1. What is a Minority Group?

2. Subordinate group whose members have significantly less control or power over their lives than members of a dominant or majority group.

3. Characteristics of a Minority Group  Distinguishing physical or cultural traits, e.g. skin color or language  Unequal Treatment and Less Power over their lives  Involuntary membership in the group (no personal choice)  Awareness of subordination and strong sense of group solidarity  High In-group Marriage

4. Racial - Groups who are classified according to obvious physical characteristics, e.g. skin color. - US Racial Minority Groups: Blacks, American Indian, Asian Americans, Hawaiians.

5. Ethnic Groups who are differentiated on the basis of culture such as language, food US Ethnic Minority Groups: Hispanics or Latinos such as Chicanos, Puerto Ricans, Cuban; Jews are also consider cultural minorities instead of religious minorities. Racial groups can also so have distinctive cultural traditions Note: Ethnic minority can be either black or white or Asian American or Native American. So that a person can be both Black and Hispanic.

6. Gender Males are a social majority; women demonstrate four out of five characteristics of minority status. There are no in-group marriages

7. Religion Groups who have a religion other than the dominant faith. US Religious minorities - Muslims, Amish, Mormons, Roman Catholics