ethnic inequalities Flashcards
explanation 1
Ethnic inequalities are temporary and the result of minorities failing to assimilate
Ethnic inequalities are temporary and the result of minorities failing to assimilate
patterson
Ethnic inequalities are temporary and the result of minorities failing to assimilate (Patterson)
- Host immigrant model was created to explain the racial tensions in britain following the mass immigration into the country following the windrush generation
- Britain as a stable, orderly place with high levels of value consensus,
- Britain’s stability was undermined by the arrival of immigrants from South Asia and the Caribbean in the 1950s and 1960s.
- immigrants had a culture clash with their british hosts
- British were not directly racist but were frightened and anxious due to the arrival of immigrants
- Patterson argued that racial and ethnic prejudice was caused by 3 things:
The host cultures fear of strangers, cultural difference and social change
The host culture, particularly the working class’ resentment at having to compete with ethnic minorities for scarce resources such as jobs and housing
The failure of ethnic minorities to assimilate (becoming totally british), they tend to live in segregated communities rather than socially mixing. - ethnic minorities would eventually move towards full cultural assimilation by shedding their old ethnic values and taking on british values
- happens through 3 processes:
Accommodation: living alongside but not interacting
Integration: living alongside and interacting but not adopting hosts values
Assimilation: living alongside, interacting and adopting host values.
explanation 2
Removal of racial stigma will result in excellent outcomes for minorities in the USA
Removal of racial stigma will result in excellent outcomes for minorities in the USA
Patterson and Clarke
Removal of racial stigma will result in excellent outcomes for minorities in the USA (Patterson and clarke)
- Wrote about the experience of black people in the USA in the early 20th century.
- black americans were segregated, second class citizens who were denied a large amount of civil rights
- due to deep seated racist assumptions surrounding skin colour and was used as a justification for the inequalities
- ver time, the stigma surrounding skin colour would disappear as people integrate more and black people would be able to be successful
explanation 3
Ethnic inequalities are the byproduct of historical and cultural factors
Ethnic inequalities are the byproduct of historical and cultural factors
Roberts
Ethnic inequalities are the byproduct of historical and cultural factors (Roberts)
- largely dismiss the idea that contemporary ethnic inequalities are the result of racism or structural discrimination against minorities
- often put the blame of disparities in outcomes on the minority groups themselves and the historical and cultural factors which led them to be in the country they are in
- there being disparities between non-white minority groups in terms of outcomes and standards of living
- Asian groups are more likely to be self-employed or small business owners due to strong entrepreneurial traditions within Asian cultures.
- East african sikhs were often described as having a strong spirit of enterprise and strong supportive family networks which favoured academic success
- the experiences of colonialism and slavery on the afro caribbean community meant that these groups were starting from a different place than other minority group
- they would fall into worse outcomes due to these historical factors
- ethnic inequalities are not due to fundamental issues with the society but ingrained issues within certain communities cultures, that they are not easily fixed by societal intervention (e.g. welfare)
explanation 4
It is normal for ethnic minorities to be at the bottom of the economic ladder
It is normal for ethnic minorities to be at the bottom of the economic ladder
- modood et al
- davis and Moore and rastogi
It is normal for ethnic minorities to be at the bottom of the economic ladder modood
- 3 in 5 Bangladeshi women, and half of Pakistani women living in Britain do not speak English.
Functionalists would say there is nothing discriminatory about not being able to offer high status occupations to individuals who cannot speak the language of the host nation.
It is normal for ethnic minorities to be at the bottom of the economic ladder
Davis and moore and rastogi
- Role allocation and human capital
- It can be argued that ethnic minorities’ lower position in society is not due to racism or structural discrimination, but rather the lack of skills and values they can provide to the most highly rewarded sectors in society.
- will have to accept that they are going to be working in lower status, less well-paid jobs, and that this is due to a range of factors associated with them
- However, to link back to Patterson and Parsons, over time, minorities’ position can improve.
