Ethnic Inequality

Question 1

What are the four explanations for ethnic inequality?

Answer 1

1. There is a direct relationship between capitalism and racism
2. Immigrants act as a reserve army for labour in a capitalist society
3. The ruling class divide the working class for ideological purposes
4. The ruling class uses the media to detract attention away from capitalist failings

Question 2

Who said there is a direct relationship between capitalism and racism?

Answer 2

• cox

Question 3

Who said immigrants act as a reserve army of labour in a capitalist society?

Answer 3

• castles and kosack

Question 4

Who said the ruling class uses the media to detract attention away from capitalist failings?

Answer 4

• Hall

Question 5

Why is there a direct relationship between capitalism and racism?

Answer 5

• racism has origins in the development of capitalism with its needs to systematically exploit labour power
• early capitalism went hand in hand with colonialism as European nations justified their actions through racism

Question 6

Why do immigrants act as a reserve army of labour in a capitalist society?

Answer 6

• most immigrants were concentrated in a low skilled and low paid manual jobs mainly carried out in poor working conditions
• derived from the need in capitalist societies for a reserve army of labour as capitalist economies were inherently unstable

Question 7

Why does the ruling class divide the working class for ideological purposes?

Answer 7

• divide and rule tactics was beneficial to the ruling class as it suppressed the overall wage levels of the working classes and immigrants could be scapegoated
• allows capitalist class to divert the white working classes attention from the real cause of inequality (capitalism)
• too divided to unite and overthrow the capitalist system

Question 8

Why does the ruling class use the media to detract attention away from the capitalist failings?

Answer 8

• moral panic over black criminality created a diversion away from the wider economic crisis
• focuses firstly on how capitalism causes crime, then on how the media, state and police responded to this and finally on the further reaction of the criminalised black youth

Question 9

Why does the ruling class use the media to detract attention away from the capitalist failings?

Answer 9

• moral panic over black criminality created a diversion away from the wider economic crisis
• focuses firstly on how capitalism causes crime, then on how the media, state and police responded to this and finally on the further reaction of the criminalised black youth