SOCIOLOGY SAC 3 Flashcards
Race (KK1)
- A socially constructed category of people who share biologically transmitted traits.
- That members of a society have deemed important.
- Skin colour and facial features
Ethnicity
- A term used to identify experiences shared between groups of people.
- Based on their social connections.
- Which provide a distinctive national identity.
Difference between race and ethnicity (RACE)
- Distinctions between different ‘races’ are drawn randomly (with no real reason or system behind it).
- Often used to stereotype and leave out people, particularly for social dominance.
EXAMPLE: - White settlers saw themselves as culturally superior to Indigenous Australians, used category of race to dominate others.
Difference between race and ethnicity (ETHNICITY)
- Members of a group can claim an ethnic identity, or an ethnic category may be assigned to them by others.
- These characteristics are learnt and passed across generations through the process of socialisation.
Ethnicity example
- 19th-century Australia linked identity to Anglo-Celtic heritage.
- Irish Catholics faced discrimination as a separate ethnic group.
- After WWI and WWII, Australians formed a unique national identity.
- Post-war nation-building created a culture distinct from Britain.
- This shows ethnicity is shaped by culture, social experiences, and national identity, not biological traits.
Two reasons why Ethnicity is preferred to study by sociologists
(Historical and Contextual Specificity)
Ethnicity is rooted in..
- historical experiences
- migration patterns
- colonial legacies.
Sociologists study how these historical factors shape
- ethnic identities
-relations
- inequalities within different societal contexts.
Understanding the history of ethnicity helps understand today’s society and its challenges.
Two reasons why Ethnicity is preferred to study by sociologists
(Cultural and Social Factors)
Ethnicity involves…
- cultural
- language-related
- and social practices that shape group identity.
Sociologists are interested in
understanding how these factors influence…
- individuals’ experiences
- interactions
- and opportunities
within society.
Two reasons why Race is NOT preferred to study by sociologists
(Race is a social construct)
Sociologists say that race isn’t based on biological differences but is a product of
- social
- historical
- and political factors.
This makes race more about power and identity than a biological category.
Two reasons why Race is NOT preferred to study by sociologists
(Greater focus on ethnicity and culture)
Sociologists often find studying ethnicity (based on shared cultural practices, language, or heritage)
provides a detailed understanding of identity and social relations than focusing on race alone.
The ‘Other’ Definition (KK2)
- Coined by Stuart Hall.
This refers to the labelling of a group of people who are seen as ‘outsiders’ by the dominant culture as a way to split social groups into ‘us and them’.
The process of othering in 2 steps
Categorising a group of people according to perceived differences, such as…
- ethnicity
- skin colour
- religion
- gender
- sexual orientation.
Identifying that group as weak and using an “us vs. them” mentality to alienate the group.
Example of the process of othering
- Halal food festival in Ascotvale led to a conflict between an anti-Islam group and anti-racism protestors.
- Pauline Hanson describes Islam as a disease that Australia needs to vaccinate: “Islam is a disease; we need to vaccinate ourselves against that.”
- The 2016 Senate inquiry into food certification
- influenced by anti-Halal views and public hate towards Muslims.
Ethnocentrism Definition
The tendency to judge a culture by the standards of one’s own.
Othering in relation to ethnocentric views
Australia was built on the ethnocentric view that Europeans were superior to all other ethnicities because European cultural practices and beliefs were seen as the correct way to live.
Comparative method (To use in response) (KK4)
- Australia is a diverse nation.
- Which can be seen through the use of the comparative method.
- The comparative method refers to analysis involving the similarities and differences in experiences between cultures and across nations.
Multiculturalism Defintion
- The presence of, or support for the presence of, several distinct cultural or ethnic groups within a society.
- The practice of several different cultures coexisting peacefully and equitably in a single country.
Australia’s Ethnic Diversity
22.8% (5.8 million) speak a language other than English
- Mandarin: 2.7%
- Arabic: 1.4%
- Vietnamese: 1.3%
- Cantonese: 1.2%
- Punjabi: 0.9%
New Zealand’s Ethnic Diversity
17% of the population can speak a language other than English, Māori, NZ Sign Language and Samoan.
- 9%: Hindi
- 7%: Mandarin & French
- 6%: Cantonese
- 5%: German
Canada’s Ethnic Diversity
English is the first language for 56.6% of the population
French is the first language for 20.2% of the population
Another language is the first language for 23.2% of the population
- 1.7%: Mandarin
- 1.6%: Cantonese
- 1.4%: Punjabi
- 1.3%: Spanish
- 1.2%: Arabic
Similarities
- Around 20% of the population in each country speaks a language other than the official language(s).
- Their largest sources of migration are from England and broadly Asian nations.
Differences
- Canada has two official languages; New Zealand and Australia have one.
- The largest source of migration in Australia is England.
- In Canada and New Zealand = Asian countries.
- New Zealand has a large Indigenous population = 16.5%
- Australia = 3.2%
- Canada = 5%
Immigration Restriction Act (1901) AIM:
- Australias approach to immigration was initially about achieving a “Snow White Australia”.
- Through the exclusion and restriction of non-white “undesirable” migrants, under the Immigration Restriction Act.
Ethnocentric thinking related to the Immigration Restriction Act (1901)
- Policy was driven by ethnocentric beliefs.
- Many Australians at the time saw British heritage as superior and wanted to keep Australia mostly white.
How it met those aims & Dictation test
In the late 1940s, British migration was not providing enough numbers, and that strict following to the ‘White Australia’ policy was a problem to population growth.
After World War 2, Immigration Minister Arthur Calwell eased the rules so refugees from Europe could move to Australia.
The Migration Act 1958 replaced the Immigration Restriction Act 1901 and removed many old restrictions. It also replaced the Dictation Test with a universal visa system.
