Ch. 9-Race and Ethnicity
I.
Race, Ethnicity & Minority Groups
Denying that racism, xenophobia, and ethnocentrism exists serves
only to perpetuate them. The problems of racial and ethnic
difference arise when those differences are defined in such a way
that certain groups confront prejudicial attitudes, and
discriminatory conduct.
Race and ethnicity involve ascribed status; often endogamous
marriages
a. Race-social concept-socially constructed category of people
who share biologically transmitted traits that members of a
society consider important; involuntary, unequal
b. Ethnic Groups-common subculture-shared cultural heritage
Voluntary, especially for whites and often carry no stigma
c. Minority Groups-unequal treatment; may be numerical
majority, sense of “we”-any category of people distinguished
by physical or cultural differences that a society sets apart and
subordinates. Two characteristics:
1. distinctive identity-can be physical or cultural
2. subordination
II.
Prejudice, Discrimination & Racism
a. Prejudice-attitude-rigid and unfair generalizations about an
entire category of people
b. Discrimination-unequal treatment
c. Racism-the belief that one race is innately inferior or superior to
another
d. Institutional Racism race-based discrimination that results from
the day-to-day operation of social institutions and practices –
racism that is systemic within a society. Most social
institutions and structures are not overtly designed to
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discriminate on the basis of race, but often have a
discriminatory effect.
Examples-underfunding of schools that have a predominately
minority population; where qualified black candidates are less
likely to obtain job interviews than similarly qualified white
candidates.
e. Stereotype-an exaggerated description applied to every person
in some category; generalizations about an entire category of
people that frequently appear in daily social interaction.
Stereotypes about racial and ethnic minorities, and other kinds
of minorities, tend to work against them – tend to create
devalued statuses. Stereotypes are the basis for prejudice and
discrimination.
III.
Theoretical Perspectives
a. Symbolic Interaction
Contact theory: prejudice will be decrease if there is interaction
between groups which is frequent and of equal status and there
are social norms favoring equality
b. Functionalist
Can provide positive function for some people;
Dysfunctional for society:
Keeps people from fully participating;
Causes increase in social problems such as poverty and crime
c. Conflict
Prejudice used to exploit those less powerful
Split labor market: primary labor market with good jobs,
secondary labor market with bad jobs
Marxist exploitation-ruling class promotes prejudice in order to
divide workers and maintain their power
IV.
Patterns of Interaction
a. Pluralism-people of all races and ethnicities are distinct but
have equal social standing
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b. Assimilation-“melting pot”-the process by which minorities
gradually adopt patterns of the dominant culture; Anglo
assimilation
c. Segregation-physical and social separation of categories of
people
d. Genocide-the systematic killing of one category of people by
another
V.
Race, Ethnicity, and Education: Economic success is in large
part predicted by educational opportunity and achievement.
Racial and ethnic inequality in learning outcomes is a critical
dimension of inequality. Both Black and Hispanic students
face challenges that White and Asian students do not, including
poorly supplied and segregated schools, a heavier impact of an
oppositional peer culture, lower quality teachers and larger
class sizes. The black-white achievement gap in public
schooling is an important reason why black students are less
likely than white students to attend, and to graduate from, a
four-year college. Hispanic students share numerous
disadvantages with black students, including fewer family
resources and attending segregated schools; they also deal with
cultural issues such as being recent immigrants to the US and
speaking English as a second language.
VI.
How Race Matters: The Case of Wealth
a. Differences in net worth between blacks, whites, and other
minorities show the persistence of racial inequality.
Minorities suffer disproportionately from poverty. In 2010:
Non-Hispanic whites: 9.9% living in poverty
Asians: 12.5%
Blacks: 27.4%
Hispanics: 26.6%
Economic inequity has grown since the 1960’s despite the
increase in civil rights.
VII.
The Future of Race
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a. Racial and ethnic diversity will tend to increase
b. By the year 2050, the Latino and Asian population will have
tripled.
c. The 2000 Census was the first in which a respondents could
check off more than one box for racial identity.
d. Houston: Klineberg research-Houston-1982 through present
All of Houston’s communities are now minorities-more
balanced distribution than almost anywhere else in the U.S.
“Hourglass” economy in Houston:
Two tiers-expanding opportunities for those with high levels
of technical skills and educational credentials, and for those
without such credentials-large number of poorly paid, deadend, service sector jobs with few benefits and security and
little opportunity for advancement through on-the–job
training
Growing income and educational gaps
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