Chapter 9 - Terms Flashcards
race
a group whose inherited physical characteristics distinguish it from other groups
genocide
the annihilation or attempted annihilation of a people because of their presumed race or ethnicity
ethnicity (and ethnic)
having distinctive cultural characteristics
minority group
people who are singled out for unequal treatment and who regard themselves as objects of collective discrimination
dominant group
the group with the most power, greatest privileges, and highest social status
ethnic work
activities designed to discover, enhance, maintain, or transmit an ethnic or racial identity
discrimination
an act of unfair treatment directed against an individual or a group
racism
prejudice and discrimination on the basis of race
prejudice
an attitude or prejudging, usually in a negative way
contact theory
the idea that prejudice and negative stereotypes decrease and racial-ethnic relations improve when people from different racial-ethnic backgrounds, who are of equal status, interact frequently
individual discrimination
person-to-person or face-to-face discrimination; the negative treatment of people by other individuals
institutional discrimination
negative treatment of a minority group that is built into a society’s institutions; also called systemic discrimination
scapegoat
an individual or group unfairly blamed for someone else’s troubles
authoritarian personality
Theodor Adorno’s term for people who are prejudiced and rank high on scales of conformity, intolerance, insecurity, respect for authority, and submissiveness to superiors
split labor market
workers split along racial–ethnic, gender, age, or any other lines; this split is exploited by owners to weaken the bargaining power of workers
reserve labor force
the unemployed; unemployed workers are thought of as being “in reserve”—capitalists take them “out of reserve” (put them back to work) during times of high production and then put them “back in reserve” (lay them off) when they are no longer needed
selective perception
seeing certain features of an object or situation, but remaining blind to others
compartmentalize
to separate acts from feelings or attitudes
population transfer
the forced transfer of a minority group
ethnic cleansing
a policy of eliminating a population; includes forcible expulsion and genocide
internal colonialism
the policy of exploiting minority groups for economic gain
segregation
the policy of keeping racial–ethnic groups apart
assimilation
the process of being absorbed into the mainstream culture
multiculturalism (or pluralism)
a policy that permits or encourages ethnic differences
WASP
white anglo saxon protestant
white ethnics
white immigrants to the United States whose cultures differ from WASP culture
rising expectations
the sense that better conditions are soon to follow, which, if unfulfilled, increases frustration
pan-Indianism
an attempt to develop an identity that goes beyond the tribe by emphasizing the common elements that run through Native American cultures
