Chapter 9: Race and Ethnicity Flashcards
What event catalyzed discussions on racial profiling and “Stand Your Ground Laws”?
The death of Trayvon Martin at the hands of George Zimmerman.
What is racial profiling?
The use by law enforcement of race alone to determine whether to stop and detain someone.
What was the outcome of George Zimmerman’s trial?
He was found not guilty of second-degree murder.
What impact did European colonization have on Native American populations?
Their numbers dwindled from over 1 million to about 240,000 by 1900 due to violence, disease, and conflict.
Describe the history of African Americans in the U.S. during the colonial period.
A: They were forcibly transported, sold, and abused as slaves, leading to significant violence against them.
What term describes the segregation and violence against African Americans in the South from the 1870s to the 1960s?
Jim Crow racism.
What is nativism?
Anti-immigrant sentiment that led to violence against groups like Catholics and Chinese immigrants.
Who noted the conflict between American ideals and the reality of discrimination against African Americans in 1944?
Gunnar Myrdal.
What did the Kerner Commission report in 1968?
The U.S. was moving toward “two societies, one black, one white – separate and unequal.”
What is the current sociological view on race?
Race is more of a social construct than a biological reality.
What is the definition of ethnicity?
Shared social, cultural, and historical experiences stemming from a common background.
Define a minority group.
A group singled out for unequal treatment due to physical or cultural traits.
What are the three forms of contact between racial and ethnic groups?
Conquest, annexation, and immigration.
Differentiate between prejudice and discrimination.
Prejudice is an attitude; discrimination is a behavior.
What is racism?
The belief that certain racial or ethnic groups are inferior to one’s own group.
What are stereotypes?
Simplified, mistaken generalizations about people based on their race or ethnicity.
What theory posits that prejudice develops from harsh parenting styles?
Adorno’s theory of the authoritarian personality.
What is the scapegoat theory of prejudice?
It suggests that frustrated individuals blame lower status groups for their problems.
What is the social learning theory’s view on prejudice?
Prejudice is learned through socialization and conformity to cultural norms.
What form of racism involves the belief that certain cultures are inferior?
Cultural racism.
Define institutional racism.
Racism embedded in the fabric of society, affecting systems and institutions.
What is colorism?
Prejudice based on skin tone within a racial group, where lighter skin is often favored over darker skin.
Define discrimination.
The arbitrary denial of rights, privileges, and opportunities to members of subordinate groups.
What are the four categories of people based on prejudicial beliefs and discriminatory actions?
Active Bigots
All-weather Liberals
Timid Bigots
Fair-weather Liberals
Who are Active Bigots?
Individuals who are both prejudiced and discriminatory.
Who are All-weather Liberals?
Individuals who are neither prejudiced nor discriminatory.
Describe Timid Bigots.
Individuals who are prejudiced but do not discriminate due to fear of legal consequences.
What are Fair-weather Liberals?
People who are not prejudiced but still discriminate due to peer pressure.
What is individual discrimination?
Discrimination practiced by individuals in their daily lives, often stemming from prejudice.
What is institutional discrimination?
Discrimination that pervades the practices of whole institutions, affecting large groups based on race or ethnicity.
Give an example of individual discrimination.
African Americans facing discrimination in stores and restaurants, or being harassed by police.
How does institutional discrimination impact health care?
People of color often have higher disease rates and less access to medical procedures compared to whites.
What is redlining?
Practices that limit access to loans and insurance in certain neighborhoods, affecting predominantly minority communities.
What does Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 address?
It bans racial discrimination in employment, yet inequality persists.
Define genocide.
The deliberate annihilation of a targeted subordinate group.
What is expulsion in the context of intergroup relations?
A subordinate group being forced to leave an area or country by a dominant group.
Differentiate between de jure and de facto segregation.
De jure is enforced by law, while de facto occurs by custom or tradition.
What was the outcome of Brown v. Board of Education?
It declared that “separate educational facilities are inherently unequal,” ending de jure segregation.
What is hypersegregation?
A pattern of extreme residential segregation, where African Americans are isolated in certain neighborhoods.
How do sociologists measure segregation?
Using segregation indices that scale from zero (most integrated) to 100 (least integrated).
What impact does housing discrimination have on communities of color?
It contributes to concentrated poverty and limits access to resources and opportunities.
What do statistics reveal about racial and ethnic inequality in the U.S.?
They show disparities in income, education, and health among different racial and ethnic groups.
How do African Americans, Latinx Americans, and Native Americans compare to Whites and Asian Americans?
They have lower family incomes, higher poverty rates, and are less likely to have college degrees.
What are the infant mortality rates for African Americans and Native Americans compared to Whites?
African American infants are more than twice as likely to die as White infants.
How does ethnicity affect the experiences of different groups?
For example, Cuban Americans generally fare better than Puerto Ricans and Central Americans.
Despite higher overall indicators, what challenges do Asian Americans face?
They experience stereotypes, discrimination, and a significant increase in hate crimes.
What longstanding explanations exist for racial and ethnic inequality?
They include beliefs in biological or cultural inferiority of minority groups.
What does the structural explanation suggest about racial inequality?
It attributes inequality to institutional and individual discrimination, educational inequalities, and housing segregation.
What did W. E. B. Du Bois identify as the major issue of the 20th century?
The problem of the color line.
What mixed outcomes have characterized racial issues in the U.S. in the 2020s?
While legal segregation is outlawed and racism has declined, modern cultural racism and institutional discrimination persist.
What is Affirmative Action?
Policies and practices that promote equal opportunity for minorities and women in employment and education.
What landmark case upheld the use of race as a criterion for college admissions?
Grutter v. Bollinger (2003).
What arguments do opponents of affirmative action make?
They argue it results in discrimination and implies beneficiaries are less qualified.
What reasons do supporters of affirmative action provide?
They cite historical discrimination, lack of access to opportunities, and the need for diversity.
How has immigration shaped American society?
Increased immigration has led to greater diversity but also competition for jobs and resources.
How do perceptions of crime relate to immigration?
Research shows immigrants have lower crime rates and contribute to community stability.
What demographic shift is projected for the U.S. by 2060?
Whites will make up less than 44% of the population, while Latinx individuals are projected to increase significantly.
What potential challenges may arise from changing demographics?
Increased competition for jobs and resources may lead to more racial and ethnic strife.
What is the urgency in light of changing racial and ethnic dynamics?
It is crucial to foster mutual understanding and eliminate discrimination.
