Race and Ethnic Stratification -Week 4 Flashcards
What is a Class Divided ?
uses categories that one would not consider significant in today’s society as a way to show how easily categories of race can be applied and yet how powerful the implications are to behavior and treatment. The student who were considered ‘on top’ received greater benefits (physical and emotional) and subsequently had a stronger sense of self and performed better in class task (i.e. flash card quizzes). Quickly students began to associate negative and positive attributes to others, simply based on a category that was assigned, and pointed out (remember these characteristics were not new, they just hadn’t been previously been noticed, or had value assigned to them). And shortly after, internalized these attributes themselves.
What is Race?
the division of people based on physical characteristics. Race is a social construct rather than a biological one meaning that people create the idea of race and subsequently the classification and hierarchy of races.
What is Ethnicity ?
the classification of people who share a common cultural, linguistic or ancestral heritage.
What are the 10 things people should know about race?
Race is a modern idea
Race has no genetic basis
Human subspecies don’t exist
Skin color really is only skin deep
Most variation is within, not between, ‘races’
Slavery predates race
Race and freedom were born together
Race justified social inequalities as natural
Race isn’t biological, but racism is still real
Colorblindness will not end racism
What are dominant and minority groups?
Dominant, or Majority group is the group that holds a significant amount of power and privilege. has the greatest power, but not necessarily the greatest numbers
ex Apartheid in South Africa. Apartheid was a system ruled by a small white group, an example of a dominant group.
Minority group is a group that has less power than the majority group a group singled out for unequal treatment and have a collective sense of being discriminated against.
What is colonialism?
A majority group ruling over a minority group is almost always the result of colonialism. a system in which more powerful countries impose their will on weaker nations.
What are the types of minority groups, secessionist, assimilationist, pluralistic, militant
Secessionist Minority: those who maintain separate lives from the majority group (like Amish)
Assimilationist Minority: those who seek to integrate into the dominant group (as will Absorption Assimilation)
Pluralistic Minority: those who maintain individual cultural patterns, while integrating with majority culture (think “Celebrate Diversity” bump stickers)
Militant Minority: these are the folks who are trying to change the dominant patterns of society, seeking justice, representation, and equity for those historically marginalized
What is the difference between prejudice vs discrimination ?
Prejudice is an attitude
Discrimination is a behavior
Prejudice refers to negative attitudes about an entire category of people. Prejudice is often reinforced by stereotypes, simplified perceptions people have of an entire category of people.
Discrimination is the unfair treatment of people based on prejudice. Discrimination is an action that stems from the attitude of prejudice.
How are Prejudice and Discrimination related?
Robert Merton clarifies this and the connection between these two through his combinations:
Unprejudiced Non-Discriminator— believes in equal opportunities and acts as such.
Unprejudiced Discriminator— believes in equal opportunity but acts against this belief (benefits from discrimination of others.
Prejudiced Non-Discriminator— does not believe in equal opportunities but does not act as such (fears consequences).
Prejudiced Discriminator— doesn’t believe in or support equal opportunities.
What is a scapegoat ?
Scapegoat is an unfair accusation against a person or group as the cause of a problem. We are most likely to scapegoat when there is a threat to one’s well-being or national security. Scapegoating allows someone a sense of security, although a false sense of security.
What is segregation?
Segregation is forced separation because of factors such as race, gender or ethnicity.
What is institutional discrimination ?
Institutional Discrimination maintains the advantages for the dominant group while providing the appearance of fairness to all.
ex Jim Crow laws which espoused ‘separate but equal.’ Institutionalized discrimination is also apparent in the educational system.
Racial Stratification and Education
Education is also related to racial stratification and income. Schools continue to be segregated to be unofficially segregated. Without more education groups tend to earn substantially less. With the exception of Asians, minorities tend to have lower educational attainment then the white majority.
Educational attainment has direct impact on many other factors as well, which are doubly impacted by racial stratification. Race and ethnicity influence all aspects of our lives, including health, education, work, family, and interactions with the criminal justice system.
What is the cycle of poverty?
cycle of poverty is a generational barrier that prevents poor people from breaking into middle and upper classes. This influences our socialization, our community influence,
What is white privilege?
White privilege is the idea that whiteness carries more benefits in a society like ours (and on much of a global scale). Part of that privilege is the ability to ignore this privilege, choose to do nothing to address it, or to embrace the privilege as one’s ‘birthright.’
, white folx have the option to own that privilege and use it to be an ally in working for racial justice.
