Race, Ethnicity and Nation (Lecture 22&23)

Question 1

Race

Answer 1

Historically contested term to describe a group of people assumed to share a common ancestry, physical features, personality characteristics etc..

Question 2

‘Scientific’ Racism

Answer 2

Term describes series of theories from mid-19th century till 1945 that claimed to provide a ‘scientific’ basis in biology that ‘proved’ superiority of a particular racial group

Question 3

Social construction of race

Answer 3

• Description of the way societies develop ideas of biological ‘race’ looking at the reasons these categories emerge and the forms they take
• Points to arbitrary, shifting definitions of race

Question 4

Racialization

Answer 4

• Unnecessary use of ‘racial’ or ‘ethnic’ characteristics to distinguish people
• Attempt to impose ‘racial’ interpretations on an issue with no basis in it

Question 5

Race, Racial group

Answer 5

• Group defined by common VISIBLE features (eg: skin colour, features) within a given society
• Caucasian, Asian, African etc..

Question 6

Ethnicity, ethnic group

Answer 6

• Group united by share ancestry, cultural background, language etc..
• German Chinese, Nigerian etc..

Question 7

Racial/ Ethnic Socialization

Answer 7

• learning socially, defined racial boundaries, stereotypes and roles
• learning what society expects of people of ‘your’ ethnicity and what ‘role’ you have

Question 8

Institutional or structural racism

Answer 8

Racism as property or outcome of certain social structures and institutions

Question 9

Expressed racism

Answer 9

Racism as expressed by individuals; prejudice, discrimination

Question 10

Institutional or Structural racism

Answer 10

• Systems, rules, practices with disproportionate effect on specific ethnic groups
• May or may not be deliberately targeted at these groups; may be insensitive to differences

Question 11

Racial Profiling

Answer 11

Deliberate targeting of specific racial or ethnic groups, especially by security forces, on the basis they’re ‘more likely’ to be criminal

Question 12

Critical Race Theory

Answer 12

Theoretical analysis arguing that racism is integral to the fabric of Western (especially US) societies, in a way that consistently marginalized, excludes and disadvantages people of colour

Question 13

Prejudice

Answer 13

Negative beliefs or opinions about others based on their group (gender, ethnicity etc..)

Question 14

Discrimination

Answer 14

Practices that exclude, obstruct or harm people based on their group membership

Question 15

Social Distance

Answer 15

Way of measuring how far people are willing to mix with members of other groups, and how far particular groups are excluded from majority of society

Question 16

Structural Functionalists on Racism

Answer 16

• Ethnic identity provides sense of community and boosts solidarity
• Exclusions and prejudice may help stratify society in a way that ensures all jobs gets filled

Question 17

Symbolic Interactionists on Racism

Answer 17

• People may be ‘socialized’ into what it means to be in group
• Racial differences become self-fulfilling prophecy as people act on prejudices they are exposed to

Question 18

Critical Theorists on Racism

Answer 18

• Dominant ‘races’ try to exclude others from share of social wealth
• Marxists suggest racism may be result of strategies by bourgeoisie to split proletariat

Question 19

Privilege

Answer 19

• The unconscious advantages of dominant gender or racial group from lack of obstacles
• Privileged groups may deny existence of racism or sexism as they’re never made aware of it

Question 20

Double Consciousness

Answer 20

• Visible minorities have two identities: member of nation (“Canadian”, “American”) but also ethnic group (“African- American”)
• Thus view selves through eyes of others

Question 21

Stereotype Threat

Answer 21

• Effect of widespread social stereotypes about one’s group on behaviour and performance
• Stereotypes may result in increased anxiety due to fear of being judged by ethnic/ gender group

Question 22

Orientalism

Answer 22

• Saïd’s term for the way Westerners constructed single image of entire ‘East’
• Asians depicted as mysterious, pre-modern

Question 23

People, Nation, State

Answer 23

• People: group united by shared culture, language, norms
• Nation: Self-identified people, often occupying specific territory
• State: Political institutions ruling over a certain area and people(s)

Question 24

Nationalism

Answer 24

Belief in the nation as a social group: individuals identify themselves as members of a particular cultural or ethnic group above all, and try to advance national interest

Question 25

Imagined Community

Answer 25

• Term coined by Benedict Anderson to describe social, ethnic, or racial grouping that is treated as. a distinct, real ‘thing’, like a nation by its members
• May increase ‘acting out’ cultural identity

Question 26

Totem

Answer 26

• A sacred object or image that serves to represent the community it belongs to; indicates the common heritage of the group
• May represent a spiritual being said to protect group

Question 27

Multiculturalism

Answer 27

• Recognition of and support of diverse, distinct cultural groups within one society
• Official policy in Canada since Trudeau (1971)

Question 28

Interculturalism

Answer 28

• Belief in need for overall integration of groups into shared cultural pattern
• While immigrant cultures merit respect, they should be integrated into whole

Question 29

National Minority

Answer 29

• Distinct group with recognizable claim to be autonomous and have won rights as group
• Particularly refers to First Nations in Canada

Question 30

Migrant

Answer 30

Anyone who leaves their society of origin to live (temporarily or permanently) elsewhere, especially by choice rather than as a refugee

Question 31

Closure

Answer 31

Social group strategy of creating legal limitations and barriers so as to limit opportunities to a certain group, and to close off to others

Question 32

Diaspora

Answer 32

• Refers to the global dispersion of immigrants of particular origin (eg: Greek diaspora)
• Often constitutes Diasporic network of contacts linked across the world

Question 33

Ethnic Enclave

Answer 33

• Concentration of people from one particular group in a specific area of town (eg: ‘Little Italy’)
• Often show INSTITUTIONAL COMPLETENESS: complete provision of services, shops for once community

Question 34

Racial/ Ethnic Socialization

Answer 34

• Learning the roles attributed to your racial or ethnic group by dominant culture
• Incorporating a sense of your ethnicity in to your personal identity

Question 35

Assimilation

Answer 35

Resocialisation of an immigrant so they adopt practices, styles, or even values of host society and origins become less visible or important for identity

Question 36

Marginality

Answer 36

The condition of being on the margins of and between two cultures, particularly when you’ve left one and haven’t been fully accepted in new one

Question 37

Globalisation

Answer 37

• Increasing importance of social networks that exist beyond bounds of single society
• Tendency to break down borders in practice, with broad homogenization

Question 38

Imperialism

Answer 38

• Extension of European economic hegemony into direct political control from Europe
• Primarily 19th and early 20th century: leads to European exploitation of other regions

Question 39

‘White Man’s Burden’

Answer 39

Semi-sarcastic term to describe ideology of imperialism: refers to belief that Europeans were most ‘civilized,’ so had duty to bring ‘benefits’ of modernity to rest of world

Question 40

World Systems Theory

Answer 40

• Extension of social theory to cover globe
• Explains stratification by looking at relations between wealthier and poorer regions
• Parts have roles in global divisions of labour

Question 41

Neocolonialism

Answer 41

Continued exploitation and domination of poorer nations by former imperial powers, even after end or formal empire