1. SOC 101 Chapter 9 Race & Ethnicity

2. Characteristics of Minority Groups  A minority group is one that is dominated by a more powerful group  Composed of people w/similar characteristics that differ from the dominant group  They are singled out for differential and unfair treatment

3. Minority Groups in the U.S.  African Americans –Around 34 million or approx. 13.4% of the population –Most descended from slaves  Latinos/as –Around 47 million  Asian Americans –13.4 million or approx. 5% of pop. Fastest growing minority group Most come from recent immigrant families  Native Americans –2.5 million or approx. 1.5% of the pop.  Middle Eastern Americans

4. Indicators of Relative Economic Well-Being  Income –Whites = $51,244 –Asian American = $56,316 –Latinos = $31,663 –African Americans = $31,778 –Native American = $21,614  Education (College completion rates) –Whites = 26.1% –Asian American = 43.9 –Latinos = 10.6% –African Americans = 16.5% –Native American = 9.5

5.  % Below Poverty Level –White = 9.8 –Asian American = 10.7 –Latino = 22.8 –African American = 23.6 –Native American = 31.2  Unemployment Rates –Whites = 4.7% –African Americans = 10.5% –Latinos = 8.9%

6.  Type of Employment  Health –1/10 of whites were not covered by private or government medical insurance in 1995 compared to: 1/3 of Latinos 1/5 of African Americans

7. U.S. Racial and Ethnic Distribution

8.  Minority groups often face prejudice & discrimination –Access to good education –Perceived threat on the part of whites due to racial policies like affirmative action –Hiring practices

9. Why???

10.  Functionalist Perspective –Feels that racial and ethnic discord is dysfunctional and must be eliminated Assimilation- the melting pot Accommodation- can be achieved via “ethnic pluralism” the coexistence of diverse racial-ethnic groups with separate identities and cultures within a society  Conflict Perspective –Explains racial and ethnic inequality in terms of economic stratification and access to power E.g. colonial theory & other theories covered in your text  Symbolic Interactionist Perspective –Labeling –Self-fulfilling prophecy –Gordon Allport’s Theory of Contact Three Theories

11. Theories of Group Conflict  Until recently social scientists felt that prejudice was the cause of intergroup conflict  A number of theories developed to explain how people became prejudiced –The frustration-aggression hypothesis People who are unable to achieve a desired goal become frustrated and take their frustration out on others (the scapegoat). –Perhaps the leading theory until recently was Theodore Adorno’s “authoritarian personality” (1950): Suggested that we become anxious when confronted with others whose norms and values are different than ours We resolve this anxiety by adopting the belief that those who are different are inferior –Others felt that prejudice was caused by low self esteem (Nathan Ackerman and Marie Jahoda 1950)  Thus, both argued that, ignorance of others’ cultures leads to prejudice

12. Question: If ignorance leads to prejudice which in turn leads to group conflict, what things should we be doing to lower group conflict?

13. Allport’s Theory of Contact Key Propositions of Allport’s Theory of Contact Key Propositions of Allport’s Theory of Contact Prejudice will decrease if two groups have equal status Prejudice will increase if status inequality exists Prejudice will intensify if the groups are in competition Prejudice will decline if the groups cooperate to pursue common goals

14. Status Inequality and Prejudice  How do economic inequalities and status differences cause prejudice? –Differences dominate our perceptions of others when we come into contact with them –Whether initial reactions subside or intensify depends on the conditions of continued contact If groups are equal and cooperative, then relations improve rapidly regardless of initial negative feelings “If their status is unequal, then contact between these groups will worsen feelings”

15. Thus....  Efforts to overcome prejudice before overcoming status inequality are bound to fail –“Contact overcomes prejudice only when people meet on equal terms to cooperate in pursuing common goals” –Otherwise, contact may only fuel prejudice, discrimination and conflict  Effort should be placed on eliminating inequality first

16. Strategies...  What strategies might subcultures have in response to prejudice and discrimination? –Assimilation Irish-Americans –Accommodation Catholics and Protestants –Resistance The Amish

17. Mechanisms of Ethnic and Racial Mobility  Many groups have achieved upward mobility despite views that they never would  How? Three elements seem crucial: –Geographic Concentration May minimize negative consequences of contact Concentrates economic and political power –Internal economic development and specialization By buying and investing in their own communities groups may eventually gain economic freedom –Development of a middle class