Conversations in Diversity General Terms

Social Power access to resources that enhance one's chances of getting what s/he needs in order to lead a comfortable, productive, and safe life

Minority a group differing, esp. in race, religion, or ethnic background, from the majority of a population A group having little power or representation relative to other groups within a society

Right a resource or state of being that everyone has equal access to, regardless of their social group membership

Privilege a resource or state of being that is only readily available to some people because of their social group membership

Examples of Privilege Being seen by others as an individual (rather than stereotyped as a member of a particular social group) Having access to healthcare Feeling physically safe in most places in your everyday life

Prejudice a set of negative personal beliefs about a social group that leads individuals to pre- judge people from that group or the group in general, regardless of individual differences among members of that group What are some examples of prejudices? –Mexicans in America who don’t speak English are stupid.

Discrimination behaviors or actions towards a person or group of people based on a particular characteristic(s) What are some examples of discrimination? –Poll taxes –Literacy tests –Grandfather clause

Assimilation the process in which people lose their own cultural differences and blend into the wider society Melting Pot analogy

Cultural Pluralism process through which cultural differences are acknowledged and preserved also called transculturation (adjusting to another culture without sacrificing your own cultural identity) Tossed salad analogy

Border Identity Some social identities don’t fit clearly in the model of oppressed versus oppressor Examples: people of mixed racial backgrounds, people born/raised in one country who move to and live in a new country as a young adult, adopted children of one race who are raised by parents of a different race Can experience both privilege and disadvantage (children of color adopted by white families are privileged because of white parents, but still targeted by racism because of appearance)

Perception An awareness based on your sensory processes (sight, sound, taste, touch) YOUR understanding of something, someone, or a situation What we perceive does not necessarily reflect reality. Two people can look at the same image or witness the same event and see something completely different.

Selective Perception To perceive what we want to perceive To focus on those things that support one’s thinking and ignore information that refutes it

Politically Correct (PC) Showing an effort to make social/political changes to try make up for past injustices Especially common in language: think of the evolution of terms for black people –The “n- word” –Negro –Colored –Black –African American

Verstehen Understanding social behavior by putting yourself in the place of others (“putting yourself in someone else’s shoes”)

Affirmative Action A policy or a program that seeks to redress past discrimination through active measures to ensure equal opportunity, as in education and employment Example: Bakke v. California

Stereotype a simplified and standardized conception or image invested with special meaning and held in common by members of a group What are some stereotypes you have heard or that you have about certain groups? –All Mexicans in America are illegal aliens.

Altruism Principle or practice of concern for the welfare of others

Sympathy agreement in feeling, as between persons or on the part of one person with respect to another

Empathy identification with or vicarious experiencing of the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of another

Compassion a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering

Norm a standard, model, or pattern regarded as typical Examples: white, male, Christian

Isms “isms” are at work when we talk about prejudice plus power “isms” refer to the thinking by those in power that certain types of people are inherently inferior; therefore, unequal treatment is justifiable

Social Conflict Theory Karl Marx characterized by inequality and conflict that generates social change: one group gets ahead at the expense of another Instead of working together to promote stability, some patterns benefit some people, but are bad for others

Example of Social Conflict Theory: School tracking: schools channel students into college prep, career prep, etc Students from families in higher socioeconomic classes or well-to-do families are placed in “higher” tracks while poor kids end up in “lower” tracks Kids from privileged families get the best schooling and later pursue high-income careers

Structural-Functional Theory focuses on the structure and workings of society society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote stability Society is composed of social structures (the family, the workplace, the school, etc) Each structure in society has a function that helps maintain stability

Structural-Functional rules and regulations help organize relationships between members of society Manifest Functions—those that are recognized and intended (schools set up to educate people) Latent Functions—those that are unrecognized and unintended (kids get to socialize at school)

Example of Structural-Functional Theory School tracking: schools channel students into college prep, career prep, etc School tracking benefits everyone by providing the type of schooling appropriate to a student’s academic background

Symbolic-Interaction Theory a theory based on social interaction Society is the product of everyday interactions of individuals We attach meaning to symbols

Symbolic-Interaction Theory Reality is how we define our surroundings, our own identities, and our obligations toward others--PERCEPTIONS example: concept of the American dream Your perception is your reality.