CHAPTER 10: RACE/ETHNICITY
Kendall begins by looking at sports as a way of examining racial
inequality.
(LOOK AT QUIZ: P 311) (her point: Sports are an upward ladder in
social mobility
(NOTE: Her answer to q 7 is wrong: There has been movement into
higher echelons of ownership and management by minorities)
(#9 is also wrong)
RACE/ETHNIC RACE AND ETHNICITY IS ONE WAY OF STRATIFYING PEOPLE AND ALSO
REFLECTS CULTURAL COMPOSITION.
A MINORITY GROUP IS ANY SUBORDINANT GROUP WHOSE MEMBER HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY
SLESS CONTROL OR POWER OVER THEIR OWN LIVES THAN THE MEMBER OF A
DOMINANT OR MAJORITY GROUP HAVE OVER THEIRS.
A "MAJORITY" GROUP CAN STILL BE A "MINORITY" (WOMEN)
WHY? BECAUSE IT'S NOT SIMPLY NUMBERS OF MEMBERS, BUT A RESOURCE
AND POWER RATIO.
CHARACTERISTICS:
1. MINORITY MEMBERS SHARE PHYSICAL OR CULTURL CHARACTERISTICS
THAT DISTINGUISH THEM FROM THE DOMINANT GROUP
2. EXPERIENCE UNEQUAL TREATMENT AND HAVE LESS POWER OVER
THEIR LIVES
3. MEMBERSHIP NOT "VOLUNTARY" (GAYS, WOMEN, ETC)
4. STRONG SENSE OF GROUP SOLIDARITY
5. MEMBERS GENERALLY MARRY OTHERS FROM SAME GROUP
6. USUALLY STIGMATIZED
EXAMPLES:
RACE: BIOLOGICAL DEF: CATEGORY OF PEOPLE WHO THROUGH MANY
GENERATIONS OF INBREEDING HAVE DEVEOPED COMMON PHYSICAL
CHARACTERISTICS FROM OTHER OTHER HUMANS. (BLACKS,
GYPSIES, ITINERANTS IN IRELAND)
SOCIAL DEFINITION: A category of people singled out as
inferior or superior, often based on some set of biological
characteristics. Generally, they are singled out as inferior
or superior. Point: Race stratifies people.
QUESTION: Given that people share 99.99 percent of DNA composition,
is race a valid concept? (In the US, 2.4 pct report being two or
more: Which one dominates?)
SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CONCEPT: OFFERS IDENTIFIABLE MEANS TO DISCRIMINATE
(EG, GAYS DON'T HAVE THIS; WHO ELSE?)
SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY: (LABELLING)---BEGINS TO TAKE ON
CHARACTERISTCS ATTRIBUTED TO THEM (EG, UNFRIENDLINESS) ETC
ETHNICITY: NOT A RACIAL CATEGORY---CAN BE NATIONALITY (eg, IRISH)
WHY DO WE STUDY IT AND HOW?
1. POWER/INEQUALITY
2. SOCIAL PROBLEMS CREATED AND CAN BE RESOLVED
3. THEORIES:
A) CONFLICT: EXPLOITATION THEORY
B) INTERACTIONIST--"CONTACT HYOTHESIS"--STIGMA REDUCED THROUGH CONTACT--
Some Definitions:
STIGMA: REDUCED STATUS ON THE BASIS OF SOME OBSERVABLE
CHARACTERISTIC; LEADES TO PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION
STEREOTYPES: **Overgeneralizations** about the appearance, behavior, or
other characteristis of particular groups
PREJUDICE: NEGATIVE ATTITUDE TOWARD AN ENTIRE CATEGORY
REGARDLESS OF INDIVIDUAL ATTTRIBUTES (ANTI-"COLORED" DRS)
BIAS: A predisposition to judgment (Q: Can be be biased without
being prejudiced and vice-versa?
ETHNOCENTRISM: OUR CULTURE IS SUPERIOUR
SCAPEGOATING (BLAMING A RACE (OR OTHERS)
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION: Positive efforts to recruit minority group members or
women for jobs, promotions, and educational opportunities
(news:)MILWAUKEE WISCONSIN -- A federal jury found that Milwaukee's former police
chief discriminated against 17 white men by promoting women and minorities
ahead of them. (chicago tribune, march 31 '05)
ETHNIC GROUP: A group set apart from others because of its national origin
or distinctive cultural patterns
DISCRIMINATION: DENYING OPPORTUNITIES TO CERTAIN CATEGORIES
TYPES:
A) PERSONAL
B) INSTITUTIONAL/STRUCTURAL--IE, SOCIETY SET-UP OR ORGANIZED IN A
WAY THAT EXCLUDES SOME FROM POWER
ASSIMILATION/ACCOMODATION/PLURALISM
EXPLAIN EACH--
THEORIES: (EXPLAIN PURPOSE OF THEORY AGAIN):
A) CONFLICT: EXPLOITATION/"COLONIAL GROUPS" ETC
B) INTERACTIONIST: CONTACT (KNOWING PEOPLE
DECREASES PREJUDICE; LABELLING, ETC
WHY ARE PEOPLE PREJUDICED? (SOCIAL PSYCH)--
A) AUTHORITARIAN PERSONALITY / ADORNO & F-SCALE
SCAPEGOATING (BLAMING OTHERS) JEWS, ETC
B) STRUCTURE: BUILT-IN DISCRIMINATION, ETC
C) *AMALGAMATION* MAJORITY GROUP & MINORITY GROUP COMBINE
TO FORM (NEW GROUP.
EXAMPLES: A) US--MELTING POT?
B) STUDENTS
C) HMS BOUNTY/POLYNESIAN
PLURALISM: SUBORDINATE GROUP DOESN'T REJECT LIFE-STYLE---IS
BASED ON"SEPARATE BUT EQUAL" NOTION.
RACE IN THE US:
A) BLACKS
B) INDIANS
C) ORIENTALS
D) LATINOS/HISPANICS
E) JEWS
F) MIDDLE EASTERNERS
POLICY ISSUES:
1. IS IT A PROBLEM? WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT IT?
A) EDUCATION
B) CIVIL RIGHTS LAW
C) AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
D) "SELF-HELP"
E) "HELP POLICIES" (IE, GOV'T BASED)
Page maintained by: Jim Thomas - jthomas@sun.soci.niu.edu