Chapter Nine Inequalities of Race and Ethnicity

What are some common stereotypes that you see on T.V.? What are the common roles played by: Whites?Blacks?Asians?Native Americans? Minority – Group of people with physical or cultural traits different from those of the dominant group in the society What are the five key features of a minority? How many minority groups can we name? Race – People sharing certain inherited physical characteristics that are considered important within a society Ethnic Minority – Group identified by cultural, religious, or national characteristics

What are we? Melting PotTossed Salad Assimilation – Blending or fusing of minority groups in the dominant society Cultural Pluralism – Desire of a group to maintain some sense of identity separate from the dominant group Accommodation – Minority maintains its own way of life

Genocide – The systematic effort to destroy an entire population What does Fig. 9.2 on pg. 281 show us? Subjugation – Process by which a minority group is denied equal access to the benefits of a society de jure v. de facto segregation

A Class Divided

Prejudice – Widely held negative attitudes toward a group and its individual members Who are we prejudiced against? Why? Racism – Extreme form of prejudice that assumes superiority of one group over another What about racism in Eagle River? What about racism in the U.S.? Discrimination – Treating people differently based on ethnicity, race, religion, or culture…Examples? Have you ever been discriminated against? Tell me about “White Privilege”

Hate Crime – A criminal act motivated by prejudice How can you tell if it was a hate crime? UW-Oshkosh Story…Is it a hate crime? “Aren’t ALL crimes a crime of hate?” Stan Marsh Stereotype – A distorted, exaggerated, or oversimplified image applied to a category of people…Examples? Why do we believe stereotypes? Self-fulfilling prophecy – An expectation that leads to behavior that causes the expectation to become reality Functionalist v. Conflict Perspective v. Symbolic Interactionism “Prejudice is what fools use for reason” Voltaire What does he mean? Do you agree? Why or why not?

Institutionalized Discrimination – Unfair practices that grow out of common behaviors and attitudes and that are a part of the structure of a society Hidden Unemployment – Unemployment that includes people not counted in the traditional unemployment categories Underclass – People typically unemployed who come from families that have been poor for generations

African-Americans 34 million or about 12% of the U.S. population Usually easy to identify because of skin color On average earn 64% of whites Almost 25% fall under hidden unemployment H.S. Grad – White = 84%, Black = 77%, Col. – White 25%, Black 15% Twice as likely as Whites to work in a low-level service job Latinos Fastest growing ethnic group in the U.S. 11% in 2000, projected to be 24% in 2050 All nationalities from Latin America Just over 50% have graduated from H.S. On average earn 75% of whites About 1/4 th live below the poverty level There has never been a Latino Senator

Native Americans Just over 2 million Native Americans left Over 1/4 th live below the poverty line Graduate from H.S. at lowest rate Lowest annual income of any group ($21, 619) Over 50% on reservations live in poverty Should Native Americans be allowed to run casinos? Asian Americans More than 10 million in U.S. about 4% of pop. Came as a result of California Gold Rush Immigration laws banned them for most of 20 th century Put in concentration camps during WWII Have used education to improve their status 42% have college degree v. 26% for whites

White Ethnics – Italians, Irish, Polish, German, etc. Tend to settle in small communities outside of largest cities near the East Coast of the United States Tend to work blue-collar jobs Would you want someone of a different race to: Marry your daughter? Work at your own business? Be your best friend? Be your neighbor? Why or Why not? Read Skin Color Tax pg