Sociology 314: Exam 2
How man lived in poverty in 2015: -_________% Black Americans -_________% Hispanic Americans
-25% -20%
U.S. ranks _______ in life expectancy compared to other nations. ________ have a higher life expediencies than the U.S.
-53 -52
According to the 2010 census, about __________% of the U.S. population was non-Hispanic white. By 2065, the non-Hispanic white population is projected to be________% (less than the majority)
-64% -46%
How many Black Americans have graduated: -_________ High School -_________ College
-87% -22%
What is the percentage of the adult U.S. population that has a high school diploma or GED? How many had a bachelor's degree or higher?
-88% (High school or GED) -33% (Bachelor or higher)
What are the theoretical explanations for prejudice?
-Fear: can't predict behavior of people different from you. --Biological Theory: humans biologically grounded to fear other who are different. -Competition: view as "us v.s. Then." -Need for self-affirmation (confirm a positive image of self). --Feel superior by denigrating others Use minority as a scapegoat. (blame that minority) --Psychological projection (project own faults onto others). -Unequal societal organization Create negative stereotypes to justify inequality. Slavery JIm Crow Discrimination Learned: part of culture Authoritarian Culture: belief in hierarchical distinctions. Submission to those w/ higher rank Intolerance of differences
Remediation Approach Strategy II : increase the status of stigmatized minorities
1. Reduce discrimination Problems: Personal/individual discrimination difficult to detect and prosecute. Would not be sufficient to counteract unequal opportunities due to wealth differences, social networking differences, etc. 2. Place minorities in visible positions of leadership. Problems: Might view as token minority position Don't generalize to others of that minority group. Heightens criticism of leader's actions. 3. Improve opportunities by affirmative action. Problems: Casts minorities in remedial terms (that cannot make it on their own.) Creates "us" vs. "them" mentality.
Problems Interpersonal Contact
1. Societal conditions inhibit this kind of contact - residential segregation - self-segregation within schools, workplaces,churches 2. Racial/ethic inequality by social class exists 3. Individuals do not generate Individuals they encounter to the larger minority group
How many live under the poverty line in the United States?
13.5%
About how many children live in poverty in the United States?
20%
About how many U.S. veterans are homeless?
25%
How many single-parent female headed families live in poverty?
36.5%
What percentage of Black Americans live in single-parent, female headed households?
49%
The U.S. infant mortality rate was __________ in 2016.
5.8
How many nations had a lower infant mortality rates than the United States?
56 nations
The median family income of black Americans was about _______% of that of non-Hispanics white Americans in 2015.
59%
The median family income of Hispanics Americans was about __________% of that of non-Hispanic white Americans in 2015.
72%
What is the estimated life expectancy for babies born in the U.S. in 2017?
79.13
Deprovincialization
Become more accepting of others differences
How can contact reduce prejudice?
Changing categorization, Strategy : Interpersonal Contact , Contact will reduce prejudice(breakdown stereotypes) if people are of: 1. Equal status 2. Noncompetitive by race/ethnicity 3. Personal interaction is long enough time for people to get to know each other
Discrimination vs prejudice
Discrimination is the act, prejudice is your attitude
What are the effects of microaggressions? (L)
Effects: Suppressed rage (Can't show how angry you are-causes depression and stress related diseases) Anxiety Loss of sleep Interferes with achievements (due to performance anxiety
Salvation Approach
Focus on perpetrators of prejudice - persuade those who are prejudiced that the stereotypes they hold are wrong
Remediation Approach
Focus the targets of prejudice - improve the public images of stigmatized groups to remove the stereotypes
What are the attribution errors made by prejudiced people and how are these related to racism? (L, R14)
Fundamental attribution error: attribute problems of minority inequalities to internal characteristics (colorblind racism) Ultimate Attribution Error: attribute minority problems to internal characteristics and attribute minorities success to external characteristics.
How do individual, institutional, and cultural racism differ?
Individual racism- The first level is most aligned with race prejudice suggest a belief in the superiority of ones own race over another and in the behavioral enactments cultural racism can generally be defined as the individual and institutional expression of the superiority of ones races cultural heritage over that of another race.
How do health threats differ between industrialized and less developed countries
Less- HIV/AIDS, TB, Measles, Malaria, and Diarrhea More- Chronic and degenerative conditions (Heart disease and Stroke, Cancer, Arthritis, Diabetes, Respiratory diseases, and Mental Illness)
What are microaggressions?
Microaggressions: -Racial Slurs -Aversive Racism (avoidance) -Racial Profiling (ex: under suspicion in stores). -Job related stress : less decision-making control, more supervision/monetary work, and racial antagonism on the job
Morbidity
Morbidity is illness, symptoms and the impairments they produce
Salvation Approach Problems
Must convince people that their beliefs are false,immoral, or stupid - LEAST EFFECTIVE APPROACH
**ESSAY: Describe the main techniques used to teach and discipline children in the inner-city school that Kozol visited (R-"The Ordering Regime").
Pedagogy of direct command and absolute control (Does not give children any room to be themselves and show their strengths) SETTING: School in the Bronx → P.S. 65 Teacher: Mr. Endicott and teaching assistant He is not a trained teacher This was his 2nd year This was the TA 1st year New vocabularies of stentorian determination New system of incentive New modes of castigations → "rewards and sanctions" They went every day with silent lunches and were punished with silent recesses The teacher stood like an intimidating Nazi when he needed the class to be silent Everything was done in a super procedural manner with every activity having a certain time slot Curriculum materials that are alleged to be aligned with governmentally established goals and standards and particularly suited → "Special needs and learning styles" All praises and critiques were on the board behind the teacher There was a formal name for every cognitive event within the school Everyone was always serious and never seemed to be relax or feel at ease The entire school day comes to be a matter of unnatural theatrics that cannot be improvised to any real degree without the risk of teachers being criticised by their superiors (Skinnerian Curriculum) Having a strict curriculum gave teachers little room to be creative and adjust their teaching to each child's strengths (the curriculum forced every child to conform to a set a rules and expectations) Taylorism: set of theories about management of factory employees (This technique was used in the classrooms to control the students) By giving every particle of learning an official name we strip it of its uniqueness. Teachers say that these numbering and naming rituals are forcing them to sacrifice a huge proportion of their time to what are basically promotional, not educational activities. Silent lunches and silent recess: students are obliged to stay indoors and sit in rows and maintain silence on the floor of a small room that was designated. In this story it is the gymnasium. "Zero noise" Hand signal to quiet students: Arm shot out and up in a diagonal in front of teacher, hand straight up and fingers flat. Students will repeat signal back to teacher. Communication between children in the class was not prohibited but is afforded time-slots Teachers announce reading levels or scores on state examinations. "Penalties for failure" Penalties for children were dispensed not only individually and privately but also in the view of others, for example in a full assembly of the school Level four thru one: students raised their hands as their levels were announced and the highest levels got praised. Level one students were not even mentioned. (they completely ignore the level one students and this can cause them to feel unworthy and have high anxiety issues) Numbering a naming rituals Teachers have structured names for objectives with numbers and letters EX: elementary standard 37-A Teachers must place bulletin boards up in the classroom and throughout the school in order to be sure that state officials who come by from time to time to supervise instruction will see all their goals and standards properly displayed above whatever bits and pieces of a child's writing may be viewed as excellent enough to show to visitors Bulletin board is judged by 5 elements They will only display the best students work, but they have to be PERFECT "The cover book of the book is more important than what is inside" "I don't think kids take pride in these displays when they can see some of their words have been erased and been "rewritten in a teacher's hand"
What is prejudice?
Prejudice: an attitude Negative stereotype (generalized assumptions of group(s) Irrational Inflexible or rigid prejudgments
Salvation Approach Strategy : Multicultural Education
Problems: - Difficult to reach the intended audience - Audience may not draw the intended conclusions - Prejudice is inflexible/rigid (not rational)
Colorblind Approach Problems
Problems: Race does matter This approach ignores racism and discrimination. Ignores existing inequalities created by past discrimination.
How do the concepts of "race" and "ethnicity" differ? What evidence suggests that "race" is a social construction? (L)
Race Biological characteristics defined as meaningful by a society Skin color, hair texture, facial features, body shape and size Theories of skin color Humans living in hot climates evolved to have darker skin with more melanin to protect against sun Human in areas with less sun developed lighter skin to allow greater absorption of vitamin D Race = a social construction Racial categories are based more on social definitions than on biological differences No scientific evidence of inborn personality or character differences by race No genetic evidence of intelligence differences by race The DNA sequence that controls racial phenotype (e.g. skin color) is independent of the DNA sequence that affects intelligence Racial distinctions are graded, not abrupt Genetic variation is greater within racial groups than between racial groups Different societies construct different systems of racial classification Racial classification change over time Ethnicity Cultural differences due to a shared culture heritage Language, customs, food, music and dance, religion, values
What are the following discriminatory housing practices: redlining, racial steering, restrictive covenants? (L)
Racial Steering: realtors discourage minorities from moving into certain neighborhoods. Redlining: mortgage companies deny loans for houses in minority neighborhoods. Restrictive Home Covenants: illegal pacts between residents that they will NOT sell or rent their homes to minorities.
What are the reasons people in the U.S. have been uninsured?
Small companies cannot afford costs of health care for their employees Personal health insurance policies very expensive Part-time jobs seldom offer health benefits People with a history of health problems unable to get health insurance
What factors contribute to the disproportionately high incarceration rates of blacks in the U.S.?
Stopping citizens who appear to be "out of place." Stereotype Black and Hispanics as NOT belonging in white residential areas. Ex: Traffic stops 2. Crackdowns on Crime. Police implement aggressive stop, questions and frisk police. Blacks are 3X more likely to be searched in a traffic stop. Police over patrol Black and Hispanic communities More Blacks and Hispanics questioned/frisked More minority arrest Stereotype minority communities as having higher crime rates. 3. War on Drugs (1986) Congress set prison terms for crack-related crimes 100X greater than for the same amount of powder cocaine. More than 90% of offenders sentenced for crack offenses in federal courts were Black. Result: greater imprisonment of Black (and Hispanics) than Whites. ---> Rates of Black criminal offences is over 6X greater than that of Whites. Blacks more likely than whites to be convicted and imprisoned for the same offence (10X) Even if innocent, blacks more likely to plea bargain for lesser prison sentences than promised if went to trial. Prison sentences for some offences longer for Blacks than Whites (20X) (JURY- BIAS)!!!!
Remediation Approach: Strategy: Problems
Strategy : improve mass media images Problems - Issue of censorship vs.freedom of the pass - prejudiced will avoid watching programs with positive images - prejudiced will view positives images as exceptions + not generalize to others in the minority group
What is "colorblind racism"? What are its implications or effects?
The colorblind perspective holds that in an environment where institutionalized racism and discrimination have been replaced by equal opportunity, one's qualifications, not one's color or ethnicity, should be the mechanism by which upward mobility is achieved. It allows whites to believe: Segregation is no longer an issue because it is now illegal for individuals to be denied access to housing, public accommodations or jobs because of race. When media creates the impression that little, if any, socioeconomic difference exists between the races. To imagine that depictions of racial minorities working in high status jobs and consuming the same products (because of the commercials on TV).
What are the two major comparative measures of health? Which measure is the best? How does America's health compare to that of other industrialized nations according to these measures? Why?
The two measures are 1.)Life Expectancy 2.) Infant Mortality Infant mortality is the best measure b/c it considers the health of the mother as well as the baby. 53 in life expectancy with age if 79. 56 nations had lower infant mortality than the U.S Stress, balancing personal life, sedentary lifestyle, diet, and obesity
The infant mortality rate of Black Americans was over ______ as high as the infant morality rate for whites in 2015.
Twice
Why do Hispanics and blacks have less wealth than whites? Why are differences in wealth important?
Wealth is the greatest economic difference between whites and racial/ethnic minorities Reasons for wealth differences are blacks and hispanics have less: Income to save inheritance --- past discrimination (little to none) Home equity
What would this mean in the economic arena?
What it means in the economic arena: race is no longer a predictive of income or occupation Would also include wealth, economic well-being, housing etc.
What would this mean in the electoral arena?
What it means in the electoral arena: a truly post racial society would not display any distinctive voting behaviours\patterns among races Racial voting-strong tendency to vote for a candidate of one's own race Racist voting- voting against a candidate solely based on their race
What are the arguments of your reading that the U.S. is NOT a post-racial society, that the election of Barack Obama in 2008 did NOT signify an "end of race as we know it" in either (a) politics or (b) economics? (
Why the U.S is not a post-racial society Different races exhibit certain voting behaviours Race is essentially an indicator of life chances Racial inequality Income Health Education U.S is more of a post-racist society than post-racial
Recategorization
minorities as "WE" or of the same group as you
What is meant by the term "post-racial society"?
post-racial society: one in which race was once a significant and substantial predictor of various behavioural patterns and life outcomes, but in which race has ceased to have much [if any] predictive power.
Colorblind Approach
treat every person as if race doesn't matter
Compared to 34 other OECD countries in 2015, U.S. 15 year olds ranked: -_________ in reading literacy -_________ in mathematics -_________ in science
-17 -30 -19
