Chapter 5 Part I (p.237-247) Flashcards
ethnic group (p.238)
a distinct group of people who share a common language, set of customs, history, culture, race, religion, or origin
ethnocentrism (p.238)
an orientation or set of beliefs that holds one’s own culture, ethnic or racial group, or nation superior to others
ethnocentrism has been
a factor leading to some of the worst atrocities in history. ie. American & Native Americans, Hitler & Jewish people
race (p.239)
is believed to have a common set of physical characteristics; may or may not share the sense of togetherness or identity that holds an ethnic group together
racism (p.239)
stereotyping and generalizing about people, usually negatively, because of their race; commonly a basis of discrimination against members of racial minority groups
prejudice (p.239)
an opinion ab out an individual, group, or phenomenon that is developed without proof or systematic evidence-may be favorable usually unfavorable
prejudice in regard to race and ethnic relations
making negative prejudgements; prejudiced people apply racial stereotypes to all or nearly all members of a group according to preconceived notions of what they believe the group to be like and how they think the group will behave
discrimination- positive meaning (p.241)
the process of distinguishing between two objects, ideas, situations or stimuli
discrimination- negative meaning or group relations (p.241)
the prejudgment and negative treatment of people based on identifiable characteristics such as race, gender, religion, or ethnicity
racial or ethnic discrimination (p.241)
involves denying the members of minority groups equal access to opportunities, residential housing areas, membership in religious and social organizations, involvement in political activities, access to community services, and so on
Difference between prejudice and discrimination (p.241)
prej- individuals think about people in a predetermined, usually negative, categorical way.
discrim- involves physical actions, unequal treatment of ppl because they belong to a category
*discriminatory behavior often derives from prejudiced attitudes
Merton described four different types of people in terms of prejudice (p.241)
- the unprejudiced nondiscriminator
- the unprejudiced discriminator
- the prejudiced nondiscriminator
- the prejudiced discriminator
the unprejudiced nondiscriminator
in both belief and practice, upholds American ideals of freedom and equality. This person is not prejudiced against other groups and, on principle, will not discriminate against them. ie.
the unprejudiced discriminator
is not personally prejudiced but may sometimes, reluctantly, discriminate against other groups because it seems socially or financially convenient to do so
the prejudiced nondiscriminator
feels hostile toward other groups but recognizes that law and social pressures are opposed to overt discrimination. Reluctantly, this person does not translate prejudice into action
the prejudiced discriminator
does not believe in the values of freedom and equality and consistently discriminates against other groups in both word and deed
discriminator is of two types
- de jure discrimination
2. de facto discrimination
de jure discrimination
legal discrimination
ie. Jim Crow laws…today such laws have been declared unconstitutional
de facto discrimination
refers to discrimination that actually exists, whether legal or not
ie. department store incident
Oppression (p.242)
the unjust or cruel exercise of authority of power.
Barker: “the social act of placing severe restrictions on a group of institution.”
Why are oppression and discrimination closely related?(p.242)
because all acts of oppression are also acts of discrimination
Stereotypes (p.242)
“preconceived and relatively fixed ideas about an individual group, or social status. These ideas are usually based on superficial characteristics or over-generalizations of traits observed in some members of the group.
Racial and ethnic stereotypes (p.242)
involve attributing a fixed and usually inaccurate or unfavorable conception to a racial or ethnic group
Racial stereotypes (p.242)
involve differentiating people in terms of color or other physical characteristics
Minority (p.242)
a group, or a member of a group, of people of a distinct racial, religious, ethnic, or political identity that is smaller or less powerful than the community’s controlling group
Minority problems are actually majority problems (p.242)
Minority relationships become recognized by the majority as a social problem when the members of the majority disagree as to whether the subjugation of the minority is a socially desirable or in the ultimate interest of the majority
Our country (p.242)
was founded on the principle of human equality. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution assert equality, justice, and liberty for all. Yet in practice, our society has always discriminated against minorities.
White privilege (p.244)
white people (and white men in particular) have privileges that other Americans do not have
Hate crimes (p.244)
violent acts aimed at individuals or groups of a particular race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or gender.
(The laws also make it a crime to vandalize religious buildings or cemeteries or to intimidate another person because of bias)
Race is erroneously believed by many to be a biological classification of people. (p.244)
Yet, surprisingly to some, there are no clear delineating characteristics of any race.
Scientists use a
social definition of race (p.245)
is based on the way in which members of a society classify each other by physical characteristics
Different societies use different definitions of race (p.245)
ie. in the U.S. anyone who is known to have an African American ancestor is considered to be African American; in brazil, anyone kinown to have a white ancestor is considered to be white
race becomes a dangerous myth (p.245)
when people assume that physical traits are linked with mental traits and cultural achievements.
ie. the myth that whites have higher IQs than whites
Most scientists both physical and social are really alike in everything that really makes any differences (p.245)
such as problem-solving capacities, altruistic tendencies, and communication capacities
(except for very small inbred, isolated, primitive tribes)
Institutional racism (p.245)
refers to discriminatory acts and policies against a racial group that pervade the major macro systems of society, including the legal, political, economic, and educational systems. Some are illegal and some are not.
Institutional racism Barker definition (p.245)
those policies, practices, or procedures embedded in bureaucratic structures that systematically lead to unequal outcomes for people of color.
*Ins. values form the foundation for macro-system policies.
Individual racism (p.245)
the negative attitudes one person has about all members of a racial or ethnic group, often resulting in overt acts such as name-calling, social exclusion, or violence.
Institutional discrimination in organizational macro systems (p.246)
prejudicial treatment in organizations based on official policies, overt behaviors, or behaviors that may be covert but approved by those with power.
Institutional racism in the community (p.246)
It is a contributing factor to: unemployment rate for nonwhites being consistently twice than whites. Infant mortality rates nearly twice as high as for whites. Life expectancy for nonwhites several years less than for whites. the average number of years of educational achievement for nonwhites is considerably less than for whites.
Justice(p.247)
implies fairness and quality. Yet, in practice, racism is evident.
ie. African Americans compose only about 12% of the pop, but they make up about 50% of the prison pop
Immigration status (p.247)
Macro systems in the U.S. have frequently discriminated against immigrants and refugees.
NASW supports federal, state, and local policies and procedures that:
(1-3 of 6)
(p.247)
- uphold & support equality and human rights for immigrants and refugees, while at the same time protecting national security
- Promote social justice and avoid racism and discrimination or profiling on the basis of race, religion, country of origin, gender, sexual orientation or other grounds…
- guarantee the human service & education needs of all children are met regardless of their parent’s legal status…
NASW supports federal, state, and local policies and procedures that:
(3-6 of 6)
(p.247)
- ensure access to language-appropriate services in the form of interpreters, translated documents, and other resources as needed…
- protect all immigrants from family violence, including the undocumented, with provisions to protect women from gender-specif forms of violence
- oppose mandatory reporting of immigration status by health, mental health, social service, education, police, and other public service providers
