Race & Ethnicity

Racial & Ethnic Minorities Dominant Groups – the group of people in a society that has the power Establishes the values and norms of the society Creates a social structure that operates in its favor

Racial & Ethnic Minorities Minority Groups Any recognizable group in a society that suffers some disadvantage due to prejudice or discrimination by the dominant group

Racial Groups The concept of race is based on observable physical differences among people resulting from biological traits Sociologists do not research the biology of race; they are interested in race as it relates to the social structure

Racial Groups The US Census Bureau collects data on five racial categories: White, not Hispanic Black Hispanic Asian & Pacific Islander American Indian, Eskimo, & Aleut

Ethnic Groups Based on such cultural factors as national origin, religion, language, norms, and values

Characteristics of Minority Groups Shared physical or cultural characteristics – race, religion, ancestry, language, and customs Ascribed Statuses – membership in a group is not voluntary Group Solidarity – often resulting from long-term prejudice and discrimination. “Us vs. Them” Endogamy – members of a minority group often marry within that same group

Patterns of Repression & Response

Repression of minorities by the dominate group has taken on 4 forms: Forced Removal – a minority population is transferred to a separate geographic region Segregation – a minority group is kept separate from the dominant population. Can be based on laws (de jure) or informal norms (de facto). Subjugation – maintaining control over the minority by force Annihilation – the destruction of a targeted minority population (genocide)

Minority groups have often responded to these negative forms of treatment in 3 ways: Submission & Acceptance – deferring to members of the dominant culture and learning to “get along” Withdrawal – avoiding contact with the dominant culture through self-segregation Agitation & Violence – protesting minority status and unequal treatment

Which is a Better Approach? Melting Pot - Assimilation The Salad Bowl – Cultural pluralism

Prejudice & Discrimination

Prejudice A negative attitude towards an entire category of people, often an ethnic or racial minority

Discrimination The denial of opportunities and equal rights to people based on their group membership

Roots of Prejudice A certain amount of prejudice comes from our tendency to generalize Prejudice becomes a problem when the preformed judgment remains unchanged even after the facts show it to be inaccurate

Psychological Roots: May serve a psychological function for dominant-group members who feel frustrated, insecure, or inferior Scapegoating – placing the blame for troubles on an innocent individual or group

Cultural & Social Roots: Ethnocentrism – the belief in the superiority of one’s own culture group May lead to racism – the belief that one race is superior to others Economic & Political Conflict – culturally separate groups often live in the same geographic area and compete for the same limited resources Competition can lead to grievances that are passed down from generation to generation

Discrimination – 3 Types: Legal Discrimination – supported by law. Less common now than a few decades ago, but frequently occurred in history Non-legal Discrimination – not supported by law, but results from actions by individuals; far more common than legal discrimination Institutional Discrimination – the denial of opportunities and equal rights that result from the normal operations of a society

Minority Groups in the United States

African Americans Make up 12.1% of the US population Nationwide, 55% of African Americans reside in the central cities of metropolitan areas African Americans have made impressive gains since the ending of slavery, but statistics still show continuing inequalities

African Americans Continuing Inequalities The percentage of African Americans completing four or more years of college is about half that of whites In 2010, the mean income for African American families was $27,900 compared to $44,000 for white families In 2010, the unemployment rate for African Americans was 7.7% compared to 3.9% for whites In 2010, 23.6% of the African American population lived below the poverty line, compared to 7.7% for whites

Latinos Second largest minority in the US, soon to become the largest Latino groups share common language and some cultural characteristics, although cultural customs vary widely among different nationalities.

Latinos Statistics from the 2010 census reflect inequalities between Latinos & the white majority 10.6% of Latino adults had completed college, compared with 28.1% of non-Hispanic whites The median household income was 76% that whites 22.8% of all Latinos living in the US live below the poverty line

The 3 largest Latino groups are: Mexican Americans – highest concentrations are in California & Texas Puerto Ricans – populations are concentrated in large eastern cities Cuban Americans – as a group, Cuban Americans have the highest rate of income, rate of employment, and proportion of professionals of all Hispanic Americans

Asian Americans Constitute 4% of the American population. The six largest groups in America are from: China – largest number of Asians living in the US Japan The Philippines India Korea Vietnam

Asian Americans Have been called a “model” minority group because they have succeeded economically, socially, and educationally Southeast Asians living in the US have the highest welfare dependency of any racial or ethnic group

Native Americans The nation’s most poverty stricken minority About 14% are unemployed About 32% live below the poverty line; the numbers are higher on reservations Less then 10% have graduated from college The suicide rate among Native Americans is almost twice as high as in the general population About one-third of Native American deaths are alcohol related

White Ethnics Caucasian immigrants who are not white, Anglo-Saxon and protestant Faced difficulties in acclimating to American society and competing with American-born workers for jobs Experienced prejudice and open hostility, often violence Tended to live near each other in large cities