1. Chapter 3-Inequality of Life Chances in the United States
Max Weber and Life Chances
The practical opportunity to achieve desired material conditions and personal experiences.
Parents level of income/occupation/place of residence
Child’s life chances/opportunities to succeed
Other Factors/categories of difference/social situations?
Intersectionality

2. Racial and Ethnic Inequality
Sociology A185
“Race is one of the most misunderstood, misused, and often dangerous concepts of the modern world” Margaret Marger, Race Scholar
Is race still significant? Relevant? How does race impact people’s lives?

3. Lecture Outline I. Defining Race and the Social Construction of Race
II. Patterns of Racial and Ethnic Group Interaction
III. Social Problems and Race in Contemporary Society
A) Prejudice, Racism, and Discrimination
B) Institutional Racism
C) Racial Stratification
IV. Hot Topics in Race
Affirmative Action and Immigration
V. Strategies for Action

4. Minority Groups
Racial group: refers to a category of people who are believed to share physical characteristics that are deemed socially significant.
Ethnic group: group set apart from others primarily because of its national origin or distinctive cultural patterns
Minority group: subordinate group whose members have significantly less control or power than members of dominant or majority group
Race? What other groups are minority groups? What characteristics create minority groups?

5. Race as a social construct
We know race is socially constructed because the meaning of race has been inconsistent.
The meaning of race has changed
Over time
Across cultures

6. The Origins of “Race” and Racial Domination
Middle Age Europe: Race = Breeding stock/Horses, etc
common ancestry and distinctive appearance
16th Century New World: Race = People, nation, or variety
Symbol of differentiation of non-European groups with distinctive appearance and culture (non Spanish and English colonizers)
The idea of race emerges…

7. Origins of Race and Racial Domination
“Race” became the tool through which Europeans could justify the domination, enslavement, and exploitation of racially “othered” groups. Which groups?
Since race became a social construct, it has been used by those in power (dominant groups)to deny “others” (minority groups) access to valued resources and rights. What types of resources/rights?

8. Race and Science: Is Race Biological or Social?
17/1800’s and 1900’s (much of 20th century)
Scientists and Leaders assumed/attempt to prove race is innate/genetic and accounts for differences in behavior and ability
Science attempts in many ways to justify superiority and inferiority of races in the social structure-Scientific Racism-Eugenics research etc.
Modern Science
Advanced science and genetics research shows that genetics cannot be correlated with racial classifications
A essentialist perspective on race is no longer supported by modern science
“Classifying people by color is very much like classifying cars by color. Those in the same classification look alike…but the classification tells you nothing about the hidden details of construction or about how the cars or people will perform” (Cohen 1998)

9. The Social Construction of Race
Racial Formation: Basically, racial categories have been created, shaped, re-shaped, and destroyed throughout history depending on the social and historical context.
Race is NOT biologically/genetically real, but it is very real in the social sense.

10. II. Patterns of Racial and Ethnic Interaction
Genocide
Expulsion
Segregation
Acculturation
Assimilation
Pluralism

11. The Debate: Why talk about Race? Is Racial Inequality a Social Problem?
One Argument: Race no longer matters
There is equal opportunity due to civil rights movement
We live in a color-blind society
Do we? Have we reached the promise land that MLK spoke of in 1963?
Opposition: Race structures society and is highly significant.
While trends may be encouraging, and there are no longer legally enforced forms of racial domination, racial inequality is widespread and forms of racism and discrimination have changed, not disappeared.

12. III. Prejudice, Racism, and Discrimination
What’s the difference?

13. Prejudice Prejudice: “pre-judge” Racism
Attitudes that certain groups of people are either inferior or superior
Can be either positive or negative
Where do people learn prejudice?
i.e. ?
Stereotypes
Prejudice and stereotypes evolve with a changing society
Rise in Islamophobia
Since when?
Increased racial profiling, hate crimes, discrimination
Racism
A belief that race accounts for differences in human character and ability and that a particular race is superior to others

14. Discrimination The acts that arise from prejudices
Individual discrimination: Unfair or unequal treatment based on group membership, on an individual level
Individual Discrimination is:
Subtle: for example not sitting next to someone; Not inviting a co-worker to lunch based on their race
Blatant: Racial slurs; Hate Crimes
- (2009) study-888 racial hate groups/organizations in U.S.
Dept of Just-(2011)-6600 hate crimes reported-47% motivated by race-13% Ethnicity
-Many more go unreported

15. Institutionalized Discrimination
Institutionalized discrimination: how discrimination is woven into the fabric of society
Looks at a culture of racism
Does not look at individuals as racists
The Denial of opportunities and equal rights that result from the normal operations of society and institutions
Edu, CJS, HCS, economy, politics, etc

16. Institutional Racism/Discrimination on the Basis of Race
Employment Discrimination
Recruitment, hiring, interviews, job offers, salaries, promotions, and firing decisions. I.e: What’s in a name?
Housing
Paired testing
True colors Video
Education
School funding
“Savage inequalities”
Criminal Justice System
???
Media stereotypes

17. Racial Stratification
Wealth and Income
Poverty and unemployment
Explaining the Wealth gap
Intergenerational transmission of wealth
I.e.: The Conley example in your text
Video: Power of an Illusion-White Suburbinization and FHA home loans

18. Explaining Racial Stratification
Deficiency
(vs)
Structural

19. Hot Topics in Race: Affirmative Action and Immigration
What is Affirmative action? When and why was it employed by the American government?
What are the arguments in favor of A.A.
What are the arguments against A.A
2. Immigration
What are some of arguments on the two main sides of the debate about immigration and illegal immigration?
How would a critical constructionist explain immigration as a social problem?
What stereotypes exist about immigrants and how does this tie in to race?

20. Strategies for Action: Responding to Prejudice, Racism, and Discrimination
???? What can be done????

21. Solutions? The EEOC AA Educational Strategies
Retrospective Justice Initiatives

22. Other Topics or “Problems” to consider
Immigration issues
Hate crimes
Racial issues/problems across the world
Learning prejudice
Solutions