Ch. 9: Race and Ethnicity
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Race- a group w/ inherited physical
characteristics that distinguish it from another
group
Race as a myth…
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One race superior to others
A pure race exists
Race is a social classification
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Ethnic groups
Ethnicity refers to cultural charac., people
identify w/ one another on basis of common
ancestry and cultural heritage
Minority groups
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people who are singled out for unequal treatment
and who regard themselves as objects of collective
discrimination
Dominant group
those who do the discriminating; the group w/ the
most power, privilege and social status
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Emergence of minority groups
Expansion of political boundaries
Migration- voluntary or involuntary
Shared characteristics of minority groups
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Membership in group is ascribed
Physical/cultural traits that distinguish them
looked down on by dominant group
Unequally treated by dominant group
Tend to marry w/in own group
Tend to feel strong group solidarity
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Ethnic identity
Factors related to stronger sense of ethnic
identity
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Smaller in #, lesser power, different from nat’l
identity, discrimination
Ethnic work- how people construct their
ethnicity
Melting pot
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Prejudice and discrimination
Common around the world
Discrimination- an action- unfair treatment
directed against an individual or group
Individual discrimination- negative treatment
of one person by another
Institutional discrimination- negative treatment
of a minority group that is built into society’s
institutions
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Home mortgages/ car loans/ health care
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Racism- discrimination based on race
Prejudice- an attitude or prejudging, usually in
a negative way
Each group thinks others are inferior in some
way
Older/less educated more prejudiced than
younger/more educated
Theories of prejudice
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Psychology- factors inside the individual
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Frustration and scapegoats
The authoritarian personality
Sociology- factors outside the individual
Functionalism
The Nazis
Sherif study (1953)
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Conflict theory
Groups pitted against one another
Capitalists keep workers insecure
Capitalists exploit racial/ethnic strife
Split labor market- workers divided among
racial-ethnic and gender lines
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Symbolic interactionism
Labels create prejudice
Labels cause selective perception
Stereotypes and discrimination create a selffulfilling prophecy
We learn prejudice thru our interaction w/
others
Global patterns of intergroup relations
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Genocide- dominant group tries to destroy the
minority
Population transfer
Indirect- make life unbearable for members of
a group so they leave “voluntarily”
Direct- dominant group expels a minority
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Internal colonialism- how a country’s
dominant group exploits minority groups for
its economic advantage
Segregation- separation of racial/ethnic groups
Assimilation- the process by which a minority
is absorbed into the mainstream culture
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Forced vs. permissible assimilation
Multiculturalism (pluralism)
Race/ethnic relations in the U.S.
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White Europeans- 68% of pop.
Viewed as inferior when from countries other
than England (white ethnics)
How did white ethnic groups overcome
discrimination?
Immigrants dropped customs/language
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Latinos- 13% of pop.
Largest minority group in U.S.
66% concentrated in 4 states
U.S. one of largest Spanish speaking nations in
the world
Country of origin significant
Separated by social class, underrepresented in
politics
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African Americans- 12% of pop.
Struggle for civil rights
Jim Crow laws segregated blacks/whites
Rosa Parks, MLK Jr.
1964- Civil Rights Act
Currently- lag behind in education, politics,
and economics
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Asian Americans- 4% of pop.
No unifying race or culture
1882- Chinese Exclusion Act
Japanese relocation camps
Currently- highest average income
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Poverty not evenly distributed
Kids most likely grow up w/ two parents
(compared to all other groups)
High rate of college graduation
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Native Americans- less than 1% of pop.
Variety of cultures
Treaties, genocide, population transfer
Separatism- separate gov’t, didn’t join U.S.
High rates of unemployment and poverty
Highest suicide rate (of all groups)