SOCI 180 CHAPTER 4
institutional discrimination
the denial of opportunities and equal rights to individuals and groups that results from the normal operations of a society
Implicit prejudice refers to __________.
the fact that people are unconsciously influenced by racial stereotypes
In a well-known experiment involving fictitious résumés, job applicants with stereotypically "white names" received __________ applicants with stereotypically "black names."
50 percent more follow-up calls than
stereotype
A simplified generalization about a group that is often false or exaggerated. Stereotypes are often negative, although positive stereotypes can sometimes be found.
individual discrimination
Action carried out by an individual or small group that harms, excludes, or disadvantages members of a certain group.
With which of the following statements would a social constructionist most strongly agree?
Although race is not biologically based, it is real in the social effects it has on individuals and groups.
The United States is experiencing immigration from diverse countries as well as an increase in interracial marriage and a new openness to multiracial identities. Which of the following have researchers found to be true?
Although these demographic changes are associated with race becoming less of a barrier for some groups and individuals, race remains a powerful obstacle for others.
Discrimination
Any behavior, practice, or policy that harms, excludes, or disadvantages individuals on the basis of their group membership. Discrimination is often used by dominant groups to control opportunities and reduce the challenges from subordinate groups.
Which group has the highest rate of educational attainment in the United States?
Asian Americans
__________ have the highest median household income among all racial groups in the United States.
Asian Americans
Given what you know about the patterns of educational attainment of minority groups over the last 30 years, which of the following groups in the United States is most likely to have completed a college degree?
Asian Americans in the Northeast
Which of the following statements about race, ethnicity, and whiteness is true?
At one point in U.S. history, people from Southern and Eastern European ethnic groups were not considered to be white, but over time they were redefined as white.
It is estimated that during the economic crisis that emerged in 2007, blacks and Hispanics were twice as likely to lose their homes as whites. Which of the following statements uses the concept of white privilege to explain this disparity?
Because of a history of discriminatory practices, blacks and Hispanics have historically had less wealth. When the economic crisis hit, they had fewer resources to use as a cushion in order to retain their homes.
Genocide
Deliberate extermination of a racial or cultural group
Which of the following categories refers to an ethnic group, according to the U.S. census?
Hispanic
Your friend tells you she thinks the constructivist perspective is wrong and that race is a biological fact. "If race isn't biological," she asks, "then how can companies determine a person's race by examining their DNA?" Drawing on the constructivist perspective presented in this chapter, which of the following is the best answer to your friend's question?
Individuals have physical characteristics that correspond to instructions in their DNA, but companies producing racial profiles are following socially constructed rules about race to determine what to look for in the DNA they examine.
Which of the following actions would be most likely to increase the percentage of black men voting in elections?
Make it possible for previously convicted felons to vote once they have completed their prison terms.
In the United States, which of the following statements is consistent with the social construction of race?
People in the United States tend to categorize anyone with visible African heritage as black because they have been socialized to do so.
racism
Prejudice and/ or discrimination against individuals who are members of particular racial or ethnic groups, often drawing on negative stereotypes about the group.
__________ refers to the negative beliefs, feelings, or attitudes held about entire groups and is based on __________.
Prejudice; stereotypes
Which of the following is an accurate statement about attempts to distinguish racial differences in intelligence, criminality, and other behavioral traits?
Research in this area has provided little credible evidence that could be used to establish theories of racial disparities.
African Americans continue to experience high levels of residential segregation. Which of the following statements is most strongly supported in the discussion of residential segregation in this chapter?
Residential segregation is associated with increasing the number of high-poverty neighborhoods.
Emily's hometown is voting on whether city government should continue to participate in affirmative action policies. She plans to vote "no" because she believes that affirmative action perpetuates racism by requiring that people be hired based on race rather than on qualifications. Which of the following is true of Emily's position?
She believes in color blindness.
Cecilia is Hispanic American. When filling out the U.S. census form, she enters "white" when asked for her race. Given current trends in the construction of the U.S. census, which of the following is likely to be true for Cecilia in the not-too-distant future?
She will have the option of entering "Hispanic" as her race.
When Sheila is in Country A, she is considered to be black, but when she travels to Country B, she is considered to be white. Given what you know about the social construction of race, which of the following best explains this situation?
Sheila's race varies because each country has defined race according to different criteri
Although many of Steven's friends do not like affirmative action, he supports its continuation. "We can't get rid of racism by refusing to see the ways that race continues to disadvantage nonwhite people every day," he says. Which of the following is true of Steven's position?
Steven rejects the idea of color blindness.
Which of the following statements most accurately characterizes the income gap between white and nonwhite households over the past half-century?
The gap began to narrow after the civil rights movement, but since the 1970s there has not been much additional change.
Lynching
The killing of someone by a group, without a trial or due process, for some specified behavior.
__________ is a custom that became enshrined in many state laws around the turn of the nineteenth century to identify a person's race
The one-drop rule
Which of the following is one of the explanations offered by the author of this chapter for why rates of criminal convictions are relatively high among African Americans?
The war on drugs has disproportionately criminalized African Americans.
Which of the following statements demonstrates white privilege?
White Americans have benefited from generations of policies that supported their economic well-being.
Which of the following government policies illustrates the concept of affirmative action?
a policy to ensure that minority-owned businesses have equal opportunities to compete for government contracts with more established white-owned firms
Someone who was born and raised in Sweden but moves to Japan and takes on the cultural preferences and behaviors of the Japanese people is a person who has __________.
assimilated
The U.S. census has evolved over time to keep up with changes in how Americans identify themselves. However, if the census were to __________, it would be a radical departure from the past.
eliminate "white" as a racial category
Which of the following best describes the concept of white privilege?
having higher average earnings and more employment opportunities than an equally well-qualified member of a minority group
The 1790 naturalization law is discussed in the chapter as an example of __________.
institutional discrimination
Which of the following is discussed in the chapter as an obstacle that continues to prevent African Americans and Latinos from exercising their voting rights?
laws that disenfranchise convicted felons
Compared with middle-class white families, middle-class black families are __________ to live in poor neighborhoods.
more likely
Given what you have learned about racial disparities in health, housing, and income and wealth, which of the following would you expect to have the most positive impact on improving the health of racial minorities?
more low-cost health clinics in poor neighborhoods
prejudices
negative beliefs or attitudes held about entire groups based on subjective, selective, or inaccurate information. They lead to "prejudgment" of the individuals associated with stigmatized groups.
For sociologists, racial prejudice and discrimination are not the result of __________, but are instead the result of __________.
personality disorders; socialization
implicit prejudice
prejudice that exists outside an individual's conscious awareness
in the United States, __________ has historically mattered much more than __________.
race; ethnicity
institutional racism
refers to rules and regulations that organizations adopt that significantly harm members of a racial or ethnic group.
In the late nineteenth century, Americans initially viewed new immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe as __________. Then, following restrictions on immigrants, the descendants of these groups gradually came to be seen as __________.
separate races; white
Sociologist Max Weber thought that ethnic categories were the result of __________, but he held a(n) __________ view of race.
subjective beliefs; essentialist
In contrast to a TIME magazine cover that suggested multiracial people began emerging in the United States during the 1990s, the authors of this chapter point out that multiracial people have existed in this part of the world since __________.
the 1630s
When did the U.S. Supreme Court strike down all state laws banning interracial marriage?
the 1960s
Sociologists have shown that __________ job applicants with a criminal record are __________ likely to be considered for a job __________ job applicants without a criminal record.
white; more; than black
Based on demographic data, which racial group is projected to see a significant decrease in the future as a share of the U.S. population?
whites