Chapter 11 Race and Ethnicity Race is a socially constructed category composed of people who share biologically transmitted traits

that members of a society consider important Classify each other racially based on physical characteristics i.e. skin color, facial features, hair texture body shape. Physical diversity appeared as a result of living in different regions. People in hotter climates developed darker skin due to pigment melanin (developed as a protection from the suns heat). People in moderate climates were lighter skinned. Race is a social construction and physical characteristics become important as society defined them as important. There is more genetic variation inside the different racial groups, than there is between the groups. There is no pure race. There are variations (skin color, facial feature etc) in the different racial categories. There is so much variation due to migration ( movement from one region to another), which resulted in a blending of races Ethnicity is shared cultural heritage Common ancestors, language, religion and make up a distinct social identity. More variable than race. An individual can modify their ethnicity US is multiethnic and multiracial Minority category of people distinguished by some physical or cultural trait, that society sets apart and subordinates. Set apart because of a distinct social identity, and racial characteristics. Both race and ethnicity is the basis for minority status A smaller size group (smaller percentage of pop) does not ensure a minority status. Prejudice and Stereotypes Prejudice is rigid irrational generalization about an entire category of people.

Prejudice is a prejudgment that individual make about other. It can be negative or positive. It generally is negative. Stereotype is an exaggerated description applied to every person in the same category. Prejudice leads to stereotyping. Rigid and irrational beliefs fuel stereotyped. Prejudice and stereotypes lead to racism.

Racism is the belief that one race is innately superior or inferior to another Theories n prejudice and racism Scapegoat Theory prejudice comes from frustration among people who are themselves disadvantaged. Scapegoat is a person or category of people with little power whom other people unfairly blame for their own troubles. Scapegoats make for safe targets. It much easier to blame someone for you troubles when their situations is the same or worse than yours. It is harder to blame someone who has more power than you. Blaming someone less fortunate gives the individual a sense of superiority. Authoritarian Personality Theory maintains that prejudice is a personality trait of some individuals. People who are intolerant of one group are intolerant of everyone. Your book maintains that people who are authoritarian rigidly adhere to values and norms of society, and they see social issues as clear cut matters of right and wrong. They also believe that society is naturally competitive and the strong survive and dominate the weaker. This comes from the idea of survival of the fittest. The reverse is also true. People who are tolerant of one will be tolerant of everyone.

Culture Theory maintains that prejudice is embedded in the culture of society. Everyone has some prejudice because it is rooted in the culture of a society Social distance is the distance or closeness that people feel toward other racial or ethnic groups. Research show that people across the US had similar attitudes about different racial and ethnic groups, feeling closer to some and more distant to others. Bogardus found in his research that college student today feel less social distance from all minorities, then ten years age. He also found that students today see less difference between the different racial and ethnic groups. Conflict Theory maintains that prejudice is a toll used by powerful people to oppress other. Race Consciousness minorities encourage race consciousness to gain greater power and privilege. Because of their disadvantages they claim they are entitled to special considerations based on their race and ethnicity. This works in the short term and minorities do gain power and privilege. May cause a backlash from those opposed to special treatment on the basis of race. Discrimination is the unequal treatment of various categories of people. Blocking resources and opportunities Discrimination is the prejudice attitude in action Discrimination can range from subtle to blatant, and can be positive or negative Institutional Prejudice and Discrimination refers to bias inherent in the operation of societys institutions. This is prejudice built into schools, banking, real estate, etc. Banks refuse to loan money to minorities for small businesses, or approve mortgages in certain areas (that happen to be areas that are predominately minority). Real estate has also come under scrutiny for a practice called Redlining. The practice of redlining has kept neighborhoods segregated.

 Schools also have come under scrutiny. It has been over 50 years since the passage of Brown v. The Board of Education Topeka Kansas, but most schools are still segregated Your book maintains that people are slow to recognize or even chine institutional discrimination. Because this involves long held traditional practices of institutional practices, and public figures Patterns of Discrimination Active Bigot this is a person who is prejudice and who discriminates. For example, a manager who is prejudice and who will discriminate against minorities. Timid Bigot This is a person who is prejudice, but will not discriminate for fear of the laws and punishment Fair Weather Liberal This is a person who is nor prejudiced but will discriminate, when it is to their benefit to do so. For example a manager who is not prejudice, but will not hire minorities because they were told not to by their boss. All Weather Liberal This is a person who is free from prejudice and discrimination Cycle of Prejudice and Discrimination Prjudice and discrimination reinforce one another. This stems from the Thomas Theorem and Labeling Theory. Prejudice and sterotypes become real as people believe them leading to discrimination. This also occurs to the people who are victimized by prejudice and discrimination. They begin to believe the prejudice and it affects their self concept. It is a cycle 1. Prejudice and discrimination begin due to ethnocentrism(belief that you culture is superior to others) or as a justification for exploitation 2. as a result minorities are socially disadvantaged

3. disadvantage is interpreted as evidence that minority is inantely inferiror. This starts the cycle over with renewed prejudice and discrimination. Patterns of Interactions There are four models of minority and majority interactions Pluralism is a state in which all racial and ethnic groups are distinct but have equal social standing. This is the coexistence of racial and ethnic groups in a society, with no single group dominant. The US is pluralistic in that everyone has equal protection under the law. Also there are distinct ethnic communities across the country. This is the extent of pluralism in the US. Most people do not choose to stay in Ethnic communities. There is a limit to the tolerance in people. Different groups do have unequal standing in society. Assimilation The process by which minorities adopt the patterns of the dominant culture. In the US assimilation varies by ethnic group. Germans and Irish assimilated to the dominant culture, more so than Italians and Chinese. People assimilate to gain social mobility. Also to avoid the prejudice and discrimination directed at visible foreigners Assimilation is a change in ethnicity not race Segregation The physical and social separation of categories of people. The segregation can be voluntary like the Amish who choose to separate themselves from the larger society. More often that not the majority group will segregate the minority group. De Jure Segregation is legal separation, (by law) De Facto Segregation by practice, (in fact) Genocide The systematic killing of one group of people by another

The Holocaust is an example of genocide in which 6 million Jewish men women and children were murdered, along with gays, gypsies (almost completely wiped out) and people with disabilities.

Race and Ethnicity in the United States Native Americans .8 % Original inhabitants of the United States. Before European contact Native Americans lived in hundreds of distinct societies. Native Americans were made wards of the Fed Government and subjected to forced assimilation. They were then moved to reservations 1871- 1924 The Bureau of Indian Affairs managed the assimilation and the reservations. Native Americans were granted citizenship in 1924 and many moved from the reservations. Native Americans still remain far behind in educational and economic standing and there poverty rate is around 25% Some research has shown that Native Americans low social standing result from cultural factors. For example, a non competitive ideology which does not coincide with the dominant cultural values and norms. Also a reluctance to pursue higher education. African American 12.4 % population It is not clear whether the first Africans in the US arrived as slaves or indentured servants, but by 1691 being black in the US was synonymous with being a slave. Virginia passed the first law recognizing slavery in 1691. 1857 Dred Scott Case Are blacks Citizens? We think they are not, and that they are not included, and were not intended to be included, under the word citizen in the constitution, and can therefore claim none of the rights and privileges which that instrument provides for and secures for citizens of the United States. This became what sociologist Myrdal called the American Dilemma. A democratic state denying basic rights and freedoms to a whole category of people.

1865 13th Amendment Abolished slavery in the US 1868 14th Amendment granted citizenship to all people born in the US. Overturned Dred Scott 1857. 1870 15th Amendment Gave black men the right to vote Passage of Jim Crow Laws segregated the United states especially the south. Also included poll taxes (a tax to vote) and literary test for voting etc. Institutionalized discrimination 1896 Plessey V. Fergueson Established the separate but equal practice in the United States. Segregated businesses, services etc could be segregated as long as they were equal 1954 Linda Brown v. Board of Education Topeka, Kansas Overturned Plessey v. Fergueson. Said black children were receiving an inferior education due to separate but equal doctrine The 1950s and 1960s was marked by the civil rights movement. African Americans have made great strides in improving their social status. Recent research has shown a long term decline of prejudice toward African Americans. 1980s to the present African Americans have progress in education. Between 1980 to 2005 African Americans earning a college degree rose from 9% to 17%. However African Americans are still below the national average for education and also income. 1964 Civil Rights Act Prohibited discrimination in employment and public accommodations.

Asian Americans 4.5% People of Asian American descent share some racial characteristics, their cultures are vastly different. Asian Americans are often considered a model minority (positive stereotype) due to the achievements of some. This creates undue pressure for Asian Americans to succeed. This positive stereotype also hides the vastly different class ranking in the group. Chinese Americans first immigrated to work on the railroads and during the gold rush. There were over 100,000 Chinese immigrants. Economic hard times a sparse jobs lead to hostility and discrimination of the Chinese immigrants. With competition for jobs, limits were placed on Chinese immigration. Limits were lifted during WWII as the need for labor increased. Chinese Americans have seen upward social mobility. Many own their own

businesses, while other hold high status jobs in information and technology. Japanese Americans The Japanese immigrated in smaller numbers so there was less prejudice directed toward them. Many immigrated to Hawaii. The Japanese were able to assimilate to the culture easier than the Chinese. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, National security was upmost on minds. Executive order 9066 lead to the interment of more than 100,000 Japanese. The Japanese had to sell their homes close their business and lost nearly everything. The interment of Japanese Americans (most natural born citizens) lasted from 1941 to 1944. After their release Japanese Americans saw large leaps in their social mobility. Today most Japanese have an income above the National average, high rates of education, and low rates of poverty.

Hispanic American/ Latinos 14.8% of the pop. Hispanics are the largest racial and ethnic minority in the United states. Hispanic/ Latinos come from a variety of distinct culture coming from specific nations. Very few actually identify themselves and Hispanic American or Latino, preferring to identify themselves by the ancestral nation. The majority of the Hispanic population is made up of Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans Americans, and Cuban Americans.

White Anglo Saxon Protestants (WASP) Mostly from England, Scotland and Wales. They came with the English settlement of the Americas. Dominated the culture, language and religion. Wasps us racial and ethnic terminology to describe everyone but themselves. White Ethnics - come from Ireland, Italy, Germany, Poland, Greece and Jews. Many were not considered white. After immigration they dealt with prejudice and discrimination from the Americans. To combat the prejudice and discrimination many moved into neighborhood with high concentrations of their racial or ethnic group. Many white ethnic assimilated into society for upward social mobility. Also they went into several different

industries with high concentrations of their racial and ethnic category. For example Irish Construction/Civil Service, Italiansconstruction, Jews Garment industry, and Greeks retail food. Many still live in the same working class communities and work in the same fields.