Chapter 9: Race and Ethnicity
1. isolate discrimination 2. small-group discrimination 3. direct institutionalized discrimination 4. indirect institutionalized discrimination
4 major types of discrimination by Joe Feagin
Middle Eastern Americans
Includes immigrants from Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, and Jordan * The Lebanese, Syrians, and Iranians primarily come from middle class backgrounds. * most Iranian immigrants initially hoped to return to Iran; however, many have become U.S. citizens
individual discrimination
behavior consisting of one-on-one acts by members of the dominant group that harm members of the dominant group that harm members of the subordinate group pr their property
Jackie Robinson
broke baseball's "color line" in 1947
Middle East
geographic region from Afghanistan to Libya and including Arabia, Cyprus and Asiatic Turkey
critical race theory
derives its foundation from the US civil rights tradition
class perspective
emphasize the role of capitalist class in racial exploitation
inequalitarian pluralism or segregation
exists when specific ethnic groups are set apart from the dominant group and have unequal access to power and privelege
symbolic interactionists (2)
exmine how microlevel contacts between people may produce either greater racial tolerance or increased levels of hostility
Hispanic
first used by the US government to designate people of Latin American and Spanish descent living in the US
functionalists
focus on the macro level intergroup processes that occur between the dominant group and subordinate groups in society
internal colonialism
according to conflict theories, a practice that occurs when members of a racial or ethnic group are conquered or colonized and forcibly placed under the economic and political control of the dominant group
Dawes act
allowed the federal government to usurp Native American lands for the benefit of corporations and other nonnative settlers who sought to turn a profit from oil and gas exploration
socially constructed reality
an approach that social significance that people accord to race is more significant than any biological differences that might exist among people who are placed in arbitrary categories.
kye
an association that grants members money on a rotating basis to gain access to more capital (Korean Americans)
conflict theorists
analyze power and economic differentials between the dominant group and dominant group and subordinate groups
unprejudiced nondiscriminators
are not personally prejudiced and do not discriminate against other
Latino (males) Latina (females), Hispanic Americans
are used interchangeably to refer to people who trace their origins to Spanish-speaking Latin America and Iberian peninsula
cultural, structural, biological and psychological stages
assimilation occurs at several distinct levels
theory of racial formation
states that actions of the government substantially define racial and ethnic relations in the US
sports opportunity structure
the availability of facilities, coaching and competition in the schools and community recreation programs in their area
ethnic pluralism
the coexistence of a variety of distinct racial and ethnic groups within one society
institutional discrimination
the day-to-day practices of organizations and institutions that have a harmful effect on members of subordinate groups
genocide
the deliberate, systematic killing of an entire people or nation
split labor market
the division of economy into two areas of employment, a primary sector or upper tier, composed of higher paid (usually dominant group) workers in more-secure jobs, and a secondary sector or lower tier, composed of lower paid (often subordinate group) workers in jobs with little security and hazardous working conditions
gendered racism
the interactive effect of racism and sexism on the exploitation of women of color
Japanese Americans or immigrants
were men who worked on sugar plantation in the Hawaiian Islands in the 1860's
isolate discrimination
harmful action intentionally taken by a dominant-group member against a member of a subordinate group; occurs without the support of other members of the dominant group in the immediate social or community context
small-group discrimination
harmful action intentionally taken by a limited number of dominant-group members against members of subordinate groups, is not supported by existing norms or other dominant-group members in the immediate social or community context
ethnic cleansing
has been used to define a policy of "cleansing" geographic areas by forcing persons of other races or religions to flee or die
Filipinos
have among the highest level of educational attainment among Asian Americans
hijabs
head to toe covering that leaves only the face exposed
prejudiced discriminators
hold personal prejudices and actively discriminate against others
prejudiced nondiscriminators
hold personal prejudices but do not discriminate due to peer pressure, legal demands, or a desire for profits
Indochinese Americans
include people from Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Laos; are firs or second generation residents of the US
Mexican Americans or Chicanos
including both native and foreign-born people of Mexican origin; largest segment of the Latino/a population in the Us which is about 2/3
psychological assimilation
involves a change in racial or ethnic self-identification on the part of an individuall
discrimination
involves actions or practices of dominant-group members (or their representatives) that have a harmful effect on members of a subordinate group
Lynching
is a killing carried out by a group of vigilantes seeking revenge for an actual or imagined crime by the victim
white ethnic Americans
is applied to a wide diversity of immigrants who trace their origins to Ireland and to Eastern and Southern European countries such as Poland, Italy, Greece, Germany, Yugoslavia and Russian and other former Soviet republics
subordinate group
is one whose members, because of physical or cultural characteristics, are disadvantaged and subjected to unequal treatment and discrimination by the dominant group, African Americans
Chinese Americans
largest Asian American group`
Cuban Americans
live in the Southeast, esp. Florida; have fared somewhat better than other Latinos because they were affluent professionals and businesspeople who fled Cuba after Fidel Castro's 1959 Marxist revolutionist
Puerto Ricans
make up 9% of the Hispanic-origin people in the US
symbolic interactionist perspectives
make us aware of the importance of intergroup contact and the fact that it may either intensify or reduce racial and ethnic stereotyping and prejudice
unprejudiced discriminators
may have no personal prejudice but still engage in discriminatory behavior because of peer-group pressure or economic, political or social interests
overt racism
more blatant and may take the form of public statements about the "inferiority" of members of a racial or ethnic group; calling a player of color a derogatory name
civil disobedience
nonviolent action seeking to change a policy or law by refusing to comply with it- to call attention to racial inequalities and to demand greater inclusion of African Americans in all areas of public life
cultural assimilation or acculturation
occurs when members of an ethnic group adopt dominant-group traits such as language, dress, values, religion, and food preferences
biological assimilation or amalgamation
occurs when members of one group marry those of other social or ethnic groups
structural assimilation or integration
occurs when members of subordinate racial or ethnic groups gain acceptance in everyday social interaction with members of the dominant group
subtle racism
often hidden from sight and more difficult to recognize
direct institutionalized discrimination
organizationally prescribed or community-prescribed action that intentionally has a differential and negative impact on members of the subordinate groups; are carried out by a number of dominant-group members based on the norms of the immediate organization or community
stereotype
over-generalizations about the appearance, behavior, or other characteristics of members of particular categories
sincere fictions
personal beliefs that reflect larger societal mythologies, such as "I am not a racist" or "I have never discriminated against anyone"
anti-Semitism
prejudice, hostile attitudes and discriminatory behavior targeted at Jews
de facto segregation
racial separation and inequality enforced by custom; more difficult to document that de jure segregation
de jure segregation
refers to laws that systematically enforce by physical and social separation of African American in all areas of public life
ethnicity
refers to one's cultural background or national origin.
Affirmative action
refers to policies or procedures that are intended to promote equal opportunity for categories of people deemed to have been previously excluded from equality in education, employment, and other fields on the basis of characteristic such as race or ethnicity
indirect institutionalized discrimination
refers to practices that have harmful effect on subordinate-group members even though the organizationally or community-prescribed norms or regulations guiding these actions were initially established with no intent or harm
ethnocentrism
refers to the tendency to regard one's own culture and group as the standard
Nisei
second generation Japanese Americans
Filipino Americans
second largest category of Asian Americans
equalitarian pluralism or accommodation
a situation in which ethnic groups coexist in equality with one another
caste perspective
views racial and ethnic inequality as a permanent feature of US society
Asian Americans
Fastest growing racial minority in the U.S. * includes Japanese, Korean, Filipino and Indochinese Americans
authoritarian personality
(theory of prejudice) by Theodor Adorno, a personality characterized by excessive conformity, submissiveness to authority, intolerance, insecurity, a high level of superstition, and rigid, stereotypic thinking
frustration-aggression hypothesis
(theory of prejudice) states that people who are frustrated in their efforts to achieve a highly desired goal will respond with a pattern of aggression toward others
scapegoat
(theory of prejudice) the object of their aggression (frustration-aggression people) becomes this; a person or group that is incapable of offering resistance to the hostility or aggression of others; used as substitute for the actual source of frustration
symbolic interactionists
According to ______, prejudice results from social learning, in other words, it is learned from observing and imitating significant others.
1. unique cultural traits, such as language, clothing, holidays, or religious practices 2. a sense of community 3. a feeling of ethnocentrism 4. ascribed membership from birth 5. territoriality, or the tendency to occupy a distinct geographic area by choice and/or self protection
Ethnic groups share 5 main characteristics
1. have equal status 2. pursue the same goals 3. cooperate with one another to achieve their goals 4. receive positive feedback when they interact with one another in positive, nondiscriminatory ways
In contact hypothesis, symbolic interactionists point out that contact between people from divergent groups should lead to favorable attitudes and behavior when certain factors are present. Members of each group must _____, _____, _____, ______.
Latino or Hispanic-Americans
Includes Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans and Cuban Americans * Many Mexican American families have lived in the U.S. for 4 or 5 generations and have made significant contributions. *in 1917, Puerto Ricans acquired U.S. citizenship and the right to move freely to and from the mainland.
dominant and subordinate
Many sociologists prefer the terms _____ and _____ to identify power relationships that are based on perceived racial, ethnic, or other attributes and identities
1. unprejudiced nondiscriminators 2. unprejudiced discriminators 3. prejudiced nondiscriminators 4. prejudiced discriminators
Robert Merton identified 4 combinations of attitudes and responses of discrimination
1. a reduction in opportunities for developing sport skills 2. restricted opportunities for participation 3. lessening of Native American' interest in competing with and against non-Native Americans
Native American scholar Joseph B. Oxendine attributes the lack of athletic participation to these factors:
racism
a set of attitudes, beliefs, and practices that is used to justify the superior treatment of one racial or ethnic group and the inferior treatment of another racial or ethnic group * recent studies have shown that the underlying reasoning behind racism differs according to factors such as gender, age, class, and geography
(T or F) Social stratification has been based on race and ethnicity
Race and ethnicity take on importance because of how people act in regard to these terms drastically affects other people's lives, including how they are treated, and even how long they live. * nonetheless, how we classify people based on race has changed over time.
white, black, Asian or Pacific Islander, and American Indian or Alaska Native
Racial categories identified by the US Census Bureau are ________.
African Americans
Slavery was rationalized by stereotyping African Americans as inferior and childlike. *Civil Rights Acts of 1964 & 1965 sought to eliminate discrimination in education, housing, employment and health care.
Asian Americans
The US Census Bureau uses the this term ti designate the many diverse group with roots in Asia
majority group and minority group
The terms _______ and _______ are widely used, but their meanings are less clear as the composition of the US population continues to change
assimilation
a process by which members of subordinate racial and ethnic groups become absorbed into the dominant culture
not a biological one
Today, sociologists emphasize that race is a "socially constructed reality" which means _______.
race
a category of people who have been singled out as inferior or superior, often on the basis of real or alleged physical characteristics such as skin color, hair texture, eye shape and other subjectively selected attributes * race has little meaning biologically due to interbreeding in the human population
ethnic group
a collection of people distinguished, by others or by themselves, primarily on the basis of cultural or nationality characteristics
interest convergence
a crucial factor in bringing about social change
US Patriot Act
a law giving the federal government greater authority to engage in searches and surveillance with less judicial review than previously
prejudice
a negative attitude based on faulty generalization about members of specific racial, ethnic or other groups; from the Latin word, "prae" (before) and "judicium" (judgement), which means that people may be biased either for or against members of other groups even before they have had any contact with them
reverse discrimination
a person who is better qualified being denied a position because another person received preferential treatment as a result of affirmative action
dominant group
a racial or ethnic group that has the greatest power and resources in a society, whites with Northern European ancestry
self determination
the right to choose their own way of life
segregation
the spatial and social separation of categories of people by race, ethnicity, class, gender and/or religion
Cobel v. Salazar
thirteen-year old lawsuit that accused the government of mishandling revenues generated by the extraction of natural resources from American Indian land trusts as a result of the Dawes Act
anti miscegenation laws
which prohibited sexual intercourse or marriage between persons of different races