Inequalities of Race & Ethnicity Mrs. McVey Sociology Chapter 9

Minority What does the word “minority” mean?

Minorities Minority: group of people with physical or cultural traits different from those of the dominant group in society Distinctive physical or cultural characteristics that can be used to separate from society Dominated by majority Often believed to inferior Common sense of identity, strong group loyalty Majority determines who belongs to minority

Minority Women out number men in the United States…so why are women a minority? (Think about what the previous slide said)

Race & Ethnicity RACE: People sharing certain inherited physical characteristics that are considered important within a society (how you look) ETHNICITY: group identified by cultural, religious, or national characteristics (where you come from)

Melting pot Salad bowl

Assimilation Assimilation is the blending or fusing of minority groups into the dominant society Melting pot Tossed salad Anglo-conformity is the most common pattern of assimilation Cultural pluralism is the desire of a group to maintain some sense of identity separate from the dominant group

Patterns of Conflict Genocide (most extreme): systematic effort to destroy an entire population Examples from history? Population transfer: minority is forced to move to a remote location or leave entirely Subjugation (most common): minority group is denied equal access to the benefits of society De jure segregation = by law De facto segregation = everyday practice

Thursday’s Chap 9 Quiz Vocab – matching (20 words) From textbook and flapcards Pyramid of Hate examples

Theories of Prejudice and Discrimination Prejudice: widely held negative attitudes toward a group (minority or majority) and the members of the group Racism: extreme form of prejudice that assumes superiority of one group over others

Theories of Prejudice and Discrimination Discrimination: treating people differently based on ethnicity, race, religion, or culture Can you hold a prejudice about a group without discriminating against that group? Hate crime: criminal act motivated by prejudice Stereotype: distorted, exaggerated, or oversimplified image applied to category of people Can you think of any positive stereotypes?

Theories of Prejudice and Discrimination Functionalist Perspective Dysfunctions caused by prejudice and discrimination Costs to society are high and safety is at risk Positively—creating a feeling of superiority strengthens self-concept

Theories of Prejudice and Discrimination Conflict Perspective Majority uses prejudice and discrimination as weapons of power to control a minority

Theories of Prejudice and Discrimination Symbolic Interactionist Perspective Members of society learn prejudice Children overhear parents making racist or prejudiced statements Language itself can reflect prejudices Ex: blackball, blacklist, blackmail, etc. are negative Self-fulfilling prophecy: expectation that leads to behavior that causes the expectation to become reality

Racial profiling What does racial profiling mean? What examples can you give of racial profiling, either current or historical?

Racial Profiling —n government activity directed at a suspect or group of suspects based solely on race the discriminatory practice by law enforcement officials of targeting individuals for suspicion of crime based on the individual's race, ethnicity, religion or national origin.

Racial Profiling Explained "Racial profiling" refers to the targeting of particular individuals by law enforcement authorities based not on their behavior, but rather their personal characteristics. It is generally used to encompass more than simply an individual's race, it encompasses race, ethnicity, national origin, and religion—and means the impermissible use by law enforcement authorities of these personal characteristics, to any degree, in determining which individuals to stop, detain, question, or subject to other law enforcement activities.

Racial Profiling Statistics

Racial Profiling The most common example of police racial profiling is "DWB", otherwise known as "driving while black or brown”.  This refers to the practice of police targeting African Americans/Hispanics for traffic stops because they believe that minorities are more likely to be engaged in criminal activity and/or Hispanics are more likely to be illegal.

Racial Profiling Examples from ACLU article ABC 20/20 What would you do? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ti5ZFmglzV4

Minority Groups in the United States Instutionalized discrimination: unfair practices that grow out of common behaviors and attitudes and that are part of the structure of society

African Americans Largest racial minority group in U.S. Average income 64% of whites ($64/$100) Economic differences due to employment patterns--unemployment Barriers to assimilation Easily identifiable Continuing minority status roots in history

Latinos 21 different countries Synonymous with Hispanic By 2050 largest minority group 60% Mexican descent Lower educational levels Slightly higher income than African Americans Dominant force in politics--vote

Native Americans Stereotypes Lowest annual incomes, lowest # of high school graduation ¼ live on reservations 2 million in US today 500 tribes

Asian Americans 4% of total US population Immigrants came for gold rush Minority success Highest level of education Highest annual income

How are equality of opportunity and achievement on a societal level is affected by a person’s race and ethnicity

Several years ago, a high school principal canceled his school’s senior prom when it was brought to his attention that perhaps a dozen students were planning to bring dates of a different race. A reaction this extreme is rare, but strong cultural norms about interracial dating do exist. These norms vary by class and region. Recent studies have shown that over half of all teens in the U.S. have dated someone of another race, but interracial marriages are not common. Why do you think people might be willing to DATE outside their race but not MARRY outside their race?

Recently, the students and administration at a largely Latino high school wanted to change the name of the school to honor a deceased Hispanic community leader. When the school had been built, the neighborhood had been primarily Anglo. Many of the old graduates protested the name change, and the original name was kept. Can you use what you have learned in this chapter about relationship between cultural group membership and political power to explain why the decision was made to keep the school’s old name?

“Remember, remember always, that all of us “Remember, remember always, that all of us... are descended from immigrants and revolutionists.” --Franklin D. Roosevelt “Everywhere immigrants have enriched and strengthened the fabric of American life.” --John F. Kennedy

A recent documentary examined a suburb in the Midwest where the racial balance had gradually changed from mostly white to African American. Even though statistics proved that schools cores had not dropped and the quality of government services remain the same, the perception was that property values had declined. What do you think was responsible for this perception? What can be done to avoid this type of thinking?