Race and Ethnicity Terms Flashcards
Race
- Divides people into groups based on a specific physical traits
- a cultural category that divides the human race into subspecies based on supposed biological differences
Ethnicity
a category based on the sense of group affiliation derived from a distinct heritage or worldview as a “people”
-more fluid because of group affiliation
Achieved Status
a status that a person chooses or becomes associated with due to behaviors or skills
Ascribed Status
a status given to an individual through no choice or action of his or her own
-a status granted by circumstances of birth
Caste
a tightly bounded social group based on family background
-assign individuals to a position at birth, and mobility between cassettes is restricted
Class (Social Class)
a cultural category describing how people are grouped according to their positions with in the economy
Institution
a cluster of statuses organized around a common focus, such as education, law, or art
Instrumentalism (or constructivism)
the idea that ethnicity changes with people’s interests and context
Master Status
the status that tends to be most important in shaping a person’s life
Open Class System
a class system in which it is possible for people to move from one class to another
Prestige
the social affirmation and approval given to some members of society
Primordialism
the view that identity, like race, is a naturally occurring and immutable feature of human life
Role
prescribes expected or required behaviors for those who occupy a particular status
Role Conflict/Role Strain
the stress that occurs when the behavioral expectations from various roles come into play simultaneously
Social inequality
the differential access to economic resources, political power, or social prestige that results from social stratification
