Chapter 10 - Sociology: Race and Ethnicity

Why do people put up with discrimination?

-Come from a very low standard of living to begin with -Lack information to realize they're being exploited -Lack power to force legal change -Economic motives may be different from the general population

Majority/Minority Group

A population that consists of over 50% minorities

Alport's Theory of Contact

If two groups are equal and they come in contact with each other then prejudice goes down - A=B=P goes down

De Jure

Legal discrimination; legally the laws allow you to treat people differently in society

Segregation

The separation of groups based on differences - race, ethnicity, religion, gender, social class Separation occurs in societies when two groups are unequal

Functionalist Theory

Theory: Prejudice has a function - to create in-group and out-group -ingroup solidarity -outgroup antagonism/hostility *Dysfunction: Destroys social relationships - seeing someone as an outsider or an other

Permissible Assimilation

When the minority group is allowed to adopt the dominant group culture at it's own pace

Indirect Population Transfer

When you make life uncomfortable so people leave

stereotype threat

a concern experienced when one feels at risk to confirming the inferiority or negative characteristics of one's group

hate crime

a crime perpetrated on the basis of ethnicity, nationality, race, religion or sexual orientation

majority group

a group that controls the economic, social, and political power and resources

Dominant/Majority Group

a group that controls the economic, social, and political power and resources; often times just assume they're superior

Merton Prejudice vs Discrimination

a preconceived judgement or opinion that people have about others v. unfair or differential treatment of individuals or groups

prejudice

a preconceived judgment or opinion of other people and races that leads to preferring one kind of person over another

race

a socially constructed category of people based on real or perceived physical differences

racial profiling

action taken against members of a minority group based on those things other than personal behavior

model (or ideal) minority group

an ethnic group that is more academically, economically, and socially successful than other racial minority groups

white privilege

an invisible package of unearned assets held by whites

Minority Group

disadvantaged group with significantly less economic, social, political power and resources; Women, religions, etc. Characteristics: -Have a physical or cultural trait that distinguished them from the dominant group - color of skin, sex, religion, etc -Unequally treated by the dominant group - don't have access to the power the dominant group has -Tend to marry within their own group (Endogamy) -Tend to feel a strong sense of group unity

Forced Assimilation

dominant group requires the minority group to give up their culture

stereotypes

generalized opinions and impressions of individuals, groups, or social classes

pluralism

maintaining social equality and distinct cultural characteristics within and among races and ethnicities

affirmative action

policies designed to promote educational and job opportunities for minorities and women

apartheid

policies, regulations and laws implemented by a government to keep racial and ethnic groups separate

Dollard

prejudice results from frustration; people are unable to strike out at real source of frustration so they take it out on others (scapegoating)

Adorno

profile of highly prejudice people - does not identify one single group more than another group -insecure -highly conformists -submissive superiors -older -less educated/intelligent -from lower social class

Symbolic Interaction: One-Drop Rule

put in place by slave owners as a way to limit inheritance rights Rule: if you had one drop of black blood then you were black - didn't matter what you looked like ***1/32*** - your background/your heritage - Overlook people like Obama

de facto segregation

segregation that happens "by fact" rather than requirement Ex: Vidor, TX

ethnicity

social and cultural characteristics that set apart one group of people from another

glass ceiling

social and legal barriers designed to prevent minorities and women from advancing in the workplace

institutional racism

societal patterns that produce negative treatment against groups of people based on their race

racism

the belief that one race is superior to others resulting in unequal or demoralizing treatment of other races

Conflict: Split Labor Market

the capitalist class system (bushwahzee, haves) systematically pits group against group benefitting by splitting workers along racial and ethnic lines - weakens solidarity or unity of the workers, benefiting the employers

desegregation

the elimination of the policy of segregation by legal and social means

Internal Colonialism

the exploitation of a societies minority group by the dominant group -Goes hand in hand with segregation

origin

the heritage, nationality group, lineage, or country of birth of the person or the person's ancestors before their arrival in the United States

racial colorblindness

the idea that ignoring or overlooking racial and ethnic differences promotes racial harmony

Patterns of Intergroup Conflict: Population Transfer

the involuntary relocation of a minority group by a dominant group - can be indirect or direct

Symbolic Interaction: Labeling

the labels people learn color their perception

redlining

the practice of arbitrarily denying, limiting, or charging more for financial services, insurance, or access to health care to specific neighborhoods, based on racial and economic issues

Assimilation

the process in which a minority group loses their distinct cultural characteristics and is absorbed into the dominant group

diversity

the recognition and respect of the different attributes of races and ethnicities

Patterns of Intergroup Conflict: Genocide

the systematic killing of one group of people by another based on differences - trying to drive out another culture Examples: US government treatment of native americans, Nazi attempt to exterminate the jews, treatment of aborigines in Australia

institutional discrimination

the use of social institutions to deny minority group members access to the benefits of society

racial discrimination

unfair or differential treatment of individuals and groups based on race and ethnicity

Direct Population Transfer

when you forcibly remove someone - trail of tears, Japanese in WW2