Chapter 11 Sociology

According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, WASPs are concentrated almost entirely in the upper-class levels of U.S. society.

False (they are concentrated on all levels of U.S. society)

Although Puerto Rico is a United States territory, many Puerto Ricans find it hard to assimilate into United States' culture. Those who immigrate to the continental U.S. often face strong prejudice and discrimination. Because of this, more people now return to Puerto Rico each year than arrive.

True

Although minorities are expected to reflect a majority share of the U.S. population by 2043, whites of non-Hispanic background make up the majority today.

True

Assimilation often involves changing clothing styles, values, religion, language and friends.

True

Authoritarian personality theory holds that extreme prejudice is a personality trait that leads some individuals to be intolerant of all minorities.

True

Conflict theory views social conflict as the source of prejudice; scapegoat theory views frustration as the source of prejudice.

True

Cuban immigrants include a large number of highly educated business and professional people, which has helped to make this group successful in the United States, evidenced by the fact that they have the highest median income of all Hispanic Americans.

True

Culture theory states that everyone has some prejudice.

True

During the days of slavery in the United States, some free people of color lived in both the North and the South.

True

Pluralism describes a state in which people of all races and ethnicities are distinct but have roughly equal social standing.

True

According to _________________ theory, some prejudice is found in everyone.

culture

A society that is isolated from outside influences and experiences little immigration most likely would be characterized by racial ________________ among its people.

uniformity

People who select a score of __________ on the scale developed by Emory Bogardus would bar the members of a particular category from their country.

"7"

Theresa Hidalgo, a dentist in her homeland, immigrated to the United States in 1962. A few years later, she set up a new dental practice in southern Florida. Among her many successes, Theresa counts the fact that all three of her children are college graduates. Which of the following categories of Hispanics does Theresa most likely represent?

Cuban Americans

____________________________ is the daily experience of about 20 percent of poor African Americans. It is found in approximately 25 large U.S. cities today.

Hypersegregation

Common stereotypes about the relationship between race and intelligence fail to recognize that racial differences in mental abilities actually result mostly from __________.

environmental factors

Based on the results of social distance studies, we can conclude that the college students of today _____________________.

express a greater social acceptance of all racial and ethnic minorities than students did decades ago.

Scapegoat theory

focuses on frustration "safe targets" (minorities) as an explanation of prejudice.

Most WASPs are of English ancestry, but this category also includes people of Scottish and Welsh ancestry.

True

Number 7 on the social distance scale reads" I would bar (a minority category) from my country," indicating the greatest social distance and the least acceptance.

True

People of non-Hispanic European descent comprise over 63 percent of the U.S. population, making this group the largest racial/ethnic group in the country.

True

Prejudice is a rigid and unfair generalization about an entire category of people.

True

Race is a matter of social definition and so is a highly variable concept. People in the United States, for example, tend to "see" black, white, and Asian, whereas people in other societies identify more than three racial categories.

True

Racism is the belief that one racial or ethnic category is innately superior or inferior to another.

True

Rather than become part of a "melting pot" that blends together different nationalities into a new whole, most ethnic groups find it beneficial to adopt the characteristics of the dominant culture, which defines the assimilation pattern of intergroup relations.

True

Recent social distance research indicates that college students express more negative attitudes towards Arabs than towards any other racial or ethnic category.

True

Sociologists asserts that the racial categories of "Caucasoid," "Negroid", and "Mongoloid" established more than a century ago are misleading. There is more genetic variation within each category than there is between categories. Hence, knowing a person's racial category tells us almost nothing about that person.

True

Sociologists tend to believe that the three racial categories are misleading because they differ in just 6 percent of their genes, and there is more genetic variation within each category than there is between categories.

True

Sowell found that early 20th-century European and Asian immigrants scored 10 to 15 IQ points lower than the U.S. average; by the end of the century, people in these same categories had average or above-average scores, a finding that can be accounted for only by the influence of environment.

True

The Thomas theorem holds that prejudice and discrimination reinforce each other, creating a vicious circle. Beliefs about the inferiority of a minority group, for example, result in that group's members being treated as inferior. Their treatment as inferiors then is interpreted as evidence that they are inherently inferior.

True

The majority of people immigrating to the United States today come from Asia and Latin America.

True

The meaning and importance of race vary not only from place to place but also over time.

True

The median income for all Asian Americans in 2011 was $72,996486 compared to $60,974 for the United States as a whole.

True

WASPs historically have had the numbers and power not to be subjected to the prejudice and discrimination experienced by other immigrants. Their dominance is evidenced by the use of the terms "race" and "ethnicity" to describe everyone but them.

True

White Anglo-Saxon Protestants considered Germans and Italians to be "undesirables" and opposed their immigration to the United States.

True

White ethnic Americans are non-WASPs whose ancestors lived in Ireland, Poland, German, Italy, or other European countries. Together, white ethnic Americans make up more than 50 percent of the U.S. population.

True

Data from the U.S. Census Bureau in National Map 11-1 showing the "minority-majority" indicate which cluster of states has the lowest minority populations?

Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine

Which of the following is an example of voluntary segregation?

a rural Amish settlement that rejects modern influences and schools its children according to Amish culture.

Stereotype

a simplified description applied to every person in a category. Someone who believes that all homeless people are homeless by choice is not considering any other circumstances that might account for homelessness.

Following the Thomas theorem, we would view prejudice and discrimination as __________.

a vicious circle or a self-fulfilling prophesy

Following the Thomas Theorem, we would view prejudice and discrimination as ___________________.

a vicious circle or a self-fulfilling prophesy.

Prejudice involves attitudes as discrimination involves _______________________.

actions

From a biological standpoint, researchers have learned, if we assume we are dealing with people of the same social position, knowing a young person's racial category allows us to predict __________________.

almost nothing about that person.

In 1871, the United States declared American Indians to be wards of the federal government and implemented a strategy of forced __________. The goal of this strategy was to turn the native peoples into "Americans."

assimilation

The __________ pattern of majority-minority relations involves people making changes in ethnicity but not in race.

assimilation

According to __________, people who show strong prejudice toward the members of one minority category are usually intolerant of all minorities.

authoritarian personality theory

According to latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Asian Americans as a whole __________.

have a median income higher than the national average

Stereotyping is most harmful to minorities when it occurs ______________.

in the workplace.

Which of the following factors is most responsible for the wide variety of racial traits found in the world today?

migration

White ethnic Americans account for __________ of the total U.S population.

more than one-half

W. I. Thomas (theorem guy)

offered the following statement to explain how prejudice and discrimination reinforce each other: "Situations that are defined as real become real in their consequences."

Ethnic villages such as Miami's Little Havana and New York's Chinatown are examples of the __________ model of majority-minority relations.

pluralism

The __________________ pattern of majority-minority relations describes a state in which all races and ethnicity's are distinct but have equal social standing.

pluralism

Discrimination is similar to prejudice in that it can be either __________ or __________.

positive; negative

Culture Theory

prejudice is part of the culture in which we all live and learn; therefore, everyone has some prejudice. This idea is supported by the fact that whites and minorities express the same attitudes toward categories other than their own.

Carl believes that Native Americans are biologically less intelligent and less worthy than non-native whites. This attitude is an example of __________.

racism

It is hard for Milton to find work in construction. He blames the lack of opportunities on illegal Mexican immigrants, whom he believes are taking all available jobs. Milton's prejudice can best be explained by ___________________ theory.

scapegoat

Social conflict is to conflict theory as frustration is to __________ theory.

scapegoat

Until recently, South Africa followed a policy of separation for its various racial categories. Whites, actually a minority of the population, held the power and controlled both the government and the economy. Some minorities were allowed to live only in certain areas. In addition, compared to whites, the other categories of people had limited access to education, health care, housing, and legal aid. Which pattern of inter-group relations does South Africa's earlier history illustrate?

segregation

De jure segregation is to ___________________ as de facto segragation is to ____________________.

segregation by law; segregation by actuality

One technique that allows researchers to measure prejudice is the __________ scale.

social distance

In 1925, college students had a mean score of 2.14 on the Bogardus Social Distance Scale. In 2001, they have a mean score of 1.44. This means that ________________.

the 2001 students attached less importance to racial and ethnic categories than the students in 1925 did

New York City's Little Italy is an example of pluralism as __________ is an example of genocide.

the Nazi Holocaust

In 1784, Native Americans controlled _________________ of the land that eventually would become the United States.

three-fourths

Correct! In the 1700s, Native Americans controlled most of the United States. Today, they control just 5 percent of U.S. land.

true

Ethnicity is constructed from cultural traits, one of which is religion. Other cultural traits that form the basis of membership in an ethnic category include language and common ancestry.

true

Free people of color, who lived in both the North and the South, were small-scale farmers, skilled workers, and small business owners.

true

Placing people into categories allows them to be easily ranked into hierarchies, with the result that some people have greater access than others to money, power, prestige, and other things a society values.

true

The historical dominance of __________ in U.S. culture is evidenced by the use of the terms "race" and "ethnicity" to describe everyone but the members of that category.

white Anglo-Saxon Protestants

Based on information from the U.S Census Bureau in National Map 11-1 showing the "minority majority," we can conclude that _______________________.

white people of non-Hispanic background make up a majority of the U.S. population today.

One example of unfair prejudice is to say that people ___________________________.

who have blonde hair are dumb.

Asian Americans are the

"model minority" (high achievers)

The median family income of Hispanic Americans is about __________ than the median U.S. income.

$20,000 less

Approximately _________________ enslaved Africans were forcibly transported to countries in the Americas.

10 million

Native Americans were first entitled to United States' citizenship in the year ______________.

1924

Native Americans were first entitled to the United States' citizenship in the year

1924

Although the United States favors the English language, approximately _____________________ of the U.S. population over age 5 speak some other language at home.

20%

The three racial categories of Caucasoid, Negroid, and Mongoloid vary in _________ of their genes

6 percent

The three racial categories of Caucasoid, Negroid, and Mongoloid vary in _________ of their genes.

6 percent

Which of the following people is considered an Arab American?

Ali, a resident of Tucson who practices Christianity and has ancestral roots in Lebanon.

Most of the immigrants entering the United States today come from _________________________.

Asia and Latin America

According to the most recent data from the U.S Census Bureau, ___________________ have the highest median income and the highest adult college completion rate among all Asian Americans.

Asian Indian Americans

According to ________________ theory, people who express tolerance toward one majority tend to be more flexible in their moral judgments and treat all people as equals.

Authoritarian personality

Which of the following statements is an example of institutional prejudice and discrimination?

Automobile dealerships typically charge minority car buyers a higher interest rate than that offered to white buyers.

Which of the following Supreme Court rulings ended an important form of institutional discrimination?

Brown v Board of Education

What led to the outbreak of hostility against Chinese people in the late 1800s that was known as the so-called "Yellow Peril?"

Chinese immigrants came to the United States, taking many of the jobs that other people felt they deserved.

Bogardus social distance studies found that college students across the country had mostly the same attitudes toward specific racial and ethnic categories, feeling closer to some and more distant from others. What theory of prejudice does this finding support?

Culture theory

The collective term for all the people who live in the Middle East is "Arabs."

False

The majority of people immigrating to the United States today come from Europe

False

The majority of White Anglo-Saxon Protestants are of __________ ancestry.

English

During the 19th century, most WASPs welcomed and socially accepted the German immigrants of the 1840s and the Italian immigrants of the 1880s.

False

In a 1967 publication, Stokely Carmichael and Charles Hamilton asserted that prejudice and discrimination on the part of individuals does far greater harm than institutional prejudice and discrimination.

False

People in all countries around the world identify three racial categories: black, white, and Asian.

False

Racism in the United States existed only in the 20th century.

False

Between the time Europeans first arrived in the Americas in the late 15th century and the year 1900, the population of Native Americans declines from millions to just 250,000. Which pattern of inter-group relations best explains this fact?

Genocide

Hypersegregation

Having little contact of any kind with people beyond the local community, is a fact of life for a bout 20 percent of poor African Americans and is still found in about 25 large U.S. cities.

Which of the following statements best describes the pattern of Native American control over United States' land?

In the late 1700s, Native Americans controlled most of the United States, but their land dwindled rapidly over the next 200 years.

Which of the following statements best describes the pattern of Native American control over the United States' land?

In the late 1700s, Native Americans controlled most of the United States, but their land dwindled rapidly over the next 200 years.

What accounts for the fact that Japan is more racially uniform than most other countries?

Japan is a geographically isolated island country.

Which of the following stories demonstrates a "revolving door" pattern of immigration?

Jesús left Puerto Rico for New York City but found it hard to assimilate. He had trouble learning enough English to hold down a well-paying job and was often treated with disrespect because of his nationality. After five years, Jesús returned to his hometown in Puerto Rico.

The policy of "affirmative action" was initially created by the _______________ administration.

Kennedy

Which of the following situations provides the best example of stereotypical thinking?

Kristen, a white mother of four, believes that all homeless people are homeless because they lack a desire to work.

Which of the following patterns points to the existence of pluralism in the United States today?

Large cities contain countless "ethnic villages," where people proudly display the traditions of their immigrant ancestors.

Which of the following people is an example of a "white ethnic American?"

Laura, an Italian-American who lives in New York City.

Which of the following people would be considered a WASP?

Luanne, a white woman whose ancestors all immigrated from Scotland in the 1700s

Which of the following people would be considered a WASP?

Luanne, a white woman whose ancestors all immigrated from Scotland in the 1700s.

Which of the following situations is an example of the pattern called "miscegenation?"

Michi's parents are originally from Japan, and Sandy's family emigrated from England in the 1800s. The two meet in college, marry, and have a daughter together.

Thinking about the very early history of the United States, which category of people would most likely have experienced the pattern of intergroup relations known as genocide?

Native Americans

Science tells us that there is more genetic variation within each racial category than there is between racial categories. Knowing this fact, why do people in societies around the world make so much of racial differences?

Placing people into categories allows societies to create hierarchies in which some people have greater access to things of value than other people.

Why might it be difficult for minorities, even highly successful people, to escape their minority standing?

Race or ethnicity often serves as a person's master status.

__________ is one of the factors on which membership in an ethnic category is based.

Religion

Dennis Powers, a white factory worker, is tired of receiving low wages. He would like to improve his family's financial situation but can never seem to get ahead. During breaks, Dennis and his white co-workers complain among themselves that their minority co-workers are always treated better than they are by bosses. Dennis spends a lot of time making this same complaint to his wife and neighbors. Which theory best explains this scenario?

Scapegoat theory

Morgan Haley, a white college student living in the South, was asked to participate in a "social distance" research study being conducted by one of her professors. The questionnaire she received asked her to indicate how closely she would be willing to interact with various categories of people. Morgan marks each category as either a "1" or a "2." Which of the following factors is most likely true of Morgan Haley?

She has a racially and ethnically diverse circle of friends.

Hispanic Americans make up the largest racial/ethnic minority in the United States and tend to live mainly in the _______________________.

Southwest (heavy immigration from Mexico)

Based on geographic patterns, we can say that, as a Hispanic woman, Silvia is most likely to live in the _________________ region of the United States.

Southwestern

Which of the following situations is an example of discrimination against a category of people?

Tayisha typically sits alone in the school cafeteria because she is obese and the other students make fun of her and refuse to let her join them.

Which of the following can best be used as evidence that the United States today officially recognizes racial and cultural diversity?

The U.S. Census Bureau provides people with the opportunity to identify themselves using more than one racial and ethnic category.

What distinguishes a minority from a society's majority?

The minority has a distinct identity based on physical or cultural traits, and the minority experiences subordination.

What factor might explain the wide variety of racial traits found throughout the world today?

The movement of people from place to place leads to increased contact among different racial categories of people.

Why does the Dred Scott case exemplify the "American Dilemma"?

The ruling denied an entire category of people-- African American slaves--basic rights and freedoms given to U.S. citizens.

What role did differences in geographical location play in the development of racial diversity among our early ancestors?

The skin of people who lived in hotter regions produced more melanin than did the skin of people who lived in more moderate regions.

Why did the U.S. government place Native American children in boarding schools in the late 1800s?

To force Native Americans to assimilate to United States' culture.

A person who rates a minority category as "7" on the Bogardus social distance scale most probably would want nothing to do with members of that minority.

True

A person's race or ethnicity often serves as his or her master status and hence can strongly affect most aspects of that person's life, to the point that even great accomplishments are overshadowed.

True

According to Carmichael and Hamilton, prejudice and discrimination are built into the operation of society's institutions and result in the unequal treatment of categories of people in such arenas as schools, hospitals, law enforcement, and the workplace.

True

According to conflict theory, those in power use prejudice as a tool with which to justify and maintain their own positions of power and oppress others.

True

According to the Bogardus scale, greater social distance indicates less acceptance of a particular group. Those who score a "7" on the scale express the least acceptance—these people would bar the members of a particular category from their country.

True

Affirmative action, a program first put into place in the 1960s to provide opportunities for racial and ethnic minorities, continues and remains controversial to this day

True

Despite having made great strides in recent years, African Americans still have a median income lower than the national average, a greater percentage of people living in poverty than the national average, and an adult college completion rate lower than the national average.

True

Following the conflict theory of prejudice, an Anglo boss who pays immigrant workers extremely low wages for day labor does so because our society views them as inferior. Devaluing a category of people is the foundation for economically exploiting them.

True

Is the United States a pluralistic society?

Yes and no, all races and ethnicity are technically equal under the law, but they do not have equal social standing..

Rick Masters, a 40-year-old butcher, lives in Columbus, Ohio. When a minority customer gives him an incorrect amount of money for a purchase, he can be heard to mutter "Typical!" He believes that women should stay home, taking care of their husbands and children, and leave the good jobs for men. When he sees elderly people driving around town, he thinks of nursing homes that have empty beds. His wife has learned to put up with his ranting; his children are embarrassed to go anywhere with him. Which theory can best be used to explain Rick Masters' prejudice?

authoritarian personality theory

Chinese immigration to the United States ________________________________.

began in 1849 in response to the California Gold Rush

Race is to ________________ as ethnicity is to ______________________.

biological traits; cultural traits

According to research conducted by sociologist Thomas Sowell, racial differences in IQ scores result not from _________________ but rather from _________________.

biology; a cultural enviroment

Ethnicity differs from race in that ethnicity is based on __________ and race is based on __________.

cultural traits; biological traits

Which theory of prejudice is supported by the fact that members of minorities express the same attitudes as white people toward categories other than their own?

culture theory

Ismail Mahmood, an Arab American of the Muslim faith, lives in New York. As he goes about his daily life, Ismail is dismayed to find that occasionally he is looked at with suspicion by shopkeepers and waitstaff and is whispered about by groups of passerby. Ismail considers himself a proud American and is saddened to think that some people in the United States might automatically connect all Arab Americans with recent terrorist attacks. Ismail, along with other Arab Americans, is the victim of _____________________________.

stereotyping

According to data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau, _____________________.

the median income of Mexican American is approximately two-thirds the national average.

According to recent data collected by the U.S Census Bureau on the social standing of African Americans, as presented in Table 11-3, _______________________________.

the percentage of African Americans living in poverty is nearly twice the national average.