RACIAL AND ETHNIC GROUPS
DURING MY
LIFE, I WILL
PROBABLY SEE
THE DAY WHEN
MINORITIES
WILL MAKE UP
THE DOMINANT
GROUP IN
AMERICA
• MINORITY GROUP
– A GROUP THAT LACKS POWER, EVEN THE POWER
TO DEFINE ITSELF
• OFTEN REFERRED TO AS SUBORDINATE GROUPS
– THEY ARE OFTEN VIEWED AS A GROUP RATHER THAN
SEEN AS INDIVIDUALS
• NORMALLY DEFINED BY VARIOUS PHYSICAL AND
CULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS
– THE MORE VISIBLE THESE DEFINING TRAITS, THE MORE
SHARPLY GROUPS SEPARATE THEMSELVES AND THE
MORE NEGATIVE THE STIGMA ATTACHED TO THE
MINORITY GROUP
• DOMINANT GROUP
– THE GROUP THAT HOLDS POWER; NORMALLY THE
LARGEST GROUP WITHIN A SOCIETY
• IN AMERICA, THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE
EUROAMERICANS
– ESPECIALLY THE WHITE ANGLO-SAXON PROTESTANT
AMERICANS (WASP)
• BY THE MID POINT OF THE NEXT CENTURY, SOME
DEMOGRAPHERS PREDICT THAT MINORITY GROUPSWHEN COMBINED-WILL OUTNUMBER WHITE
AMERICANS
RACE SHOULD
NOT PLAY A ROLE
IN WHETHER A
PERSON IS
VALUED…WE ARE
ALL THE SAME
AS A SPECIES!
• RACE
– IS THE RESULT OF GEOGRAPHIC ISOLATION
• NOTHING MORE, NOTHING LESS
– THERE WAS NEVER A SET NUMBER OF “ORIGINAL
RACES”
• NOR HAS THERE EVER BEEN A “PURE RACE”
• BIOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES
– SUCH DIFFERENCES ARE TRIVIAL
• NO SIGNIFICANT INNATE DIFFERENCES IN ANYWAY
• RACE AS A SOCIAL CONCEPT
– WHAT WE MAKE OF RACE IS PURELY SOCIAL IN
NATURE
• ANY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE RACES
IS A SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION, NOT A BIOLOGICAL FACT
– THUS, RACE IS A SOCIOLOGICAL CONCEPT, NOT A
BIOLOGICAL ONE
• USED TO COLLECT CENSUS INFORMATION
• USED TO CATEGORIZE PEOPLE FOR SOME REASON
ETHNICITY
• ETHNICITY
– A PERSON OR GROUP’S CULTURAL HERITAGE
• ETHNIC GROUP
– A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO SEE THEMSELVES AS SHARING A
DISTINCT CULTURE, SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT FROM THE
CULTURE OF THE DOMINANT GROUP
• ETHNICITY IS IMPORTANT
– TO THE NEW IMMIGRANT IN A STRANG LAND
– TO A GROUP WHO SUFFERS THE PAIN OF PREJUDICE AND
DISCRIMINATION
– FOR GROUP COHESION; A ONENESS
• HOWEVER, AFTER A FEW GENERATIONS AND WITH SOME
SUCCESS IN THE NEW LAND, ETHNIC IDENTITY MAY LOSE SOME
OF ITS APPEAL OR IMPORTANCE
– OFTEN THE THIRD OR FOURTH GENERATION WISHES TO
RECAPTURE THE ETHNIC IDENTITY, AN EFFORT REFERRED TO AS
“ETHNIC WORK”
• PREJUDICE
– A PREJUDGMENT, NORMALLY NEGATIVE, OF
AN INDIVDUAL OR GROUP
• PARTS OF PREJUDICE
– COGNITIVE PORTION
• THE IDEA, USUALLY A STEREOTYPE
– A BROAD OVERGENERALIZATION ABOUT A
CATEGORY OF PEOPLE, APPLIED TO ALL IN THE
CATEGORY
– THE EMOTIONAL COMPONENT
• THE FEELING ATTACHED TO THE IDEA
– THE BEHAVIORAL COMPONENT (SOME ADD)
• THE LIKLIHOOD THAT ONE WILL ACT UPON THE
IDEA OR COGNITION AND FEELING
I WOULD HOPE
THAT WE AS A
PEOPLE ARE
STARTING TO
GET BEYOND
SUCH NOTIONS!
DISCRIMINATION
• DISCRIMINATION
– WHEN PEOPLE TREAT OTHERS
UNEQUALLY AND UNJUSTLY ON THE
BASIS OF THEIR GROUP
MEMBERSHIP
• KINDS OF DISCRIMINATION
– DE JURE
» BASED ON SANCTIONS ENCODED IN
LAW
– DE FACTO
» BASED ON CUSTOM AND TRADITIONS
– INDIVIDUAL
» PERSON TO PERSON REACTIONS
– DIRECT INSTITUTIONAL
» AN OPEN INSTITUTIONAL PRACTICE
– INDIRECT INSTITUTIONAL
» POLICIES THAT APPEAR NEUTRAL,
BUT WHEN PRACTICED
DISCRIMINATE AGAINST GROUPS
IT’S A MATTER OF ACTION, NOT ATTITUDE
• VERBALIZATION
– JOKES, COMMENTS, RACIAL SLURS
• EXCLUSION
– KEEPING PEOPLE MARGINAL
• AVOIDANCE
– NOT TRAVELING IN CERTAIN AREAS
• PHYSICAL ABUSE
– PHYSICAL ATTACKS
• GENOCIDE
– SYSTEMATIC KILLING OFF OF A
GROUP
I NEED A GRAPHIC
TO REALLY GRASP
THE POINT HERE…
I JUST ASSUMED
THAT A PERSON
WHO DISCRIMINATES
HAS TO BE PREJUDICE!
PREJUDICE AND
DISCRIMINATION
• IS SOMEONE WHO
DISCRIMINATES
NECESSARILY A BIGOT?
– PREJUDICE AND
DISCRIMINATION CAN BE
PUT TOGETHER TO
DEVELOP A FOUR TYPE
TYPOLOGY FROM WHICH
TO BETTER UNDERSTAND
THE
INNERCONNECTEDNESS OF
THESE TWO CONCEPTS
HOW ATTITUDES (PREJUDICE)
AND ACTIONS (DISCRIMINATION) WORK
TOGETHER TO CLASSIFY ALL PEOPLE
DISCRIMINATES?
YES
YES
NO
ACTIVE
BIGOT
TIMID
BIGOT
PREJUDICE?
FAIRNO WEATHER
LIBERAL
ALLWEATHER
LIBERAL
• RACISM
– THE IDEOLOGY THAT MAINTAINS THAT
ONE RACE IS INHERENTLY SUPERIOR TO
ANOTHER
• THE BIG MISTAKE
– THIS IDEOLOGY ASSUMES THAT RACE IS
BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT, WHICH
SCIENCE KNOWS IS FAR FROM THE TRUTH
– SYMBOLIC RACISM
• DOMINANT GROUP MEMBERS WHOSE
BEHAVIOR MAY APPEAR TO BE OVERTLY
RACIST, BUT THEY MAY OPPOSE SUCH
PROGRAMS AS AFFIRMATIVE ACTION AND
SCHOOL BUSING
– THESE PEOPLE OFTEN BELIEVE THAT
THERE IS NOTHING SIGNIFICANTLY BIASED
IN THE SYSTEM
» THE CAUSE FOR ANY FAILINGS OF ANY
MINORITY GROUP IS TO BE FOUND
WITHIN THE INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP,
NOT SOCIETY
IN FACE OF THIS KIND
OF INFORMATION, WHY
ARE SO MANY HEARTS
HARD TO CHANGE?
HEY…THAT’S JUST
THE WAY IT
IS…THE WAY I SEE
IT, EVEN IF IT IS
WRONG ... STOP
TRYING TO
CONFUSE ME WITH
FACTS!
THEORIES OF HATE
• SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
THEORIES
– FRUSTRATION-AGGRESSION
THEORY
• LOOK FOR SCAPEGOAT FOR ONE’S
OWN FAILINGS
– AUTHORITARIAN PERSONALITY
• A PERSON WHO
– LIKES THINGS IN SIMPLISTIC
TERMS
– ANTI-SCIENTIFIC
– BULLY-LIKE
– EVALUATES PEOPLE IN TERMS OF
GOOD AND BAD
– WILLING TO DECLARE
THEMSELVES IN OPPOSITION TO
ALL OUT-GROUP MEMBERS
INTERACTIONISM
• PREJUDICES, LIKE OTHER
ATTITUDES, ARE LEARNED FROM
THE PEOPLE AROUND US
– BY AGE FOUR OR FIVE
• KIDS HAVE PICKED UP ON ATTITUDES
ABOUT RACE AND ETHNICITY
– LANGUAGE ITSELF REINFORCES
STEREOPTYPICAL IMAGES OF MINORITY
GROUPS
• HOW AMERICANS USE THE TERMS WHITE
AND BLACK IN EVERDAY LANGUAGE
– REINFORCES THINGS LEARNED
» BLACK CAT, BLACKBALLED,
BLACKLISTED, BLACKMAGIC, BLACK
AS DIRT, AND SO ON
– POLICY IMPLICATIONS
• CONTACT IS NEEDED TO BREAKDOWN
SELF-IMPOSED BARRIERS
– “CONTACT HYPOTHESIS”
BE CAREFUL WITH
THE WORDS YOU
SELECT. I’M STILL
PRETTY YOUNG AND
IMPRESSIONABLE!
SOMEONE COULD
HAVE DEVELOPED THE
CURE FOR CANCER
BUT WERE NEVER
ALLOWED
TO DEVELOP IT DUE
TO DISCRIMINATION!
• RACISM AS FUNCTIONAL?
– IT SERVES THE INTERESTS OF THE
DOMINANT GROUP IN AMERICA
• THE MAJORITY OF FAVORED STATUSES
AND ROLES ARE RESERVED FOR WHITE
MALES
• GROUPS IN CONFLICT STOP THEM FROM
LOOKING AROUND AND DEVELOPING A
“ONENESS”
• WHAT ABOUT DYSFUNCTIONS?
– IT STOPS PEOPLE FROM BECOMING
ALL THAT THEY COULD POSSIBLY BE
• HOW MANY PEOPLE COULD HAVE ADDED
TERRIFIC ELEMENTS TO OUR SOCIETY
AND CULTURE BUT WERE NEVER GIVEN
THE CHANCE DUE TO THEIR RACE AND
ETHNICITY?
WHY CAN’T WE
ALL JUST GET
ALONG AND TREAT
EACH OTHER AS WE
WOULD LIKE OTHERS
TO TREAT US?
CONFLICT THEORY
• CONDITIONS OF INQUALITY GENERATE
DISCRIMINATION
– INTERNAL COLONIALISM
• CERTAIN GROUPS OF PEOPLE ARE EXPLOITED
EVEN WITHIN A DEVELOPED COUNTRY, NOT
UNLIKE ONE COUNTRY EXPLOITING ANOTHER
FOR ITS RAW RESOURCES
– SPLIT LABOR MARKET THEORY
• PRIMARY LABOR MARKET
– WELL PAYING JOBS; ADVANCEMENT
• SECONDARY LABOR MARKET
– LOW PAY, NO BENEFITS, NO FUTURE
– MINORITY GROUPS ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY
REPRESENTED IN THIS LABOR MARKET
• RESPONSE
– CLEARLY, THE VERY STRUCTURE OF
SOCIETY WOULD HAVE TO CHANGE
ACCORDING TO THE PRINCIPLES OF THESE
THEORIES
• THE LIKELIHOOD THAT RADICAL CHANGE
WILL COME IS ALMOST NOT WORTH
CONTEMPLATING
• GENOCIDE
– ONE GROUP “KILLS OFF” ANOTHER GROUP
• POPULATION TRANSFER
– MINORITY IS FORCED TO LEAVE
•
OPEN SUBJUGATION
– PUT MINORITIES IN “THEIR PLACE”
• SEGREGATION
– THE SEPARATION OF PEOPLE
•
ASSIMILATION
– ADOPTION OF MAJORITY GROUP CULTURE
– MORE LIKELY IF
• GROUP MIGRATED VOLUNTARILY
• IF GROUP DOESN’T DIFFER MUCH
PHYSICALLY FROM DOMINANT GROUP
• IF GROUP IS RELATIVELY SMALL
• IF GROUP ARRIVES WHEN THE ECONOMY IS
DOING WELL
•
PLURALISM
– TOLERANCE OF DISTINCT GROUPS
SOME FOLKS ARE LUCKY
ENOUGH TO GET BEYOND
THE SELF-IMPOSED
LIMITATIONS OF COLOR
POSSIBLE OPTIONS FOR
MINORITY GROUPS
SOME OF THESE
OPTIONS APPEAR TO
MEASURE UP BETTER
THAN OTHERS!
• ASSIMILATION
– BEING ABSORBED INTO
THE WIDER SOCIETY
• PLURALISM
– TOLERANCE FOR ALL
GROUPS
• SEPARATISM
– VOLUNTARY ISOLATION
• MILITANCY
– MINORITY GROUP WISHES
TO RULE SINCE IT IS
CONVINCED OF ITS OWN
SUPERIORITY
BECOMING A MINORITY
• TYPES OF MINORITIES
– VOLUNTARY
• RECEIVED LESS HARSH TREATMENT AS A GENERAL
RULE IN AMERICA
– EXAMPLES
» HISPANIC-AMERICANS
» ASIAN AMERICANS
– GLOBALLY
» GUEST WORKERS IN GERMANY
– INVOLUNTARY
• LIFE HAS BEEN FILLED WITH HARDSHIPS, AND LIFE
FOR MANY REMAINS A STRUGGLE
– EXAMPLES
» NATIVE AMERICIANS
» AFRICAN AMERICANS
– GLOBALLY
» CATHOLICS IN NORTHERN IRELAND