Chapter Nine. Race: Myth and Reality Myth 1— Idea That Any Race is Superior All Races Have...
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Transcript of Chapter Nine. Race: Myth and Reality Myth 1— Idea That Any Race is Superior All Races Have...
Chapter Nine
Race: Myth and Reality
Myth 1— Idea That Any Race is Superior
All Races Have Geniuses and Idiots
Hitler, Hutus and Tutsis, Serbia practiced
genocide (systematic attempt to annihilate
a people because of their race and ethnicity)
Myth 2—Idea that Any Race is Pure
Anthropologists and biologists can’t even
agree how many races there are (2- 2,000)
Human Characteristics Flow Endlessly
together
Idea of race is a powerful force in everyday
lives
Ethnic Groups Race has little meaning biologically due
to interbreeding in the human population.
Socially constructed reality, not a biological
one
Ethnicity refers to cultural characteristics
Common Ancestry
Cultural Heritage
Nations of Origin
In an ethnic enclave, people interact
with others in their ethnic group and feel
a sense of shared identity
Minority and Dominant GroupsMinority Group— a category of people who have
been singled out as inferior or superior, on the
basis of real or alleged physical characteristics
such as skin color, hair texture, eye shape, or
other attributes
People singled out for unequal treatment and
regard themselves as objects of discrimination
Minority Group can be racial or ethnic
Minority group not necessarily numerical minority
Minority and Dominant Groups
Dominant Group—
group with most… Power
Privileges
Highest Social Status
View minority group as
inferior
Group has shared
physical and cultural
traits
Emergence of Minority Groups Minority groups occur because of…
Expansion of Political Boundaries- when a
group expands it incorporates people with
different cultures, languages into same political
entity and discriminates against them (Native
Americans)
Migration- people move from one place to
another and become minority (Latinos, Africans)
can be voluntary and involuntary
Shared Characteristics of Minority Groups
A. Membership is an ascribed status
B. Physical or cultural traits held in low esteem by dominant group
C. Unequal treatment
D. Marry within own group
E. Feel strong group solidarity
Constructing Racial-Ethnic Identity
Feel firm boundaries between
“us” and “them”
Size of group, power,
appearance, degree of
discrimination heighten or
reduce ethnic identity
Some people have a strong
sense of this identity some have
a low sense
Ethnic Work- ideas designed to
discover, enhance and maintain
ethnic and racial identification
Prejudice
A negative attitude based on generalizations about members of selected racial, ethnic, or other groups Ethnocentrism: tendency to
regard one’s own culture and group as the standard
Stereotypes: overgeneralizations about the appearance, behavior, or other characteristics of members of particular categories
Prejudice and DiscriminationCommon throughout the world
Discrimination is an action
Unfair treatment directed
toward someone
Racial discrimination is racism
Discrimination results from
prejudice
Attitude (usually negative,
can be positive)
Based on race, religion, etc.
Ku Klux Klan and Neo-Nazis
Prejudice and Discrimination Learning Prejudice- not born with prejudice, learn it
from those around us. People that are prejudice against
one group are usually prejudiced against other groups
Internalizing Dominant Norms- prejudice against
your own group- African- Americans and skin color
(internalize norms of dominant group)
Implicit Association Test by Anthony Greenwald word
association equal with both blacks and whites
Extent of Prejudice
Each Racial-Ethnic
group views other
groups as inferior in
some way
Dislike of one group
associated with
dislike of other
groups
Older, less educated
more prejudiced
Two Major Categories of Discrimination Individual Discrimination-
negative treatment of one person by another (isolate and small group)
Institutional Discrimination- negative treatment of a group that is built into societies institutions (direct and indirect)
Four Types of Discrimination1. Isolate discrimination
A prejudiced judge giving harsher sentences to African American defendants
2. Small-group discriminationSmall group of white students defacing a professor’s office with racist epithets
3. Direct institutionalized discriminationIntentional exclusion of people of color from public accommodations
4. Indirect institutionalized discriminationSpecial education classes may have contributed to racial stereotyping
Home Mortgage and Car Loans
Black and Latinos are more likely to be turned down for a loan, pay higher interest rates
Theories of Prejudice
Psychological Perspectives of Prejudice
Aggression theory- Prejudice is the result of frustration, people
find group to blame they become the scapegoat (usually a
racial, ethnic or religious minority)
Frustration –Aggression Hypothesis- The view that
frustration, or failure to reach a certain desired goal due to
circumstance, often leads to aggression, or behavior which
intends harm.
Authoritarian Personality- Adorno study (1950) concluded
highly prejudiced people are insecure conformists, respect of
authority and submissive to superiors, have a strong sense of
right and wrong
Anxious when confronted with norms and values different than
their own
Sociological Perspectives Functionalism- (large group relationships) social
environment can be arranged to generate positive or
negative feelings about people . Prejudice is
dysfunctional to a society, destroys human relationships
Prejudice is functional because it can create in- group
solidarity
Conflict Theory- (large group relationships)
arrangements benefit those with power
Capitalists keep workers divided and insecure (fear of
unemployment) exploit racial and ethnic strife (can
make gains only at the expense of others)
Symbolic InteractionismLabels Create Prejudice- when we
apply labels to groups we see its members as all alike
Symbolic Interactionists- labels we learn effect the ways we see people, cause selective perception
Contact Hypothesis Contact between divergent groups should be positive as long as group members have equal status, purse same goals and cooperate, and receive positive feedback during interaction
Self-Fulfilling Prophesy- stereotypes and labels can produce behavior depicted in the stereotype. Places limits on the other group and this attitude creates a self fulfilling prophesy
Global Patterns of Intergroup Relations Six basic patterns that characterize the
relationship of dominant and minority groups
1. Genocide – labels allow us to compartmentalize groups
and separate moral action and regard groups as inferior
2. Population Transfer- two types indirect and direct
3. Internal Colonialism- countries dominant group
exploits a minority group for economic advantage
Global Patterns of Intergroup Relations4. Segregation- formal separation of racial or ethnic groups,
allows dominant group to maintain social distance yet exploit
minority group
5. Assimilation- minority group is absorbed into dominant culture
(two types-forced, permissible)
6. Multiculturalism- encourages and permits racial variation.
Minority groups maintain identity, participate in countries social
institutions
A Dream Deferred by Langston Hughes What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up Like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore -- And then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over -- like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags like a heavy load. Or does it explode?
Gordon Allport’s The Nature of Prejudice Two types of responses to being
consistently hated-- Intropunitive: Hate, accepted by the
minority as appropriate and deserving. Minority group member defines himself as
deserving of the hatred. Cause of the hatred is seen as being a flaw
within his/her own group. Extropunitive: The hate, rejected by the
minority as inappropriate and undeserved. Minority group defines the majority as the
reason for the hatred Flaw is in the character of the majority, not
the minority.
Gordon Allport’s The Nature of Prejudice
Intropunitive Agreeing with the majority -- The stereotypes and
prescriptions accepted. In-group aggression -- The minority group member
attacks (physically or verbally) himself, his group, or members of his group who are slightly, but identifiably, different.
Denial of membership -- individual simply claims to belong to some other group or he changes his appearance somehow to soften his membership.
Symbolic status striving -- Having little or no socially accepted status within himself, the member seeks some external source of status.
Withdrawal and passivity -- The victim of the hate - frustrated with his status - gives up, retreats, becomes a non-person.
Gordon Allport’s The Nature of Prejudice
Extropunitive Militancy -- The member fights back unfair hatred either
physically or otherwise. Enhanced striving -- acknowledge the fact that the
majority is not willing to accept him at face value, the member of a minority resolves himself to attain perfection, to give the hostile groups no avenue of attack.
Slyness and cunning -- Member uses less acceptable ways to out-wit or fool the majority. He becomes street wise rather than getting a Ph.D.
In-group cohesion -- Realizing that the majority is hostile, the minority group members become more reliant on the protection and support of others like themselves. They "circle the wagons" in anticipation of attack.
Obsessive concern -- After having experienced the hatred, some members may experience something similar to group paranoia: they see the hatred even in places where it may not exist.
Major ethnic groups in the US 1.European Americans2.Latinos3.African Americans4.Asian Americans5. Native Americans
Racial and Ethnic Relations in the United States
Racial and Ethnic Relations in the United States
European Americans Extremely ethnocentric Looked down on people without English
ancestry Forced immigrants to assimilate to their
“ways” to fit in Ethnic groups give up culture to conform
Racial and Ethnic Relations in the United States
Latinos Largest ethnic minority group Majority from Mexico Spanish language defines
Latinos from other groups, growth of Spanish in US has caused backlash in some areas
Large cultural, class differences between country of origin
Diversity has inhibited unity, causes political underrepresentation
Many Latinos experience economic disadvantages
Cubans typically better off, Puerto Ricans lowest on indicators of well being
Racial and Ethnic Relations in the United States
African Americans Faced long history of racism (slavery
to segregation to modern discrimination)
Civil Rights Movement improved conditions of African Americans
End of forced segregation, legal discrimination
Recently gains in income, education, politics
William Julius Wilson- social class has replaced race as determinant of quality of life for African Americans
Improvement through getting better paying jobs
Some sociologists claim this analysis overlooks discrimination that continues (subtle racism)
Asian Americans History of discrimination- Anti
Chinese immigration laws, forced internment of Japanese Americans during WWII
Following war discrimination diminished
Currently highest median income of all ethnic groups
Score high on indicators of well being
Chinese, Japanese low rates of poverty, Vietnamese high rates of poverty
Three factors of success- a) family life b) education c) assimilation into mainstream culture
Racial and Ethnic Relations in the United States Native Americans Image distorted by media Not a single cultural entity Disease, warfare caused huge
loss of population Anglo-American cruelty, forced
relocation Worst off of all ethnic minority
groups High rates of poverty,
alcoholism, lower life expectancy
Pan-Indiamisim movement works for better life
Growing Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the U.S.
In 1980 white Americans made up 80% of the population.
In 2000, white Americans made up 70% of the population.
By 2060, the roots of the average U.S. resident will be in Africa, Asia, Hispanic countries, the Pacific Islands, or Arabia—non- white European.
Looking toward the Future 3 major issues face society today
Immigration- America land of immigrants recently debate has intensified
Affirmative Action- used to close economic, employment gap and to remedy past wrongs
Some argue it stigmatizes people, rewards people less qualified
Multicultural Society- ultimate goal, look beyond biological differences, allow all to participate with full social and political power