1. (or the importance of skin color and culture in society)

2. Race/Ethnicity Social construction of race/ethnicity Privilege of the dominant Immigration and new ethnic groups Sociological perspectives on race/ethnicity Patters of prejudice and discrimination

3. Social Construction of Race/Ethnicity Racial formation: sociohistorical process in which racial categories are created, inhibited, transformed, and destroyed Quantum “One-drop rule” Stereotypes: unreliable generalizations about members of group that do not recognize individual differences █ Racial group: minorities set apart from others by obvious physical differences █ Ethnic group: Set apart from others primarily because of its national origin or distinctive cultural patterns

4. Racial/Ethnic Groups in the US, 2008

5. Projections of Racial/Ethnic Groups

6. Privilege of the Dominant White privilege: Refers to the right or immunities granted to people as a particular benefit or favor simply because they are White McIntosh’s “invisible knapsack”: Rarely need to step out of comfort zones Skin color opens doors Not evaluated in racial terms Always surrounded by people who look like you

7. Immigration and New Ethnic Groups Significant segment of population of U.S. made up of White ethnics whose ancestors arrived from Europe within the last 100 years Symbolic ethnicity: emphasis on concerns such as ethnic food or political issues rather than deeper ties to one’s ethnic heritage

8. Immigration History Contemporary diversity of U.S. reflects centuries of immigration 1920s: preference to people from western Europe Late 1930s and early 1940s: allowed Jewish refugees to escape Nazi regime Since 1960s: policies encourage immigration of people who have relatives in U.S. or those who have needed skills Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986

9. Functions of Immigration For receiving society: Alleviates labor shortages For sending nation: Can relieve economies unable to support large numbers of people Dysfunctions: Areas with high concentration of immigrants may not meet short-term social needs Loss of skills to developing countries

10. Conflict Approach to Immigration White ethnics and racial minorities often antagonistic toward one another because of economic competition Theorists note how much of debate over immigration phrased in economic terms “They’re taking OUR jobs!”

11. Functionalist Perspectives on Race/Ethnicty Nash’s 3 functions that racially prejudiced beliefs provide to the dominant group: Moral justification for maintaining unequal society Discourage subordinate groups from questioning their lowly status Racial myths encourage support for the existing order by introducing the argument that any major societal change would only bring greater poverty to the subordinate group Rose identified dysfunctions associated with racism Society that practices discrimination fails to use resources of all individuals Discrimination aggravates social problems Society must invest time and money to defend barriers to full participation Racial prejudice undercuts goodwill and diplomatic relations between nations

12. Conflict Perspectives on Race/Ethnicty Exploitation theory: Racism keeps members of subordinate groups in low-paying jobs, thereby supplying the capitalist ruling class with cheap labor When workers are fighting each other for resources they are not advocating for social change or more equal redistribution of resources

13. Interactionist Perspective on Race/Ethnicity Labeling perspective: Racial profiling: Arbitrary action initiated by an authority based on race, ethnicity, or national origin rather than on person’s behavior Authorities continue to rely on racial profiling, despite overwhelming evidence that it is misleading “Driving while black” Contact hypothesis: interracial contact between people of equal status in cooperative tasks will cause them to become less prejudiced and to abandon previous stereotypes

14. Patterns of Prejudice and Discrimination Prejudice: Negative attitude toward an entire category of people Ethnocentrism: Tendency to assume one’s culture and way of life are superior to others Racism: Belief that one race is supreme and others are innately inferior Hate crime: Criminal offense committed because of the offender’s bias against a race, religion, ethnic group, national origin, or sexual orientation

15. Categorization of Reported Hate Crimes

16. Racism and Discrimination Color-blind racism: Use of principle of race neutrality to define racially unequal status quo Proponents oppose affirmative action, public welfare assistance, and government-funded health insurance Discrimination: denial of opportunities and equal rights to individuals and groups based on some type of arbitrary bias Discrimination persists even for educated and qualified minority members Glass ceiling: invisible barrier blocking promotion of qualified individuals in work environment because of gender, race, or ethnicity

17. Institutional Discrimination Institutional discrimination: denial of opportunities and equal rights to individuals and groups that results from the normal operations of a society Affirmative action: positive efforts to recruit minority members or women for jobs, promotions, and educational opportunities The single largest affirmative action program in US history was the GI Bill following WW2 – and it primarily benefited those who were white

18. Measuring Discrimination Comparing income data White men earned 30% more money than Black men in 2008 Black women earned significantly less than White women Highly educated Asian Americans trail well behind their White counterparts

19. Median Income by Race and Sex