Chapter 10

Racial and Ethnic Relations

Societies use a variety of characteristics to determine social standing (chapter 9)

Race & Ethnicity: 2 most prominent ascribed statuses used to distinguish 1 group from another

RACEFor centuries people have attempted to group

ppl Based on physical feats.: skin/eye color, hair

texture, etcScholars place people into 3 main groups:

Race, Ethnicity, and the Social Structure

RACECaucasoids: fair skin and straight/wavy hairMongoloids: Yellowish/brown skin, folds on

eyelidsNegroids: dark skin, tightly curled hair Does not describe complexities:

Australian Aborigines: dark skin but blond curly hair

South Indians: caucasoid faces, dark skin & straight hair

NO biologically “pure” races We often possess multiple race traits

Race, Ethnicity, and the Social Structure

RACESociological terms race: category of ppl

who share inherited physical char. whom others see as being a distinct group

Interested with how ppl react to these physical characteristics and how these reactions affect ind. in society

Race, Ethnicity, and the Social Structure

ETHNICITY Ethnicity: set of cultural char. that

distinguishes one group from another Ethnic Group: ppl who share a common

cultural background and a common sense of identity

Usually based on: nationality, religion, lang. customs

To survive, traditions must be passed downSome do a better job of preservation than

others:Asian American, Hispanics, and Jews

Race, Ethnicity, and the Social Structure

Ethnicity is based on cultural considerationsRace is based on physical considerations

Some ethnic groups are also racially distinct African Americans: share common heritage Japanese, Chinese, and Korean Americans can

be both ethnically and racially identified

Race and Ethnicity

Minority has nothing to do with group sizeSouth AfricaDeals with groups unequal standing in society

Minority Groups

Ethnic: based on cultural practicesGender: majority, women are the minority

(socially) Religion: faiths that aren’t of the dominant

cultureRacial: groups classified on physical features;

skin color

Types of Minorities?

No particular skin color, physical feature, or ethnic background is superior or inferior by nature

HOWEVER those in power w/in society may value specific char.

Dominant groups est. norms and values Create social structure to benefit themPosition of power allows certain privileges Usually at the expense of:

Minority Group: group of ppl who are unequally treated/singled out, based on physical char. or cultural practices

Minority Groups

Our goal as a class is to come up with ONE “theme”

Your group will create 1 piece to the 5 piece mural

Create a colorful mural that illustrates a celebration of minority groups using your characteristic

Minority Mural

Break up into 5 groups of 7-8 students (YOU may choose this time)

Each group will receive a slip of paper with info on it

You will have 4 min. to discuss the info & think of a way to visually represent it… “theme”

1 member from each group will travel to the 4 other groups (learn their info and the groups “theme”)

“Traveler” will come back and divulge info to original group

Minority Mural

The group possesses identifiable physical or cultural charac. that differ from those of the dominant group

Group members are the victims of unequal treatment at the hands of the dominant group

Membership in the group is an ascribed status

Group members share a strong bond and a sense of group loyalty

Members tend to practice endogamy-marriage within the group

5 Characteristics distinguishing Minority Groups From Other Groups In Society

Discrimination and Prejudice Two SEPARATE but related thingsDiscrimination: denial of equal treatment

to individuals based on their group membership

Prejudice: unsupported generalization about a category of people You can be prejudice for or against

someone/thingDiscrimination=behavior, Prejudice=attitude

Discrimination Individual or societal level

Range from: name calling to violence (death)Societal level happens in two forms:

legal discrimination: upheld by lawInstitutionalized: outgrowth of social

structure Apartheid system in South Africa=legal

Women's right to vote in US or enter legal contracts

Plessy v. Ferguson, Jim Crow laws

Institutionalized Discrimination Unequal access to resources pushes minorities

into less-powerful positions Dominant group, not necessary to consciously

discrim. Becomes part of social structure

Self-perpetuating, even if steps to end discrim. are takenDenied access to jobs and housing Members live in low-income communities Poorly funded schools in those neighborhoods Unqualified for jobs when restrictions are lifted

Discrimination

^ often involves a stereotype: oversimplified, exaggerated or unfavorable generalizationFormed about an ind. and apply to all members

of groupW.I. Thomas, “If people define situations as

real, they are real in their consequences.” We see reality based on what we believe to be

true, not necessarily what isSelf-fulfilling prophecy: prediction that

results in behavior that makes the prediction come trueIf we think a group can’t learn, we don’t teach

Prejudice

Prejudicial beliefs that serve as justification for discrimination often take form as:

Racism: belief that ones own race/ethnicity is superior to others

Prejudice

• Unsupported generalizations about a category of people

• Involves attitudes

• Can be in favor of a group

PREJUDICE DISCRIMINATION

• Denial of equal treatment based on group membership

• Involves behaviors

• Can be individual or societal

• Sociological or psychological

Sources for Discrimination & Prejudice Sociological explanations: through

socialization Prejudices embedded in society

Psychological explanations: authoritarian personalityScapegoating: placing blame for troubles

on innocent groupsEconomic explanations: competition over

resourcesChinese during the late 1800s

Cultural Pluralism: allows each group w/in society to keep its unique cultural ID (Switzerland)

Assimilation: blending of culturally distinct groups into a single group w/ common culture“melting pot”

Legal Protection: Civil Rights Act ‘64, Voting Rights Act ‘65, Affirmative Action

Segregation: physically separating minority group from dominant groupGhettos, Apartheid, Jim Crow Laws

Minority Group Treatment

Subjugation: maintaining control over a group through force (Slavery, apartheid)

Population Transfer: Indirect/Direct transfer

Extermination: genocide: intentional destruction of an entire population Ethnic cleansing: removing a group from a

particular area through terror, expulsion and murder

Minority Group Treatment

1) What are some of the minority groups found in the US?

2) What kinds of problems have minority groups faced?

3) For what kinds of rights have members of minority groups struggled?

4) What strides have members of minority groups made over the years?

5) What problems remain?

Answer These

“an American Dilemma” Equality, freedom, and inalienable rightsNot always living up to these things

Subjugation, segregation, reservations, internments

WASP: White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant Imagery of what a typical American is/should be

Those who adapted to the WASP image were accepted Other groups, AA, Hispanics, Asian Americans

and ethnic whites, have had more difficulty

Minority Groups in the U.S.

Minority Group

Conditions/Concerns

African Americans

Making gains toward equality, but statistics still show members are lagging in education, employment, and income; becoming more politically active

Hispanics Rapidly growing population; trailing in income and education; diverse population

Asian Americans

Contrast between first-generation immigrants, who are often poor, and second-geneartion, many of whom succeed educationally and financially; viewed as a “model minority,” although this term is resented

Native Americans

Often live on reservations, high poverty and poor education; encouraged to assimilate; taking steps to establish sources of income and better schools

White Ethnics Includes some who assimilate quickly and others who remain victims of prejudice and discrimination; making gains in religious tolerance; good education level

2nd largest minority groupSuffered a long history of prejudice and

discrim. Since the civil rights movement, progress

made…HS grad rates are only a few points lower than

whites24% employed have managerial/35% of whites

Other stats not as good:4 year college completion % is half of white% living in poverty is 3x as high as whitesUnemployment rate is 2x higher than whites

African Americans

Largest minority group Increasing political gain/control large voting

blocks Like AA, unemployment is 2x higher than

whites

Hispanics

3rd largest minority group…roughly 4% American pop.

First wave: Chinese 1850s RRChinese Exclusion Act 1882

Second wave: Japanese 1890 to HawaiiImmigration Act of 1924

Third wave: McCarran-Walter Act 1952Allows Asians to migrate based on national

quotas Comparable to % of bachelor degrees to

whites$13K higher median income than all

Americans

Asian American

Pop. in the millions before Europeans cameOf all minority groups, NA face the greatest

challenges:50% of NA workforce on/near Res. is unemployed 31% live below poverty level Alcohol related deaths is 7x higher than general pop.Suicide rate is 1.5x greater than other Americans Only 66% of 25^ grad. HS and >10% college

Gov’t policies were causes of ^^^Indian Removal Act, assimilation,

Reparations: Grave Protection/Repatriation Act

Native Americans

White ethnic: immigrants from Catholic countries, or non WASP

Faced major discrimination based on being Catholic

Assimilated into “American” society quicklyOthers did the opposite: ethnic

neighborhoods

White Ethnics