Lecture 8: Race and Ethnicity

Question 1

Define ‘Race’

Answer 1

• Race is defined as a category or people who share biologically transmitted traits that members of a society deem socially significant.
• Race refers to a distinct group of people who share certain inherited physical characteristics such as skin colour, facial features and stature. Racial categorisation is frequently based on different physical characteristics.

Question 2

Define ‘Ethnicity’

Answer 2

Ethnicity refers to the shared culture of a group in a given geographic region and this includes their language, heritage, values, religion, traditions, customs and commonalities.

Question 3

Define ‘Prejudice’ and its application

Answer 3

Prejudice is an attitude that is negative, unjustified or incorrect towards an individual or group of people based solely on their membership of a social group.

Question 4

Define ‘Discrimination’ and its application

Answer 4

Discrimination is acting upon a prejudice. It is the behaviour or actions of a prejudiced person towards an individual or group of people.

Question 5

Define ‘Labelling Theory’ and its application

Answer 5

Labelling theory suggests that people are given labels based on how others view their tendencies or behaviours and it satisfies society’s need to control the behaviour.

Example: People with tattoos are gangsters; it is better to avoid them

Question 6

Define ‘Stereotype’ and its application

Answer 6

Racial and ethnic stereotypes are the simplified, mistaken generatlisations about a certain group of people because of their race and/or ethnicity

Question 7

Define ‘Racism’

Answer 7

Racism is the belief that one racial category is innately superior or inferior to another in terms of racial differences.

Question 8

Describe the theory of Racism, namely, Scapegoat Theory of Prejudice

Answer 8

Scapegoating is the process through which frustration and aggression are directed at a person or group that is not the causal agent of the frustration.

• scapegoat: person or category of people typically with little power whom people unfairly blame for their own troubles
• people who are prejudiced and discriminatory are called bigots
• Example: An economic downturn may cause a group to become aggressive towards immigrants whom they blame for taking away their jobs. The actual reason could be that citizens do not want to take on the jobs performed by the immigrants.

Question 9

Describe the theory of Racism, namely, Authoritarian Personality of Prejudice

Answer 9

Authoritarian Personality of Prejudice is about the relationships of the authoritarian structure of families at the core of authoritatian states that could turn prejudice into fascist action.

Adorno’s study found that authoritative individuals possess characteristics such as:

* Obsession with rank and status
* Hostile to those who are of inferior status but respectful and submissive to authority figures and obedient to those with high status
* Fairly rigid with their opinions and beliefs
* Conventional, upholding traditional values

• Such personalities tend to develop in people with little education and harsh and demanding parents.

Question 10

Describe the theory of Racism, namely, Oppression of Minorities

Answer 10

Any group of people who, because of their physical or cultural characteristics, are singled out from the others in the society in which they live for differential and unequal treatment, and who therefore regard themselves as objects of collective discrimination.

• Dominant group: Majority - holds the most power in a given society.
• Powerful people utilise prejudice as strategy to oppress minorities

EXAMPLE:
1. Employers pay foreign guest workers low wages which are less than what they pay the locals.

2. Malaysian universities disallowing Chinese with straight As to enter medical course, but Malays without grades as good gets to

Question 11

Identify ways in which Racism can be minimized

Answer 11

Racism to be minimised with:

1. Education - get other nations to exchange culture
2. Bonding activities

Question 12

Explain Conflict Perspective on racial and ethnic inequality

Answer 12

Party/Power: minority ethnic groups tend to be politically marginalised.

• concerns with balancing ‘Racism and Prejudice’ with ‘Power and Inequality’
• Advocates that to reduce racial and ethnic conflict, class conflict must first be reduced.

Question 13

Describe the model of Ethnic integration, namely, *Assimilation

Answer 13

It means that minorities / immigrants:

• abandon their original customs and practices
• adopt values and norms of the dominant culture
• requires changes in language, dress, lifestyles and cultural outlooks
• minorities may not assimilate successfully if they are being racialised (individuals or groups being classified based on race)

EXAMPLE: Immigrants’ children become Americans by embracing culture language and politics

Question 14

Describe the model of Ethnic integration, namely, *Melting Pot

Answer 14

Refers to traditions of the immigrants become blended with the majority to form new, evolving cultural patterns

EXAMPLE: Amrica is known to be a melting pot where people from many different countries, races and religions live together to find the American Dream

Question 15

Describe the models of Ethnic integration, namely, Pluralism and Multi-Culturalism

Answer 15

PLURALISM
A state of society in which members of diverse ethnic, racial, religious or social groups maintain an autonomous participation in and development of their traditional culture or special interest within the confines of a common civilisation.

MULTI-CULTURALISM
Refers to the state policies that enoucrage cultural or ethnic groups to live in harmony with one another, They share basic social resources equally.