WEEK ON RACE & ETHNICITY INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY Professor Adam Isaiah Green Winter 2013

SAMUEL GEORGE MORTON

GANGSTA RAPPERS

FEMALE GANGSTA RAPPERS

 Prejudice is an attitude that people employ to judge others on their group’s real or imagined characteristics.  Discrimination is unfair treatment of people due to their perceived group membership. Prejudice and Discrimination

DNA Snips  DNA is a chemical that contains the genetic instructions for all living organisms. When people have a child, the DNA of the mates combines and the child inherits the parents’ DNA.  DNA consists of 3 billion pairs of four types of molecules. Different sequences of molecules result in different characteristics (e.g., skin colour). 99.5% of the DNA of all people is identical.  The remaining 0.5% of DNA may differ between any two people; these differences (known as Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms, SNPs or “snips”) are the focus of research in the field of comparative genomics.

Comparative Genomics  Snips influence readily apparent physical differences such as skin pigmentation and less apparent physical differences such as the capacity to absorb and utilize various chemicals. Identifying snips of the latter type enables the production of “designer” drugs that are best suited to groups with unique genetic characteristics.  Significantly, comparative genomics research focuses on differences between socially distinct groups, such as blacks and whites. Yet genetic diversity is greatest among people of African origin, and genetic variation within other racial groups may be pharmacologically significant.

Race, Biology, and Society  There is no biological evidence that races differ in ways that explain behavioural differences.  Behavioural differences between racial groups are not constant.  Behavioural differences between racial groups vary by social circumstance.

RACIALIZATION 1)At the individual, interactional, micro- level: A SOCIAL PROCESS WHEREBY DISPOSITIONAL ATTRIBUTIONS ARE MADE BASED ON PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS ASSOCIATED WITH RACIAL OR ETHNIC HERITAGE

RACIALIZATION 2) At the group-level, the macro-level: A SOCIO-HISTORICAL PROCESS WHEREBY A GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS ARE TRANSFORMED INTO A “RACIAL” OR “ETHNIC” GROUP BASED ON SHARED POSITION IN THE SOCIETY

Race and Ethnicity Defined  A race is composed of people whose perceived physical markers are socially significant (especially in creating and maintaining systems of social inequality).  An ethnic group is composed of people whose perceived cultural markers are socially significant (especially in creating and maintaining systems of social inequality).

RACE & ETHNICITY DEFINED : RACE & ETHNICITY ARE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTS USED TO CREATE AND MAINTAIN SYSTEMS OF SOCIAL INEQUALITY

6 SOCIETAL RESPONSES TO RACIAL & ETHNIC DIFFERENCE  Genocide: group extermination  Expulsion: forcible removal of group from a territory  Slavery: legal ownership of a group  Segregation: spatial and institutional separation of groups  Pluralism: retention of identity and equal access to basic social resources (Canada today)  Assimilation: cultural blending of majority and minority groups (Canada today)

NAZI CONCENTRATION CAMP

THE LAST BEOTHUK

AFRICAN SLAVE MARKET

SEGREGATION IN THE US

PLURALISM OR MULTI-CULTURALISM

ASSIMILATION

Ethnic Groups in Canada, 2006

GroupThousands% of PopulationThousands% of Population South Asian Chinese Black Filipino Latin American Arab Southeast Asian West Asian Korean Japanese Other Total Visible Minority Groups, Canada, 2006 and 2031 (projected)

Immigration, Canada, WWI Depression & WWII Note: Annual immigration as a percent of the population has declined from 1.25% in to 0.76% in 2006.

Independent Immigrants Need 67 Points Based On: criterionmaximum points education25 (PhD or MA max) language24 (French, English) work experience21 (4+ yrs max) age10 (21-49 max) arranged employment10 adaptability10 (work, study, family) total100

Classes of Immigrants, Canada, 2011 CategoryNumberPercentage Family class Economic immigrants Refugees Other Not stated40 Total

Percent of Population Whose Mother Tongue is not English or French, Canada’s Five Biggest Cities, 2001 Percent

Attitudes Toward Immigration and Cultural Diversity, Canada Immigration in 21st century...More14 Same43 Less41 DK 2 Cultural diversity enhances or erodes ID... Enhances59 Erodes30 DK11

Canadians Feeling Uncomfortable or Out of Place because of Ethno- Cultural Characteristics, 2002 Percent

Canadians Reporting Discrimination or Unfair Treatment “ Sometime ” or “ Often ” in Past 5 Years, 2002 Percent Note: The ‘often’ category alone ranges from a low of 2% for Chinese to a high of 9.5% for Blacks.

Percent Not Wanting Neighbour of a Different Race, Selected Countries, 2000 Percent

Canadian Research on Ethnicity, Race, and SES: A Summary  Ethnicity is a poor predictor of SES and social mobility in Canada when other causes are held constant.  Ethnic inequality is decreasing over time.  Members of most ethnic groups experience considerable net upward mobility.  The effect of ethnicity on SES weakens as immigrants become more assimilated.  These generalizations do not hold as strongly for members of some groups – especially members of racial minorities – as they do overall.  In the 90s, upward mobility among racial minority immigrants slowed.