumption that differences between groups are biologically based.
Rather than seeing racism as a product of class differences, recent theorists like Tomas Almaguer argue that:
racist beliefs can be a part of economic life
Rather than seeing racism as a product of class differences, recent theorists like Tomas Almaguer argue that:
racist beliefs can become a part of economic life
Rather than seeing racism as a product of class differences, recent theorists like Tomas Almaguer argue that:
racist beliefs that become part of economic life
After the Civil War, most southern states passed laws that barred African Americans and whites from sharing most kinds of public facilities. This is an example of:
segregatIon
After the Civil War, most southern states passed laws that barred African Americans and whites from sharing most kinds of public facilities. This is an example of _______
segregation
After the Civil War, most southern states passed laws that barred African Americans and whites from sharing most kinds of public facilities. This is an example of:
segregation
The formal and legal separation of groups by race or ethnicity (page 239)
segregation
A young person from Southern California has four German grandparents. She lived in Los Angeles all her life before accepting a job in Milwaukee. She's never really thought about her German heritage, but in Milwaukee she discovers many other people with similar ancestries and starts using her ethnicity as a way to develop social and professional relationships. What is this an example of?
situational ethnicity
An ethnic identity that can be either displayed or concealed depending on its usefulness in a given situation (page 223)
situational ethnicity
Despite demographic shifts, how can you tell that whites are still the dominant group in California? They remain dominant in terms of power, resources, and representation in ______________.
social institutions
An ethnic identity that is only relevant on specific occasions and does not significantly impact everyday life (page 223)
symbolic ethnicity
Displays of ethnic identity that only occur on special occasions are called:
symbolic ethnicity
In Chicago, a city with more Polish people than anywhere else in the United States, Casimir Pulaski Day is always a very important holiday. Although not well remembered in the rest of the country, Pulaski was a Polish-born hero of the American Revolution and a cavalry general. What concept helps to explain why this holiday is so much more important to people who trace their ancestry to Poland?
symbolic ethnicity
When someone of Irish ancestry who doesn't typically identify as Irish in everyday life puts on a green hat, drinks green beer, and wears a "Kiss me, I'm Irish" t-shirt on St. Patrick's Day, it is an example of:
symbolic ethnicity
In the 1900s, there was a strong prejudice against Irish immigrants and their descendants. Editorial cartoons often depicted the Irish as physically distinct and as looking like apes. What does this tell you about the history of race in the United States?
the Irish were once considered a separate race
What racial issue does functionalism explain?
the assimilation of European ethnic groups into larger society
What racial issue does functionalism help to explain?
the assimilation of European ethnic groups into larger society
What racial issues does functionalism explain?
the assimilation of European ethnic groups into larger society
According to one study, in Pennsylvania, black defendants on trial for murder were 40 percent more likely to receive the death penalty than whites convicted of similar crimes. This indicates that:
the criminal justice system has a racial bias
In visual representations, racial and ethnic minorities are often portrayed as animalistic or subhuman, many times as monkeys or chimpanzees. Why would racist imagery so often use animals?
Animal imagery supports the assumption that differences between groups are innate, or biologically based.
The work of the Italian Marxist _________ is significant because it seriously considers the importance of the "cultural life-worlds of the oppressed." In what way does this resemble the symbolic interactionist perspective on race? Both argue that race must be explained in the terms it is experienced, not as overarching general theories.
Antonio Gramsci
Which major U.S. racial group has the lowest high school drop-out rate?
Asian Americans
Which racial group has the highest median income?
Asian Americans
In the United States, which of the following groups usually do not have a choice about displaying their race or ethnicity?
Asian; Hispanic; Black
What has modern science determined about racial categories?
Biologically there is not such thing as a pure race
The work of the Italian Marxist Antonio Gramsci is significant because it seriously considers the importance of the "cultural life-worlds of the oppressed." In what way does this resemble the symbolic interactionist perspective on race?
Both argue that race must be explained in the terms it is experienced, not as overarching general theories.
How does Tiger Woods describe his own racial identity?
Cablinasian
The sociologist Amy L. Best, in "Doing Race in the Context of Feminist Interviewing: Constructing Whiteness Through Talk," analyzed how two African American teenagers had to create racial identities during their interview with her. What does this analysis suggest about race?
Even master statuses like race and gender have to be constructed in the negotiation between what we project and what others recognize
The sociologist Amy L. Best, in "Doing Race in the Context of Feminist Interviewing: Constructing Whiteness Through Talk," analyzed how two African American teenagers had to create racial identities during their interview with her. What does this analysis suggest about race?
Even master statuses like race and gender have to be constructed in the negotiation between what we project and what others recognize.
In 1991 an enormous controversy erupted after five Los Angeles police officers were caught on tape beating a motorist named Rodney King. Although there continues to be much controversy over the event, many people see it as a blatant act of discrimination. Under what circumstances would this beating be considered institutional discrimination?
If the leadership of the Los Angeles police department condoned or encouraged this type of behavior on a regular basis, it would be considered institutional discrimination.
How is institutional discrimination different from individual discrimination?
Institutional discrimination is more systematic and widespread
Cornel West argues that the work of Antonio Gramsci is significant because Gramsci was the first European Marxist to seriously consider the "cultural life-worlds of the oppressed" in ways that treated culture as a serious, independent force in people's lives. How is Gramsci's work similar to that of Tomas Almaguer or Howard Winant and Michael Omi?
It doesn't assume that the economy determines every aspect of a society and its culture.
Given what you know about the average income and health insurance associated with the four racial groups of Whites, Blacks, Asians, and Hispanics, what information is surprising?
More Asians are without health insurance than Whites
Believing that African Americans are better dancers than white people is ________ of discrimination.
NOT an example
In 2003 a piece of legislation considered by the U.S. Congress proposed to spend almost two billion dollars to encourage marriage, and there was some consideration of giving people on welfare cash bonuses if they got married. Why does your textbook suggest this approach might not work?
Potential husbands of poor women will not offer the financial stability, respectability and trust that make marriage beneficial.
Why are there differences in life expectancies for people of different races?
Race is not a side effect of class; rather it permeates every aspect of daily life
According to sociologists like Howard Winant and Michael Omi, what is the relationship between race and class?
Race is not a side effect of class; rather it permeates every aspect of daily life.
How have racial problems manifested themselves on the internet?
The Internet is not a place where negative racial distinctions disappear; they simply appear in different ways.
Classical Marxist analysis often argued that everything is ultimately determined by the economy, even though sometimes it is through many complicated steps. Can economic factors explain racism?
The link between race and class is useful and important, but it doesn't provide a satisfactory explanation for all forms of racism.
What are the positive consequences of racial and ethnic categories?
They create a sense of identity and lead to feelings of solidarity.
Why are poor women less likely to marry than wealthy women?
They feel that the men they encounter are less likely to offer the advantages that make marriage worth the risk
Why are poor women less likely to marry?
They feel that the men they encounter are less likely to offer the advantages that make marriage worth the risk
How do the demographics of California challenge the way that the term "minority" has been used in the past?
Whites are now less than half of the population of California.
How do the demographics of California challenge the way that the term "minority" has been used in the past?
Whites are now less than half the population of California
How do sociologists define a minority group?
a group that suffers unequal treatment
How do sociologists define ethnicity?
a group with a shared ancestry or shared cultural heritage
Many immigrants to the United States have gotten in trouble for keeping livestock, especially chickens, goats, and pigs, in urban areas. Their neighbors feel that it's okay to own a 150-pound mastiff, but "unsanitary" to have a 50-pound goat that gives milk. In this case, what is driving racism?
a negative view of a group's cultural characteristics
Many immigrants to the United States have gotten in trouble for keeping livestock, especially chickens, goats, and pigs, in urban areas. Their neighbors feel that it's okay to own a 150-pound mastiff, but "unsanitary" to have a 50-pound goat that gives milk. In this case, what is driving racism?
a negative view of group's cultural characteristics
Programs or policies that seek to rectify the effects of past discrimination by increasing representation and ensuring equal opportunity for any previously disadvantaged group (page 237)
affirmative action
In the United States, which of the following groups usually do not have a choice about displaying their race or ethnicity?
all answers are true
What do sociologists call it when an African American individual is told he is not really "black enough"?
an identity challenge
The system of segregation of racial and ethnic groups that was legal in South Africa between 1948 and 1991.
apartheid
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 (page 239)
assimilation
What is it called when a minority group is absorbed into the dominant group?
assimilation
Those elements of identity that are generated through others' perceptions of our physical traits (page 231)
embodied identity
The Bell Curve by Richard J. Herrnstein and Charles Murray generated an enormous amount of controversy when it first came out, largely because it suggested that racial differences in IQ scores were due to genetically driven differences in intelligence and argued that "both genes and the environment have something to do with racial differences." For those who disagreed, this seemed like a very familiar argument, because racist beliefs are often rooted in the assumption that differences between groups are _______
biologically based
What factor makes someone most likely to drop out of high school?
coming from a non-English speaking background
A set of beliefs about the superiority of one racial or ethnic group compared to another is:
cultural assimilation
When members of a minority group learn the cultural practices of the dominant group, they have undergone
cultural assimilation
When members of a minority group learn the cultural practices of the dominant group, they have undergone:
cultural assimilation
the process by which racial or ethnic groups are absorbed into the dominant group by adopting the dominant group's culture (page 242)
cultural assimilation
An action or behavior that results in the unequal treatment of an individual because of his membership in a racial or ethnic group is called:
discrimination
Unequal treatment of individuals based on their membership in a social group; usually motivated by prejudice (page 228)
discrimination
Why are there differences in life expectancies for people of different races?
disparities in access to health care
Despite demographic shifts, how can you tell that whites are still the dominant group in California? Answer - They remain _______ in terms of power, resources, and representation in social institutions.
dominant
According to William Julius Wilson, racism has created a black underclass, but this underclass is perpetuated by:
economic factors
In visual representations, racial and ethnic minorities are often portrayed as animalistic or subhuman, many times as monkeys or chimpanzees. Why would racist imagery so often use animals? Animal imagery supports the assumption that differences between groups are __________________.
innate or biologically based
Discrimination carried out systematically by institutions (political, economic, educational, and others) that affect all members of a group who come into contact with it (page 228)
institutional discrimination
In 1993 six African American Secret Service agents filed a complaint with the Justice Department against Denny's for refusal of service because the restaurant took much longer to serve them than other customers. After they filed the complaint, thousands of other African Americans came forward with similar allegations. What are these allegations evidence of?
institutional discrimination
The "Jim Crow" laws in the American South, which mandated separate facilities for whites and blacks, were an example of:
institutional discrimination
The economic and political domination and subjugation of the minority group by the controlling group within a nation (page 239)
internal colonialism
The exploitation of a minority group within the dominant group's political borders is called:
internal colonialism
Cornel West argues that the work of Antonio Gramsci is significant because Gramsci was the first European Marxist to seriously consider the "cultural life-worlds of the oppressed" in ways that treated culture as a serious, independent force in people's lives. How is Gramsci's work similar to that of Tomas Almaguer or Howard Winant and Michael Omi?
it does not assume that an economy determines every aspect of society and culture
n 2009 there were only five African Americans who were CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, or 1 percent of the total number of Fortune 500 CEOs. Given that African Americans make up more than 11 percent of the U.S. population, what does this tell you?
jobs are not distributed regardless of racial diversity or ethnic identity
When whites are less than half the population of any given state, it is called a:
majority / minority state
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 (page 226)
minority group
Anatole Broyard, a literary critic and writer for the New York Times, lived a double life. He had a mixed racial heritage, and while African American friends knew him as African American, white friends and professional acquaintances thought that he was white. After his death, Broyard's daughter tried to write his life story and, as part of the process, organized a family reunion. This was made more difficult by the fact that Broyard's extended family included many who thought of themselves as white, others as black. What does this demonstrate about passing?
passing happens entirely through interaction
A cultural pattern of intergroup relations that encourages racial and ethnic variation within a society (page 242)
pluralism
Societies that encourage racial and ethnic diversity have embraced the value of
pluralism
Societies that encourage racial and ethnic diversity have embraced the value of:
pluralism
Some conservative groups have organized to campaign both for crackdowns on illegal immigration and for limits on legal immigration, because they are concerned about how America will be changed by nonwhite immigrants. This means that they are against:
pluralism
In the early nineteenth century, Native Americans, who had survived clashes with the U.S. army, were forcibly removed to reservations. This is an example of
population transfer
In the early nineteenth century, Native Americans, who had survived clashes with the U.S. army, were forcibly removed to reservations. This is an example of:
population transfer
The forcible removal of a group of people from the territory they have occupied (page 239)
population transfer
What is the effect of a split labor market, in which workers belonging to one race are paid less than those of a different race? The effects of racism are compounded by __________.
poverty
Even though antimiscegenation laws have been struck down, interracial relationships are still relatively uncommon. Why?
powerful cultural groups discourage them
Even though antimiscegenation laws have been struck down, interracial relationships are still relatively uncommon. Why?
powerful cultural stereotypes discourage them
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 against it (page 228)
prejudice
The belief that all Irish are drunks is an example of:
prejudice
How is prejudice different from discrimination?
prejudice is an attitude/ discrimination is an action
In the early 1900s, native-born Americans, usually Protestants, did not consider Irish, Italian, or Jewish immigrants to be white. What does this illustrate?
the social construction of race
According to conflict theory, what is the real source of racism?
the struggle for power and control
Switzerland is home to Protestants and Catholics with French, German, and Italian ethnic backgrounds. What is the official language of Switzerland?
there is no official language
In 1994 mass killings occurred in Rwanda, as members of the Hutu majority killed more than a million members of the Tutsi minority, many of them murdered with machetes. Although many Hutus later claimed that they were just trying to defend themselves, which of the following indicates that it was really a genocide?
there was a discussion at the highest levels of government to kill as many people as possible
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, since 2004 Texas has had a minority population of at least 11.3 million, comprising 50.2 percent of its total population of 22.5 million. The primary minority group is Mexican Americans. However, despite this numerical prominence, Texas has never had a Mexican American governor, and the percentage of Mexican Americans in its state House has never been higher than 26. Why would a sociologist still call Mexican Americans a minority group?
they are denied access to power and resources
What is the goal of affirmative action?
to increase diversity
How do we decide when to display situational ethnicity?
we do a cost - benefit analysis
