Chapter 9: Race and Ethnicity

Objectives (slide 1 of 3)

9.1 Race and Ethnicity in Society• Describe the distinction between race and ethnicity.9.2 Race• Explain the different concepts of race. • Identify the three major racial classifications.9.3 Ethnicity• Compare and contrast race and ethnicity.• Discuss the three major ways in which new minority

groups emerge in a culture.• Illustrate the four factors that influence the strength of

a person’s sense of ethnic or racial identity.

Objectives (slide 2 of 3)

9.4 Prejudice• Discuss the key perspectives on prejudice.• Describe the nature of stereotypes.9.5 Discrimination• Describe the difference between prejudice and

discrimination.• Analyze the key theories of discrimination.9.6 Theoretical Perspectives on Race and Ethnic Relations• Compare and contrast the ways in which the major

theoretical perspectives understand race and racial relations.

Objectives (slide 3 of 3)

9.7 Racial and Ethnic Relations in the United States

• Compare and contrast the major racial groups in the United States and how intersection theory dictates assumptions.

9.8 Key Issues in the Future of Race and Ethnicity

• Describe the key issues regarding race and ethnicity in the United States.

Race and Ethnicity in Society

• Race refers to biological categories that distinguish groups of people.

• Ethnicity refers to aspects of culture that distinguish one group from another.

Race

• Race: A socially constructed category of people who share some biologically transmitted traits that society considers important

• Racialization: The process by which people are placed into racial categories

Ethnicity

• The most common ethnic distinctions are based on:– Language– Religion– Style of dress– History/perceived ancestry

Minority Groups

• Minority groups: Groups that society sets apart in some way and disadvantages due to the traits that set them apart

• Dominant group: A group that has greater power, privilege, and prestige than other groups

• Segregation: The physical or social isolation of a group of people from the rest of society

The Emergence of Minority Groups

• Sociologists recognize three major ways in which new minority groups emerge in a culture:– Migration– Expansion of political boundaries– Creation within the society through social

processes

Constructing Racial and Ethnic Identity

• Ethnic work: The process by which a person identifies with and constructs his or her identity

• Melting pot: A blending of ethnic traditions in a society

Defining and Measuring Prejudice

• Prejudice: Beliefs or attitudes about a particular attitude

Origins and Perspectives on Prejudice

• Functionalism sees prejudice as functional for the maintenance of the individual or the social group.

• The conflict perspective analyzes prejudice in terms of competition over scarce social resources.

• Through the symbolic interactionist perspective, the specific ways in which prejudice is constructed and understood in society can be studied.

Stereotypes

• Stereotypes: Generalizations that are applied to a group of people

• Scapegoats: Groups that are blamed for the problems of society that are not their fault

• Displacement: The process of individual feelings of hostility, inadequacy, or anger being directed against groups that are not the origins of those feelings

• Projection: The process whereby a person unconsciously projects his or her own characteristics onto others

Discrimination and Racism

• Discrimination: Actions against a group that are designed to deny access to the same rights, privileges, and opportunities as the dominant group

• Racism: Discrimination that is directed at a particular race

• Institutional racism: The belief that racism is built into the structure of society, and that society is structured to favor the dominant group

• Antiracism: Ideologies or practices that seek to eliminate or ameliorate racism

Psychological Theories of Discrimination

• Frustration-aggression hypothesis: The idea that discrimination is the result of displaced anger for an individual’s inability to achieve highly desired goals

• Authoritarian personality theory: Authoritarianism is a personality trait of individuals that is the result of a poor upbringing

• Social-cognitive theory explains that stereotyping and discrimination are normal parts of information processing.

Social-Psychological Theories of Discrimination

• Social identity theory: People desire a positive social identity, and will discriminate to elevate their own identity

• Realistic group conflict theory: Discrimination is the result of competition between groups for limited societal resources

• Social learning theory: People engage in prejudice and discrimination because they have been socialized to feel and behave in those ways

Social-Structural and Elite Theories

• Group position theory: When groups interact, the dominant group will promote social policies and attitudes that advantage themselves over other groups

• Critical race theory: A theory that examines the intersection of race, law, and power

Evolutionary Theories of Discrimination

• Evolutionary theory argues that discrimination is a behavioral adaptation to increase reproductive fitness.

Theoretical Perspectives on Race and Ethnic Relations (slide 1 of 2)

Functionalism• Functionalism seeks to

understand why a person would want to have a strong ethnic or racial identity.

Social Conflict• The conflict perspective

analyzes prejudice in terms of competition over scarce social resources.

Theoretical Perspectives on Race and Ethnic Relations (slide 2 of 2)

Symbolic Interactionism• Symbolic interactionism

attempts to understand how certain characteristics come to be associated with particular groups.

Biosocial Perspectives• The biosocial

perspective suggests that prejudices have an innate component, even though specific targets or preferential attitudes are learned.

Racial and Ethnic Relations in the United States

Prejudice and discrimination continue to manifest themselves in the actions of individuals, as well as in American society as a whole. While often the controversies are largely academic—such as what terms are appropriate to describe a particular group—many times the issues have broader social consequences.

European Americans

• Assimilation: The adoption of the values, beliefs, and practices of the dominant culture

African Americans

• African Americans came to the United States as indentured servants and slaves.

• After slavery was abolished, the Supreme Court established a doctrine of “separate but equal.”

• Affirmative action: Policies that mandates preferential hiring, promotion, and college admission of historically disadvantaged groups

Hispanic Americans

• Hispanics are the largest and fastest-growing minority group in the United States.

• Hispanics are a diverse ethnic group. Country of nationality-rather than language or ethnic identification-defines most Hispanics.

Asian Americans

• Asian Americans are grouped together by continent of origin but represent a diversity of cultures.

• Asian Americans have the highest income levels of all racial or ethnic groups, but have higher poverty rates than whites.

• Sociologists base the success of Asian Americans on:– Family life– Ties to traditional values stressing self-discipline, hard

work, and thrift– Strong values tie to education and achievement– High tolerance for assimilation

Native Americans

• Native Americans are a diverse group, comprising more than 250 distinct tribes.

• Today, Native Americans exist largely on the margins of society.– Half of the population lives in rural areas.

• Native Americans have the lowest life expectancy of any racial or ethnic group and are most likely to live in poverty.

• Pan-Indianism: The idea that all Native Americans share a common identity that is rooted in the experiences of past prejudice and discrimination

Intersectionality Theory

• The core assumption of intersectionality theory is that variables that influence life changes intersect and work in groups to create interlocking systems of oppression.

Immigration and Emigration

• Immigration: The movement of people into a given country

• Emigration: The movement of people out of a given country

Affirmative Action

• President John F. Kennedy initiated policies of affirmative action to promote differential hiring, promotion, and college admission to minority groups.

• Its impact has been marginal due to inadequate enforcement.