Chapter 9, Race and Ethnicity Key Terms

chance Those things not subject to human will, choice or effort. context The larger social setting in which racial and ethnic categories are recognized, constructed and challenged.

ethnicity People who share a national origin; a common ancestry; a place of birth; distinct and visible social traits or socially important physical characteristics such as skin color, hair texture, and/or physical build.

involuntary ethnicity A dominant group defines some subgroup of people in racial and ethnic terms, forcing that subgroup to become, appear or feel more ethnic then they might otherwise be. foreign-born Those U.S. residents born in a foreign country and to parents who are not U.S. citizens.

native (of the U.S.) Someone (1) born on American soil or on the soil of a U.S. island area such as Puerto Rico, or (2) born abroad but to at least one parent who is a U.S. citizen. minority groups Subgroups within a society that can be distinguished from members of the dominant groups by visible and identifying characteristics, including physical and cultural attributes.

assimilation A process by which ethnic and racial distinctions between groups disappear. segregation The physical and/or social separation of categories of people.

involuntary minorities Ethnic and racial groups that were forced to become part of a country by slavery, conquest, or colonization. voluntary minorities Members of racial or ethnic groups that came to a country expecting to improve their way of life.

melting pot assimilation A process of cultural blending in which the groups involved accept many new behaviors, and values from one another. ideology A set of beliefs that are not challenged or subjected to scrutiny by the people who hold them.

prejudice A rigid and usually unfavorable judgment about an outgroup that does not change in the face of contradictory evidence and that applies to anyone who shares the distinguishing characteristics of that group. stereotypes Exaggerated and inaccurate generalizations about who are members of an outgroup.

selective perception The process in which prejudiced persons notice only those behaviors or events that support their stereotypes about an outgroup. discrimination Intentional or unintentional unequal treatment of individuals or groups on the basis of attributes unrelated to merit, ability or past performance.

nonprejudiced nondiscriminators Persons who accept the creed of equal opportunity, and their conduct conforms to that creed. unprejudiced discriminators Persons who believe in equal opportunity but engage in discriminatory behaviors because it is to their advantage to do so or because they fail to consider the discriminatory consequences of some of their actions.

prejudiced nondiscriminators Persons who do not accept the creed of equal opportunity but refrain from discriminatory actions primarily because they fear the sanctions they may encounter if they are caught. prejudiced discriminators Persons who reject the notion of equal opportunity and profess a right, even a duty, to discriminate.

individual discrimination Any overt action on the part of an individual that depreciates someone from the outgroup, denies outgroup members opportunities to participate, or does violence to lives and property.

institutionalized discrimination The established and customary ways of doing things in society--the unchallenged rules, policies, and day-to-day practices that impede or limit minority members’ achievements and keep them in subordinate and disadvantaged positions.

stigma An attribute defined as deeply discrediting because it overshadows all other attributes that a person might possess. mixed contacts Interactions when stigmatized persons and normals.

race thinking A habit of thought whereby people permit themselves to think of human groups without the sense that groups consist of individuals and individuals display the full range of human differences.