Chapter 11: Race and Ethnicity Part 1

Race is fundamentally a social construct. Ethnicity is a term that describes shared culture and national origin. Minority groups are defined by their lack of power.

Stereotypes are oversimplified ideas about groups of people. Prejudice refers to thoughts and feelings, while discrimination refers to actions. Racism refers to the belief that one race is inherently superior or inferior to other races.

Functionalist views of race study the role dominant and subordinate groups play to create a stable social structure. Conflict theorists examine power disparities and struggles between various racial and ethnic groups. Interactionists see race and ethnicity as important sources of individual identity and social symbolism. The concept of culture of prejudice recognizes that all people are subject to stereotypes that are ingrained in their culture.

Intergroup relations range from a tolerant approach of pluralism to intolerance as severe as genocide. In pluralism, groups retain their own identity. In assimilation, groups conform to the identity of the dominant group. In amalgamation, groups combine to form a new group identity.

The history of the U.S. people contains an infinite variety of experiences that sociologist understand follow patterns. From the indigenous people who first inhabited these lands to the waves of immigrants over the past 500 years, migration is an experience with many shared characteristics. Most groups have experienced various degrees of prejudice and discrimination as they have gone through the process of assimilation.

the process by which a minority group and a majority group combine to form a new group

the process by which a minority individual or group takes on the characteristics of the dominant culture

the belief that one type of skin tone is superior or inferior to another within a racial group

the theory that prejudice is embedded in our culture

prejudiced action against a group of people

a group of people who have more power in a society than any of the subordinate groups

shared culture, which may include heritage, language, religion, and more

the act of a dominant group forcing a subordinate group to leave a certain area or even the country

the deliberate annihilation of a targeted (usually subordinate) group

racism embedded in social institutions

theory that suggests we cannot separate the effects of race, class, gender, sexual orientation, and
other attributes

any group of people who are singled out from the others for differential and unequal treatment

the stereotype applied to a minority group that is seen as reaching higher educational, professional, and socioeconomic levels without protest against the majority establishment

the ideal of the United States as a "salad bowl:" a mixture of different cultures where each culture retains its own identity and yet adds to the "flavor" of the whole

biased thought based on flawed assumptions about a group of people

the use by law enforcement of race alone to determine whether to stop and detain someone

the act of real estate agents directing prospective homeowners toward or away from certain neighborhoods based on their race

a set of attitudes, beliefs, and practices that are used to justify the belief that one racial category is somehow superior or inferior to others

the practice of routinely refusing mortgages for households and business located in predominately minority communities