1. Chapter 14 Race and Ethnicity
11/23/2018
Sociology

2. The Social Meaning of Race and Ethnicity
Race - is a socially constructed category of people who share biologically transmitted traits that members of a society consider important.
People may classify one another racially based on physical characteristics such as skin color, facial features, hair texture, and body shape
Although we think of race in terms of biological elements, race is a socially constructed concept.

3. The Social Meaning of Race and Ethnicity
Ethnicity - is a shared cultural heritage. People define themselves—or others—as members of an ethnic category based on common:
Ancestry
Language
Religion
Like the reality of race, the meaning of ethnicity is socially constructed, becoming important only because society defines it that way.

4. The Social Meaning of Race and Ethnicity
Minorities - Minority standing can be based on race, ethnicity, or both.
Of course, not all members of any minority category are disadvantaged. Some Latinos are quite wealthy, certain Chinese Americans are celebrated business leaders, and African Americans are among our nation’s leading scholars.

5. The Social Meaning of Race and Ethnicity
Minorities usually make up a small proportion of a society’s population, but this is not always the case
Black South Africans are disadvantaged even though they are a numerical majority in their country.
In the United States, women represent slightly more than half the population but still lack many of the opportunities and privileges enjoyed by men.  

6. Prejudice
Prejudice is: a rigid and unfair generalization about an entire category of people. Prejudice is unfair because all people in some category are rigidly described as the same based on little or no direct evidence.
May target people:
Social class
Gender
Sexual orientation
Age
Political affiliation
Physical disability
Race
Ethnicity
Can be positive or negative

7. Prejudice
Stereotypes - Prejudice often takes the form of a stereotype (stereo is derived from a Greek word meaning “solid” ), an exaggerated description applied to every person in some category.
If company officials see workers only in terms of a stereo-type, they will make assumptions about their abilities, steering them toward certain jobs and limiting their access to better opportunities

8. Prejudice
Racism - A powerful and harmful form of prejudice, racism is the belief that one racial category is innately superior or inferior to another.
Racism has also been widespread throughout the history of the United States where ideas about racial inferiority supported slavery.  

9. Prejudice
  Even so, racism remains a serious social problem, as some people think that certain racial and ethnic categories are smarter than others.
As the Applying Sociology box explains, however, racial differences in mental abilities result from environment rather than biology.  
“not by the color of their skin but
the content of their character.”  

10. Discrimination
Institutional racism - Like prejudice, discrimination can be either positive (providing special advantages) or negative (creating obstacles) and ranges from subtle to blatant.  
Bias built into the operation of society's institutions, including schools, hospitals, the police, and workplace