Lecture 11 Race and Ethnicity 1

Definitions Race A socially constructed category composed of people who share biologically transmitted qualities that members of a society consider important Race can be defined as a group of people who share a set of characteristics — usually physical ones — and are said to share a common bloodline. Meanings and importance of race vary across time and place No society contains biologically “pure” people. More genetic variation within each racial “category” than between “categories” 2

Definitions For most people, ethnicity is more complex than race Ethnicity–a shared cultural heritage The United States is a multiethnic society Like race, ethnicity is socially constructed Remember: Race is constructed from biological traits and ethnicity is constructed From cultural traits, such as ancestry, language, or religion Race is imposed (usually based on physical differences), hierarchical, exclusive, and unequal. Ethnicity is voluntary, self-defined, nonhierarchical, fluid, cultural, and not so closely linked with power differences. 3

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Minority General characteristics Distinct identity: Race, sex, sexual orientation, the poor Subordination: Often saddled with lower status Stereotypes, stigma, and labeling Group size not always a factor Women in US outnumber men Blacks in South Africa outnumber whites 5

© 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Where the Minority Majority Already Exists Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2011) 6

Prejudice Prejudice–A rigid and unfair generalization about an entire category of people. Stereotype–An exaggerated description applied to every person in some category 7

Measuring Prejudice The Social Distance Scale Student opinion shows a trend toward greater social acceptance. People see fewer differences among various minorities September 11, 2001, might have reduced social acceptance of Arabs and Muslims 8

© 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Bogardus Social Distance Research 9

Racism The belief that one racial category is innately superior or inferior to another Racism has been widespread throughout US history where ideas about racial Inferiority supported slavery Overt racism in the US has decreased, but remains a serious social problem 10

Minority–Majority Group Relations Segregation is the legal or social practice of separating people on the basis of their race or ethnicity. Segregation was official policy in the United States, particularly in the South, until the 1960s. Despite being illegal for over 40 years, there is still ample evidence of segregation in American society today, particularly in schools, housing, and prisons. 11

Theories of Prejudice Scapegoat theory Disadvantaged people who unfairly blame minorities for their own problems Authoritarian personality theory Rigid moralists see things in “black & white” Culture theory Prejudice is embedded in culture Conflict theory Self-justification for the rich and powerful in the United States Minorities might cultivate climate of race consciousness for greater power & privileges 12

Discrimination Institutional prejudice and discrimination Bias built to operation of society’s institutions Carmichael and Hamilton: People are slow to condemn or recognize institutional prejudice & discrimination Because it often involves respected public officials and long- established practices 13

The Vicious Circle Prejudice and discrimination begin as ethnocentric attitudes Groups can be placed in a situation where they’re socially disadvantaged & labeled A group’s situation is explained as a result of innate inferiority rather than looking at The social structure; The cycle repeats itself 14

© 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Prejudice and Discrimination: The Vicious Circle 15

Majority and Minority Patterns of Interaction Pluralism–People of all races & ethnicities are distinct but have equal social standing Assimilation–Minorities gradually adopt patterns of the dominant culture Segregation–The physical and social separation of categories of people Genocide–The systematic killing of one category of people by another 16

Race and Ethnicity in the US Native Americans White Anglo-Saxon Protestants African Americans Asian Americans Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipinos Hispanic/Latino Americans Mexican, Puerto Ricans, Cuban Americans Arab Americans White Ethnic Americans 17

© 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Land Controlled by Native Americans, 1784 to Today 18

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© 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. The Concentration of Hispanics or Latinos, African Americans, Asian Americans, and Arab Americans, by County 21

© 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. The Concentration of Hispanics or Latinos, African Americans, Asian Americans, and Arab Americans, by County 22

© 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. The Concentration of Hispanics or Latinos, African Americans, Asian Americans, and Arab Americans, by County 23

Race and Ethnicity: Looking Ahead The US will remain a land of immigrants. Most immigrants arrived in a wave that peaked about 1910 Immigration post WWII & swelled as govt relaxed immigration laws in 1960s Now: Immigrants from Latin America, Asia; Mexicans, Asian Indians, & Filipinos The 2000 Census created separate categories for race and ethnicity and for the first time allowed people to check off more than one box for racial identity. These changes have given us a better idea of the diversity of the American population. 24