1. Chapter 10
Race and Ethnicity

2. Chapter Outline Race and Ethnicity Prejudice Discrimination
Sociological Perspectives on Race and Ethnic Relations
Racial and Ethnic Groups in the United States
Global Racial and Ethnic Inequality in the Future

3. What Is Race? Some people view race as:
Skin color: the Caucasian “race”,
Religion: the Jewish “race”
Nationality: the British “race”
Entire human species: the human “race”

4. Race and Biology
A race is 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.
Race has little meaning biologically due to interbreeding in the human population.

5. Question
Think about Whites in the U.S. compared to ethnic and racial minority groups. To what extent do you agree with the following statement: “Whites as a group are very distinct from ethnic and racial minority groups.”
Strongly agree
Agree somewhat
Unsure
Disagree somewhat
Strongly disagree

6. Characteristics of Ethnic Groups
Unique cultural traits.
A sense of community.
A feeling of ethnocentrism.
Ascribed membership from birth.
Tendency to occupy a geographic area.

7. How Much Do You Know About Race, Ethnicity, and Sports?
True or False?
Racially linked genetic traits explain many of the differences among athletes.

8. How Much Do You Know About Race, Ethnicity, and Sports?
False.
Although some scholars and journalists have used biological or genetic factors to explain the achievements of athletes, sociologists view these explanations as being based on the inherently racist assumption that people have “natural” abilities (or disabilities) because of their race or ethnicity.

9. How Much Do You Know About Race, Ethnicity, and Sports?
True or False?
Racism and sexism appear to be on the decline in sports in the United States.

10. How Much Do You Know About Race, Ethnicity, and Sports?
False.
Even as people of color and white women have made gains on collegiate and professional teams, scholars have documented the continuing significance of racial and gender discrimination in sports.

11. Question
All of the following are characteristics of ethnic groups, except:
unique cultural traits.
a feeling of ethnocentrism.
territoriality.
the same skin color.

12. Answer: d
All of the following are characteristics of ethnic groups, except the same skin color.

13. Dominant and Subordinate Groups
A dominant group is one that is advantaged and has superior resources and rights in a society.
A subordinate group is one whose members are disadvantaged and subjected to unequal treatment by the dominant group and who regard themselves as objects of collective discrimination.

14. Prejudice
A negative attitude based on generalizations about members of selected racial, ethnic, or other groups.
Ethnocentrism refers to the tendency to regard one’s own culture and group as the standard.
Stereotypes are overgeneralizations about the appearance, behavior, or other characteristics of members of particular categories.

15. Question
The problems of racial prejudice and discrimination in U.S. society are over stated.
Strongly agree
Agree somewhat
Unsure
Disagree somewhat
Strongly disagree

16. Racism
A set of attitudes, beliefs, and practices used to justify the superior treatment of one racial or ethnic group and the inferior treatment of another racial or ethnic group.
Recent studies have shown that the underlying reasoning behind racism differs according to factors such as gender, age, class, and geography.

17. Question
In the past few years, do you think conditions for black people have improved, gotten worse, or stayed about the same?

18. GSS National Data Race White Black Improved 67.8% 45.8%
Stayed the Same
26.9%
41.5%
Gotten Worse
5.3%
12.7%

19. Merton’s Typology of Prejudice and Discrimination
Prejudiced
Attitude?
Discriminatory
behavior?
Unprejudiced
nondiscriminator No
discriminator
Yes
Discriminator

20. Theories of Prejudice: Frustration–aggression Hypothesis
People who are frustrated in their efforts to achieve a highly desired goal will respond with a pattern of aggression toward others.
Scapegoat— a person or group that is incapable of offering resistance to the hostility or aggression of others

21. Theories of Prejudice: Authoritarian Personality Hypothesis
The Authoritarian personality I s characterized by excessive conformity, submissiveness to authority, intolerance, insecurity, a high level of superstition, and rigid, stereotypic thinking.

22. Question
_____ is a negative attitude based on faulty generalizations about members of selected racial and ethnic groups.
Prejudice
Discrimination
Stereotyping
Genocide

23. Answer: a
Prejudice is a negative attitude based on faulty generalizations about members of selected racial and ethnic groups.

24. Measuring Prejudice
Some sociologists use the concept of social distance to measure prejudice.
This is the extent to which people are willing to interact and establish relationships with members of racial and ethnic groups other than their own.

25. Discrimination
Involves actions or practices of dominant- group members (or their representatives) that have a harmful impact on members of a subordinate group.
The ultimate form of discrimination occurs when people are considered to be unworthy to live because of their race or ethnicity.
Genocide is the deliberate, systematic killing of an entire people or nation.

26. Individual and Institutional Discrimination
Individual discrimination consists of one-on-one acts by members of the dominant group that harm members of the subordinate group or their property.
Institutional discrimination consists of the day-today practices of organizations and institutions that have a harmful impact on members of subordinate groups.

27. Four Major Types of Discrimination
Isolate discrimination
A prejudiced judge giving harsher sentences to African American defendants.
Small-group discrimination
Small group of white students defacing a professor’s office with racist epithets.

28. Four Major Types of Discrimination
Direct institutionalized discrimination
Intentional exclusion of people of color from public accommodations.
Indirect institutionalized discrimination
Special education classes may have contributed to racial stereotyping.

29. Question Institutional discrimination consists of:
one on one acts by members of the dominant group that harm members of the subordinate group or their property.
day to day practices of organizations that have a harmful impact on members of subordinate groups.
the division of the economy into a primary sector and a secondary sector.
the deliberate killing of an entire people.

30. Answer: b
Institutional discrimination consists of day to day practices of organizations that have a harmful impact on members of subordinate groups.

31. Contact Hypothesis
Contact between divergent groups should be positive as long as group members:
Have equal status.
Pursue the same goals.
Cooperate with one another to achieve goals.
Receive positive feedback while interacting.

32. Functionalist Perspectives on Race and Ethnic Relations
Assimilation A process by which members of subordinate racial and ethnic groups become absorbed into the dominant culture.
Ethnic Pluralism The coexistence of a variety of distinct racial and ethnic groups within one society.

33. Conflict Perspectives on Race and Ethnic Relations
The Caste Perspective views racial and ethnic inequality as a permanent feature of U.S. society.
Class perspectives emphasize the role of the capitalist class in racial exploitation.

34. Conflict Perspectives on Race and Ethnic Relations
Internal Colonialism occurs when members of a racial or ethnic group are forcibly placed under the control of the dominant group.
Split Labor Market - The division of the economy into a primary sector composed of higher paid workers in more secure jobs, and a secondary sector of lower-paid workers in jobs with little security and hazardous conditions.

35. Critical Race Theory
Derives its foundation from the U.S. civil rights tradition.
Premises:
The belief that racism is such an ingrained feature of U.S. society that it appears to be ordinary and natural to many people.
The belief that interest convergence is a crucial factor in bringing about social change.

36. Perspectives on Race and Ethnic Relations
Focus
Theory
Symbolic
Interactionist
Microlevel contacts between individuals
Contact hypothesis
Functionalist
Macrolevel intergroup processes
Assimilation
Ethnic pluralism

37. Perspectives on Race and Ethnic Relations
Focus
Theory
Conflict
Power/economic differentials between dominant and subordinate groups.
Caste perspective
Class perspective
Internal colonialism
Split labor market
Gendered racism
Racial formation
Critical Race Theory
Racism as an ingrained feature of society that affects everyone.
Law may remedy
overt discrimination
but have little effect
on subtle racism.

38. Racial and Ethnic Groups in the United States
Native Americans
White Anglo‑Saxon Protestants
African Americans
White Ethnic Americans
Asian Americans
Latinos/as
Middle Eastern Americans

39. Question
I would like to marry someone of a different racial or ethnic group.
Strongly agree
Agree somewhat
Unsure
Disagree somewhat
Strongly disagree

40. Question
Do you think there should be laws against marriages between African-Americans and whites?

41. GSS National Data
Race
White
Black
Yes
15.2%
4.6% No
84.8%
95.4%

43. Native Americans
Most disadvantaged group in the U.S. in terms of income, employment, housing, and nutrition.
As a group they have experienced:
Genocide
Forced Migration
Forced Assimilation

44. African Americans
Slavery was rationalized by stereotyping African Americans as inferior and childlike.
Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1965 sought to eliminate discrimination in education, housing, employment and health care.

45. Question
Descendents of slavery in the U.S. should be given economic restitution by the U.S. government for the consequences of slavery.
Strongly agree
Agree somewhat
Unsure
Disagree somewhat
Strongly disagree

46. Asian Americans Fastest growing ethnic minority in the U.S.
Includes Japanese, Korean, Filipino and Indochinese Americans.

47. Latinos/as (Hispanic Americans)
Includes Mexican American's, Puerto Ricans and Cuban Americans.
Many Mexican American families have lived in the U.S. for 4 or 5 generations and have made significant contributions.
In 1917, Puerto Ricans acquired U.S. citizenship and the right to move freely to and from the mainland.

48. Middle Eastern Americans
Includes immigrants from Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, and Jordan.
The Lebanese, Syrians, and Iranians primarily come from middle class backgrounds.
Most Iranian immigrants initially hoped to return to Iran; however, many have become U.S. citizens.

49. 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 2056, the roots of the average U.S. resident will be in Africa, Asia, Hispanic countries, the Pacific Islands, or Arabia—not white Europe.

50. Odds of Being a Pro Athlete by Race/Ethnicity and Sport
White
African American
Latino/a
Football
1 in 62,500
1 in 47,600
1 in 2,500,000
Baseball
1 in 83,300
1 in 333,300
1 in 500,000
Basketball
1 in 357,100
1 in 153,800
1 in 33,300,000

51. Quick Quiz

52. 1. A category of people who have been singled out as inferior or superior, often on the basis of real or alleged physical characteristics such as skin color, hair texture, eye shape, or other subjectively selected attributes.
ethnic group
age group
gender
race

53. Answer: d
A category of people who have been singled out as inferior or superior, often on the basis of real or alleged physical characteristics such as skin color, hair texture, eye shape, or other subjectively selected attributes is a race.

54. 2. A collection of people distinguished by others or by themselves, primarily on the basis of cultural or nationality characteristics.
ethnic group
race
age group
gender

55. Answer: a
A collection of people distinguished by others or by themselves, primarily on the basis of cultural or nationality characteristics is an ethnic group.

56. 3. Overgeneralizations about the appearance, behavior, or other characteristics of members of particular categories.
stereotyping
redlining
scapegoating
steering

57. Answer: a
Overgeneralizations about the appearance, behavior, or other characteristics of members of particular categories is stereotyping.

58. 4. The deliberate, systematic killing of an entire people or nation is called:
genocide
discrimination
ethnic cleansing
parricide

59. Answer: a
The deliberate, systematic killing of an entire people or nation is called genocide.

60. 5. Excessive conformity, submissiveness to authority, intolerance, insecurity, a high level of superstition, and rigid, stereotypic thinking is called:
groupthink
psychological assimilation
authoritarian personality
social distancing

61. Answer: c
Excessive conformity, submissiveness to authority, intolerance, insecurity, a high level of superstition, and rigid, stereotypic thinking is called authoritarian personality.

62. 6. Blacks are considered to be an ethnic group.
True.
False.

63. Answer: b
Blacks are not considered to be an ethnic group.