Chapter 2 Race Vs. Racism Flashcards
How is race defined according to Merriam Webster?
Any one of the groups that humans are often divided into based on physical traits regarded as common among people of shared ancestry
This definition highlights the social aspect of race rather than a biological one.
What is Audrey Smedley’s definition of race?
The idea that the human species is divided into distinct groups on the basis of inherited physical and behavioral differences
This emphasizes the notion of race as a social construct.
According to the Census Bureau, how is race categorized?
The racial categories included in the census questionnaire generally reflect a social definition of race recognized in this country
This indicates that the classification is not biological but sociocultural.
What is the primary assertion about race in this content?
Race is a social construct, not a biological descriptor.
Who is considered the Father of Modern Racism?
Arthur de Gobineau.
List the three races proposed by Arthur de Gobineau.
- White
- Black
- Yellow
What is the first myth of race as biology?
The concept of race is based on the idea of fixed, ideal and unchanging types.
Explain the second myth of race regarding human variation.
Human variation is continuous; allele frequencies vary with no clear boundaries between races.
What does ‘nonconcordant’ mean in the context of human variation?
Different individual traits in the human species don’t share the same patterns of variation across geographic space.
What is the implication of within-group genetic variation among races?
Race statistically explains only a small proportion of variation, better explained by geographic distance.
What does the lack of a consistent classification by race suggest?
There is no agreed upon ‘race scale’ and ideas about race are fluid.
What are the two errors in genetic explanations of racial differences?
- The belief that most biology and behavior are located ‘in the genes’
- The belief that races are real and useful constructs.
What is the consensus of the American Anthropological Association on race?
Human biological variation should not be reduced to race.
What is racism defined as?
A system of structuring opportunity and assigning value based on social interpretation of how one looks.
What is institutionalized racism?
A system of power developed to oppress a group of people because of their ‘race’.
What is individual-mediated racism?
Racism that occurs on an individual level, affecting personal interactions.
What is internalized racism?
When individuals adopt the negative beliefs and stereotypes about their own racial group.
Define the ecological model in the context of racism.
A model that emphasizes the linkages and relationships among multiple factors influencing racism.
What are stereotypes?
A broad assumption (conscious or implicit) made about members of a specific group.
What is prejudice?
Baseless and negative attitude or response towards a specific group and the individual members.
Define discrimination.
Unfair treatment of individuals based on their membership in a specific group.
What are some sources of prejudice?
- Unequal status
- Conformity
- Ingroup bias
- Social identity
- Stereotype threat
- Self-fulfilling prophecy
What is the impact of unequal status on prejudice?
Prejudice justifies inequalities and social superiority.
How does conformity contribute to prejudice?
Prejudice becomes socially acceptable, leading individuals to be silent and complicit.
What is ingroup bias?
The preference for one’s own group, leading to a definition of who you are not.
What does social identity refer to?
Self-concept shaped by membership in various groups.
What is stereotype threat?
A self-conforming belief that one will be evaluated by a negative stereotype.
What is the self-fulfilling prophecy?
Negative beliefs predict negative behaviors, causing the prediction to become true.
