Minority, Race, Ethnicity, and Relations

What are the characteristics of a minority? Minority- a group with physical or cultural traits different from the dominant group in the society Key features: Distinctive physical or cultural characteristics that can separate it from the majority. The minority is dominated by the majority. Minority traits are believed by the dominant majority to be inferior. Members of the minority have a common sense of identity and a strong group loyalty. The majority determines who belongs to the minority through ascribed status.

Race Race- refers to physical differences that groups and cultures consider socially significant Biologists use characteristics such as skin color, hair color, hair texture, and facial features to determine race. Government defined racial categories – white, black, Asian, American Indian or Pacific Islander. (I’m not on here…) Is there a scientific basis for race?.......No Are some physical characteristics superior?....Kind of, but only based on where you are living. In fact geneticists claim that there may be more genetic difference between a tall person and a short person than between two people from different races of a similar height.

Ethnicity Ethnicity- group identified by cultural, religious, or national characteristics So race deals with the physical and ethnicity deals with the culture Negative attitudes toward ethnic minorities exist in part because of ethnocentrism This creates a feeling of us vs. them When polled, at least 60% of Americans saw Irish, Polish, and Chinese immigrants as having benefited the US. In that same poll, at least 60% of Americans saw Mexicans, Cubans, Iranians, and Haitians as having created problems for the country. These judgements are often expressed as prejudice or discrimination.

Assimilation Assimilation- the blending of minority groups into the dominant society Basically it means that they become a piece of the American “Melting Pot” The easiest assimilation has been that of people of English descent. They are accepted as long as they conform to our standards and norms. Some sociologists point out that America may not be a melting pot though, but more like they are just jumbled together. Traditions and cultures existing side by side called cultural pluralism. Cultural pluralism- a group maintaining some sense of identity separate from the dominant group

Patterns of Conflict Three basic patterns have emerged that describe approaches that dominant cultures take in their rejection of minority groups: Genocide Population transfer Subjugation

Genocide This is the most extreme. Genocide- the systematic effort to destroy an entire population. An example of this being the Holocaust. Hitler tried to actually rid the world of European Jews. Another example would be what is known as the “Rape of Nanking” in which Japanese soldiers killed 350,000 Chinese men, women, and children in the years leading up to WWII.

Population Transfer Population transfer- a minority is forced either to move to a remote location or to leave entirely. This was a policy most often used against Native Americans. An example of this would be the Trail of Tears. In 1838, 16,000 Cherokee from the southern US were forced to march to Oklahoma. One fourth of those who marched, died along the way because of the harsh conditions.

Subjugation Subjugation- process by which a minority group is denied equal access to the benefits of society. This is the most common pattern of conflict among the 3 De jure vs De facto Denial based on the law vs denial based on everyday practice De jure segregation would be schools in the US prior to Brown v Board of Education De factor segregation would be the members of a neighborhood deciding not to sell to certain ethnicities or races. Or people of certain backgrounds not getting promoted or being a part of the local government.

Questions Did your understanding of a minority change from information covered today? If so, how? What is the difference between race and ethnicity? Between race and nationality? Between race, ethnicity, and nationality, which do you feel the strongest tie to? Why? Provide another example of genocide or population transfer from history. Can you remember why that happened to those people? Do you feel like America is more of a melting pot or just pieced together? Why? Can you provide any other examples of either de jure or de facto segregation?

Open response How is the meaning of race changing in the US today? Do you have the same racial attitudes as your parents? As you grandparents? How do you think your kids will one day think of race?

Rumor has it that your school unfairly punishes members of a certain race and gender when dealing with discipline referrals. You and your friend (who is a member of this group) are sent to the discipline team for tardiness. You have your parents called. And your friend gets 5 d ays ISS, parent conference, and detention. Brainstorm different ways that you would attempt to remedy this situation for your friend and the other members of this group.