Ethnic

Question 1

Examples of ethnic minorities being disadvantaged in Education

Answer 1

Gillborn =

• Argues that selective pupil grouping does not bring about improvement in overall achievement
• Black pupils were underrepresented in higher tier and over represented in foundation tier
• Black boys are less likely to be high achievers and more likely to be troublemakers
• Black boys are capped in education

Sewell =

• Black youth culture stops boys waiting for grades and so act out because they are accepting the wrong role models
• There’s less parental involvement because they don’t know what to do

Question 2

Examples of ethnic minorities being disadvantaged in Crime

Answer 2

Bowling =
Many officers have negative stereotypes of ethnic minorities as criminals, leading to deliberate targeting for stop and search

Ministry of justice (2008) =
Afro caribbean individuals compared to white individuals are 3x more likely to be arrested and 5x more likely to be in prison

Question 3

Examples of ethnic minorities being disadvantaged in Media

Answer 3

Hall = Black and Asian characters do not receive star billing in big-time movies. Also, things like posters with ethnic minority characters are seen as inferior to the main, white characters

Malik = Media not reporting the reality of the ethnic minorities

Question 4

What did Parsons support and what did he say in terms of ethnic inequality

Answer 4

Functionalism = The ‘American negro’- was a second class citizen, at that time skin colour symbolised inferiority and used as a justification for placing black Americans at the bottom of the social ladder but over time the common value would change

Question 5

What did Patterson support and what did he say in terms of ethnic inequality

Answer 5

Functionalism = Host-immigrant model emphasised the importance of culture in explaining racism and ethnic inequality. She claims that Stability was undermined by the arrival of immigrants from South Asia and the Caribbean in the 1950’s and 1960’s. These immigrants had a ‘culture clash’ with their British ‘hosts’. Patterson argued that the British were not directly racist but were frightened and anxious due to the arrival of the immigrants with different cultural values and ways of behaving.

Question 6

What are the AO3 points against Patterson’s argument

Answer 6

• Failed to acknowledge that the UK is a multicultural society and that the concept of assimilation is ethnocentric
• It fails to acknowledge that no one culture is superior

Question 7

What did Cox support and what did he say in terms of ethnic inequality

Answer 7

Marxism = Capitalism is the cause of racism because they started at the same time, Racism is used to justify exploitation of workers. And because whites are privileged they are the only ones that can be racist

Question 8

What are the AO3 points against cox’s argument

Answer 8

• All ethnic groups can be racist not just white people
• No evidence racism advantages capitalism
• Racism can be due to other aspect, you can’t just blame capitalism

Question 9

What did Castles and kosack support and what did he say in terms of ethnic inequality

Answer 9

Marxism = Ethnic minorities are used as a reserve army of labour. They divided the working class into 2 categories, as a means of divide and rule, the indigenous working class are the top of the working class and the immigrant working class were at the bottom. The immigrant working class were a reserve army of labour

Question 10

What are the AO3 points against castles and kosack’s argument

Answer 10

-Not all ethnicities are disadvantaged

Question 11

What did Miles support and what did he say in terms of ethnic inequality

Answer 11

Neo-Marxism = Racism justified the exploitation of non-Europeans. Racism replaced with nationalism – less about class and more about powerful nations. Racialized class fractions – White working class stress their own nationality, making other ethnicities so same causing divide

Question 12

What are the AO3 points against Miles’ argument

Answer 12

-Even ethnic minorities, in the middle class, wouldn’t be as accepted as the white middle class

Question 13

What did Parkin support and what did he say in terms of ethnic inequality

Answer 13

Weberianism = Status – Applied the term negatively privileged status groups to ethnic minorities. He argues that the ethnic majority use social closure to keep ethnic minorities out of positions of authority and status. They face a concrete ceiling rather than a glass one

Question 14

What are the AO3 points against Parkin’s argument

Answer 14

Status – Current richest person in Britain is from ethnic minority background

Question 15

What did Barron and Norris support and what did he say in terms of ethnic inequality

Answer 15

Weberianism = Used the dual labour market theory to show that white men dominate the primary labour market whereas ethnic minorities are in the secondary labour market, showing discrimination against them

Question 16

What are the AO3 points against Barron and Norris’ argument

Answer 16

• Ignores the fact that there are ethnic minorities in crucial primary labour market jobs
• Davidson – Situation is even worse for ethnic minority women because they have to break through the glass ceiling, but the concrete ceiling is imperative

Question 17

What did Rex and Tomlinson support and what did he say in terms of ethnic inequality

Answer 17

Weberianism = Argue that experiencing both class and status inequality can lead to poverty and therefore some ethnic some ethnic minorities may be more likely to be found in the underclass. They believe that a black underclass has been created of people who feel marginalised, alienated and frustrated

Question 18

What are the AO3 points against Rex and Tomlinson’s argument

Answer 18

-The position of ethnic minority groups is changing and outperforming all of their ethnic counterparts in school and the labour market

Question 19

What did Brewer support and what did she say in terms of ethnic inequality

Answer 19

Black feminism = The ‘interplay’ of class, gender and race restricts the life chances of black women, because they are black, women and of a working class, they are more disadvantaged and therefore more problems and restrictions for them

Question 20

What did Mirza support and what did she say in terms of ethnic inequality

Answer 20

Black Feminism = Believes that black women can make an important contribution to the development of feminism. Their own experiences can offer other ways of thinking that can evoke some measure of critical race/gender reflexivity

Question 21

What did Connell support and what did she say in terms of ethnic inequality

Answer 21

Black Feminism = Stresses the importance of developing feminist perspectives that challenge the dominance of Western feminism; this is because Connell believes most women live in the ‘majority world’ of the Southern Continents

Question 22

What did Murray support and what did he say in terms of ethnic inequality

Answer 22

The New Right = An increase in the number of never-married black single mothers and many black youths losing interest in getting a job. Furthermore these people are in the underclass and the children are being raised in a situation where they were likely to take on the underclass values of their parents

Question 23

What are the AO3 points against Murray’s argument

Answer 23

• Ignores the economic divisions that lead to the creation of such an underclass, such as racial prejudice and discrimination
• Does not take a sympathetic approach, but instead explains peoples situation as a result of their own behaviour

Question 24

What did Sewell support and what did he say in terms of ethnic inequality

Answer 24

The New Right = Higher proportion of African Caribbean boys are raised in lone parent families (usually women) in the UK. 57% of African Caribbean families with dependent children were headed by the lone parents, compared to 25% of white families. Black boys lack a male role model and the discipline from a father figure, making them more vulnerable to peer pressure.

Question 25

What are the AO3 points against Sewell’s argument

Answer 25

• Seen as blaming African-Caribbean people for their situation and the inequality they experience
• Blaming black fathers for deserting families and black youths for generating a subculture for failure

Question 26

What did Modood support and what did he say in terms of ethnic inequality

Answer 26

Postmodernism = Stress the difference and diversity among these groups. They argue that hybrid identities are emerging. Racial difference becomes a matter of choice and racial disadvantage is impossible to discuss as ethnic identity is not fixed.

Question 27

What did Vertovec support and what did he say in terms of ethnic inequality

Answer 27

Postmodernism = Used the term super diversity to describe the vast range of cultural values and norms displayed by new immigrants and ethnic minority groups

Question 28

What are the AO3 points against Vertovec’s argument

Answer 28

-They ignore the racial inequality and discrimination in society.

Question 29

How do Functionalists explain ethnic inequalities

Answer 29

-Reference to the common value system. ethnic inequalities are based on cultural differences between minority groups and host nation. Functionalists argue that such differences are inevitable

Question 30

How do Marxists explain ethnic inequalities

Answer 30

-Focus on the reason why racial inequality and discrimination are useful and often inherent in a capitalist system. For example, racial or ethnic differences may help to legitimise low pay, to divide workers and to create scapegoats for social problems

Question 31

How do black feminists explain ethnic inequalities

Answer 31

• Black feminists represent the majority need of ethnic women
• Explains the inequality not just ethnic minorities but ethnic minority women and stress that ethnic minority women are the most disadvantaged in society.

Question 32

How do postmodernists explain ethnic inequalities

Answer 32

-They argue that racial difference becomes a matter of choice and racial disadvantage is impossible to discuss as ethnic identity is not fixed it is much more fluid