Chapter Nine

Race: Myth and Reality

Myth 1— Idea That Any Race is Superior

All Races Have Geniuses and Idiots

Hitler, Hutus and Tutsis, Serbia practiced

genocide (systematic attempt to annihilate

a people because of their race and ethnicity)

Myth 2—Idea that Any Race is Pure

Anthropologists and biologists can’t even

agree how many races there are (2- 2,000)

Human Characteristics Flow Endlessly

together

Idea of race is a powerful force in everyday

lives

Ethnic Groups Race has little meaning biologically due

to interbreeding in the human population.

Socially constructed reality, not a biological

one

Ethnicity refers to cultural characteristics

Common Ancestry

Cultural Heritage

Nations of Origin

In an ethnic enclave, people interact

with others in their ethnic group and feel

a sense of shared identity

Minority and Dominant GroupsMinority Group— a category of people who have

been singled out as inferior or superior, on the

basis of real or alleged physical characteristics

such as skin color, hair texture, eye shape, or

other attributes

People singled out for unequal treatment and

regard themselves as objects of discrimination

Minority Group can be racial or ethnic

Minority group not necessarily numerical minority

Minority and Dominant Groups

Dominant Group—

group with most… Power

Privileges

Highest Social Status

View minority group as

inferior

Group has shared

physical and cultural

traits

Emergence of Minority Groups Minority groups occur because of…

Expansion of Political Boundaries- when a

group expands it incorporates people with

different cultures, languages into same political

entity and discriminates against them (Native

Americans)

Migration- people move from one place to

another and become minority (Latinos, Africans)

can be voluntary and involuntary

Shared Characteristics of Minority Groups

A. Membership is an ascribed status

B. Physical or cultural traits held in low esteem by dominant group

C. Unequal treatment

D. Marry within own group

E. Feel strong group solidarity

Constructing Racial-Ethnic Identity

Feel firm boundaries between

“us” and “them”

Size of group, power,

appearance, degree of

discrimination heighten or

reduce ethnic identity

Some people have a strong

sense of this identity some have

a low sense

Ethnic Work- ideas designed to

discover, enhance and maintain

ethnic and racial identification

Prejudice

A negative attitude based on generalizations about members of selected racial, ethnic, or other groups Ethnocentrism: tendency to

regard one’s own culture and group as the standard

Stereotypes: overgeneralizations about the appearance, behavior, or other characteristics of members of particular categories

Prejudice and DiscriminationCommon throughout the world

Discrimination is an action

Unfair treatment directed

toward someone

Racial discrimination is racism

Discrimination results from

prejudice

Attitude (usually negative,

can be positive)

Based on race, religion, etc.

Ku Klux Klan and Neo-Nazis

Prejudice and Discrimination Learning Prejudice- not born with prejudice, learn it

from those around us. People that are prejudice against

one group are usually prejudiced against other groups

Internalizing Dominant Norms- prejudice against

your own group- African- Americans and skin color

(internalize norms of dominant group)

Implicit Association Test by Anthony Greenwald word

association equal with both blacks and whites

Extent of Prejudice

Each Racial-Ethnic

group views other

groups as inferior in

some way

Dislike of one group

associated with

dislike of other

groups

Older, less educated

more prejudiced

Two Major Categories of Discrimination Individual Discrimination-

negative treatment of one person by another (isolate and small group)

Institutional Discrimination- negative treatment of a group that is built into societies institutions (direct and indirect)

Four Types of Discrimination1. Isolate discrimination

A prejudiced judge giving harsher sentences to African American defendants

2. Small-group discriminationSmall group of white students defacing a professor’s office with racist epithets

3. Direct institutionalized discriminationIntentional exclusion of people of color from public accommodations

4. Indirect institutionalized discriminationSpecial education classes may have contributed to racial stereotyping

Home Mortgage and Car Loans

Black and Latinos are more likely to be turned down for a loan, pay higher interest rates

Theories of Prejudice

Psychological Perspectives of Prejudice

Aggression theory- Prejudice is the result of frustration, people

find group to blame they become the scapegoat (usually a

racial, ethnic or religious minority)

Frustration –Aggression Hypothesis- The view that

frustration, or failure to reach a certain desired goal due to

circumstance, often leads to aggression, or behavior which

intends harm.

Authoritarian Personality- Adorno study (1950) concluded

highly prejudiced people are insecure conformists, respect of

authority and submissive to superiors, have a strong sense of

right and wrong

Anxious when confronted with norms and values different than

their own

Sociological Perspectives Functionalism- (large group relationships) social

environment can be arranged to generate positive or

negative feelings about people . Prejudice is

dysfunctional to a society, destroys human relationships

Prejudice is functional because it can create in- group

solidarity

Conflict Theory- (large group relationships)

arrangements benefit those with power

Capitalists keep workers divided and insecure (fear of

unemployment) exploit racial and ethnic strife (can

make gains only at the expense of others)

Symbolic InteractionismLabels Create Prejudice- when we

apply labels to groups we see its members as all alike

Symbolic Interactionists- labels we learn effect the ways we see people, cause selective perception

Contact Hypothesis Contact between divergent groups should be positive as long as group members have equal status, purse same goals and cooperate, and receive positive feedback during interaction

Self-Fulfilling Prophesy- stereotypes and labels can produce behavior depicted in the stereotype. Places limits on the other group and this attitude creates a self fulfilling prophesy

Global Patterns of Intergroup Relations Six basic patterns that characterize the

relationship of dominant and minority groups

1. Genocide – labels allow us to compartmentalize groups

and separate moral action and regard groups as inferior

2. Population Transfer- two types indirect and direct

3. Internal Colonialism- countries dominant group

exploits a minority group for economic advantage

Global Patterns of Intergroup Relations4. Segregation- formal separation of racial or ethnic groups,

allows dominant group to maintain social distance yet exploit

minority group

5. Assimilation- minority group is absorbed into dominant culture

(two types-forced, permissible)

6. Multiculturalism- encourages and permits racial variation.

Minority groups maintain identity, participate in countries social

institutions

A Dream Deferred by Langston Hughes What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up Like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore -- And then run?   Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over -- like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags like a heavy load. Or does it explode?

Gordon Allport’s The Nature of Prejudice Two types of responses to being

consistently hated-- Intropunitive: Hate, accepted by the

minority as appropriate and deserving. Minority group member defines himself as

deserving of the hatred. Cause of the hatred is seen as being a flaw

within his/her own group. Extropunitive: The hate, rejected by the

minority as inappropriate and undeserved. Minority group defines the majority as the

reason for the hatred Flaw is in the character of the majority, not

the minority.

Gordon Allport’s The Nature of Prejudice

Intropunitive Agreeing with the majority -- The stereotypes and

prescriptions accepted. In-group aggression -- The minority group member

attacks (physically or verbally) himself, his group, or members of his group who are slightly, but identifiably, different.

Denial of membership -- individual simply claims to belong to some other group or he changes his appearance somehow to soften his membership.

Symbolic status striving -- Having little or no socially accepted status within himself, the member seeks some external source of status.

Withdrawal and passivity -- The victim of the hate - frustrated with his status - gives up, retreats, becomes a non-person.

Gordon Allport’s The Nature of Prejudice

Extropunitive  Militancy -- The member fights back unfair hatred either

physically or otherwise. Enhanced striving -- acknowledge the fact that the

majority is not willing to accept him at face value, the member of a minority resolves himself to attain perfection, to give the hostile groups no avenue of attack.

Slyness and cunning -- Member uses less acceptable ways to out-wit or fool the majority. He becomes street wise rather than getting a Ph.D.

In-group cohesion -- Realizing that the majority is hostile, the minority group members become more reliant on the protection and support of others like themselves. They "circle the wagons" in anticipation of attack.

Obsessive concern -- After having experienced the hatred, some members may experience something similar to group paranoia: they see the hatred even in places where it may not exist.

Major ethnic groups in the US 1.European Americans2.Latinos3.African Americans4.Asian Americans5. Native Americans

Racial and Ethnic Relations in the United States

Racial and Ethnic Relations in the United States

European Americans Extremely ethnocentric Looked down on people without English

ancestry Forced immigrants to assimilate to their

“ways” to fit in Ethnic groups give up culture to conform

Racial and Ethnic Relations in the United States

Latinos Largest ethnic minority group Majority from Mexico Spanish language defines

Latinos from other groups, growth of Spanish in US has caused backlash in some areas

Large cultural, class differences between country of origin

Diversity has inhibited unity, causes political underrepresentation

Many Latinos experience economic disadvantages

Cubans typically better off, Puerto Ricans lowest on indicators of well being

Racial and Ethnic Relations in the United States

African Americans Faced long history of racism (slavery

to segregation to modern discrimination)

Civil Rights Movement improved conditions of African Americans

End of forced segregation, legal discrimination

Recently gains in income, education, politics

William Julius Wilson- social class has replaced race as determinant of quality of life for African Americans

Improvement through getting better paying jobs

Some sociologists claim this analysis overlooks discrimination that continues (subtle racism)

Asian Americans History of discrimination- Anti

Chinese immigration laws, forced internment of Japanese Americans during WWII

Following war discrimination diminished

Currently highest median income of all ethnic groups

Score high on indicators of well being

Chinese, Japanese low rates of poverty, Vietnamese high rates of poverty

Three factors of success- a) family life b) education c) assimilation into mainstream culture

Racial and Ethnic Relations in the United States Native Americans Image distorted by media Not a single cultural entity Disease, warfare caused huge

loss of population Anglo-American cruelty, forced

relocation Worst off of all ethnic minority

groups High rates of poverty,

alcoholism, lower life expectancy

Pan-Indiamisim movement works for better life

Growing Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the U.S.

In 1980 white Americans made up 80% of the population.

In 2000, white Americans made up 70% of the population.

By 2060, the roots of the average U.S. resident will be in Africa, Asia, Hispanic countries, the Pacific Islands, or Arabia—non- white European.

Looking toward the Future 3 major issues face society today

Immigration- America land of immigrants recently debate has intensified

Affirmative Action- used to close economic, employment gap and to remedy past wrongs

Some argue it stigmatizes people, rewards people less qualified

Multicultural Society- ultimate goal, look beyond biological differences, allow all to participate with full social and political power