SOC100 Module 3 Flashcards

Race

A categorial based on someone’s physical traits, such as skin color and hair texture, and occasionally based on knowledge of ancestry

Ethnicity

Shared culture, ancestry, and history which may also include shared language and religion

Racism

Attitudes and practices noted in the belief that the physical attributes of a group, their race, signifies superiority with all others seemed inferior

Scientific Racism

The use of often flawed or prejudiced data to uphold beliefs about racial superiority or inferiority

Genocide

The systematic and deliberate elimination of a social group, usually for reasons of race, culture or politics

Minority Groups

A group of people in a given society who experience different and unequal treatment compared to the dominant or majority groups

Prejudice

An attitude that negatively judges people based on their group membership

Stereotype

A widely-held and oversimplified idea about members of a group

Discrimination

The negative actions against a group of people based on their group membership

Implicit Bias

Attitudes that can be favorable that unconsciously shape our understandings and actions

Democratic Racism

The coexistence of egalitarian values alongside discriminatory practices against racial minoriteis

Systemic Racism

When policies and practices of existing social institutions systemically deny opportunities and equal rights to racial minority groups

Casual racism

Conduct that is subtle and seemingly harmless but is nonetheless offensive because it is rooted in negative stereotypes about a racial group

Racialization

The process by which people become classified as a social group according to physical difference or cultural heritage

Integration

The process of groups and individuals becoming full participants in a new society while also retaining their original culture

Symbolic Ethnicity

Pride and allegiance with respect to one’s ethnicity, even without that culture being integrated into one’s everyday life

Migrant Workers

Workers who are engaged in paid work in another country or area such as seasonal or temporary work

Scapegoat

A person or social group wrongly blamed for problems or mistakes

Diaspora

The dispersal of people from a nation of origin to other parts of the world

Meritocracy

A system where success is determined by talent and hard work rather than social factors like family background.

Social Mobility

The ability of individuals to move up or down the social ladder based on factors like education, income, and opportunities.

Income Inequality

The unequal distribution of income among individuals or groups in a society.

Wealth Inequality

The unequal distribution of wealth (total value of assets minus debts) among individuals or groups in a society.

Gini Index

A measure of income inequality that ranges from 0 (perfect equality) to 1 (perfect inequality).

Social Stratification

The ranking of individuals or groups in a hierarchical order based on shared characteristics like socioeconomic status.

Human Capital

The skills, knowledge, and education an individual possesses, which can lead to better employment outcomes and upward social mobility.

Social Capital

The resources and advantages acquired through social networks, which can facilitate employment opportunities and income.

Cultural Capital

The transfer of cultural knowledge, traits, preferences, and behaviors from middle- and upper-class parents to their children, which can provide advantages in education, the labor market, and social settings.

Intersectionality

The recognition that the overlap of social categories like race, class, and gender can create complex layers of inequality.

Habitus

The habits, skills, and dispositions developed based on life experiences, which can reinforce social inequality.

Patriarchy

A system that perpetuates social inequality for women, leading to gender disparities in the labor market, devaluation of women's work, and unequal family dynamics.

Racism

Discrimination and prejudice based on race or ethnicity, which can affect socioeconomic outcomes for minority groups.

Education

A key factor influencing social mobility, as higher education often leads to better-paying jobs and increased wealth over a person's lifetime.

Occupation

The type of job or profession an individual holds, which plays a crucial role in income and wealth inequality.

Institutional inequality

The result of government systems like taxation and minimum wage rates that reinforce racial, economic, and class-based inequalities.

Progressive taxation

A system where taxes increase with income, placing a greater burden on higher-income earners and providing tax credits to lower-income earners.

Redistribution

Transferring funds to programs that reduce income inequality, which has been effective in Canada in reducing inequality by almost 30% between 1976 and 2009.

Regressive taxation

Taxation policies that benefit higher earners and disadvantage lower earners, such as in provinces and territories and the preferential treatment of income generated through capital gains.

Poverty

The deprivation of basic human needs (absolute poverty) or comparing one's standard of living to the average standard in a society (relative poverty).

Low-Income Cut-off (LICO)

A method used in Canada to measure poverty based on income, considering families spending a greater share of their income on necessities than the average family to be below the poverty line.

Feminization of poverty

The observation that more women than men live in poverty, often due to lower employment rates, lower wages, part-time work, and caregiving obligations.

Visible minority Canadians

Face higher poverty rates compared to non-visible minorities, with factors such as language barriers, labor market discrimination, and obstacles in having educational credentials recognized contributing to higher levels of poverty.

Indigenous people in Canada

Face challenges including higher unemployment rates, lower earnings, discrimination, social exclusion, and unequal access to education and social services, putting them at a significantly higher risk of poverty.

Opportunity for All

Canada's First Poverty Reduction Strategy:A strategy launched in 2018 aiming to reduce poverty by 20% in 2020 and by 50% in 2030, with a focus on housing, education, employment, integration, and inequality.

Social mobility

The movement of individuals or families between different social strata, which can be upward or downward, indicating a change in social class.

Achievement-based system

A system where social class position is determined by talents and merits, allowing for upward mobility through talent, education, hard work, and luck.

Intragenerational mobility

Changes in a person's social position during their lifetime.

Intergenerational mobility

Changes in social position between generations, measured by intergenerational income elasticity (IGE) that indicates the influence of parents' income on their children's income.

Absolute income mobility

The increase in income over time, especially for middle-aged individuals and lower-income groups.

Relative mobility

Moving up or down the social strata compared to peers, which has been on a downward trend in Canada, leading to increased overall income inequality.

Relative mobility

The decline in social mobility from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s, primarily due to fewer people experiencing a drop in their social standing.

Immobility

The state of being locked into a particular social class, which has increased in recent years.

Downward mobility

The movement of individuals to a lower social position, consistently lower in recent years.

Caste system

A social system where individuals are born into their social position and remain in that position throughout their life.

Ascribed status

The social status assigned to an individual at birth, which determines their place in the caste system.

Varnas

The four strata or divisions in the Hindu caste system, based on ascribed status.

Jatis

Sub-castes or occupational groups within each varna, creating a hierarchy within the caste system.

Reincarnation

The belief in the rebirth of the soul in a new body after death, a concept that legitimates the caste system in Hinduism.

Dharmic duty

The responsibility or obligation individuals have within their caste to fulfill their prescribed role for a better next life.

Untouchables (Dalit)

One of the most disadvantaged castes in the Hindu caste system, historically facing severe discrimination and poverty.

Caste discrimination

The ongoing impact of the caste system on people's lives, despite its official abolishment after India's independence.

Inter-caste marriages

Rare occurrences of marriages between individuals from different castes.

Untouchability

The practice of treating certain individuals as untouchable or impure, still practiced by some Indians.

Secular education and urbanization

Factors that have reduced the influence of the caste system in society.

Caste divisions in politics

The exploitation of caste divisions by politicians for their political agendas, reinforcing caste identities and interests.

Race

A concept based on physical traits such as skin color and hair texture, as well as ancestry, used to categorize and differentiate people, influencing social interactions. It is a social construction without a genetic basis.

Ethnicity

Rooted in shared culture, ancestry, language, and religion, ethnicity is less focused on physical traits and more multifaceted and culture-oriented compared to race.

Social Construction of Race

Race is a set of classifications based on physical differences created by humans, lacking a solid biological basis. It is subject to change over time and varies across different contexts.

Visible Minority

A term used by Statistics Canada to categorize non-Caucasian and non-white individuals, but currently under review. Alternative terms like "racialized people" or "racialized groups" are used in some data products.

Indigenous

Referring to the original inhabitants of Canada, with diverse cultures, histories, and governance systems. Indigenous people prefer the term "Indigenous" over "Aboriginal."

Prejudice

Negative attitudes and judgments towards individuals based on their group membership, including race and ethnicity.

Discrimination

Negative actions taken against individuals based on their group membership, such as denying opportunities or equal rights.

Systemic Racism

Embedded in institutions and systems, it systematically denies opportunities and equal rights to racial minority groups.

Critical Race Theory (CRT)

Argues that racism is ingrained in the social structure, perpetuating the marginalization and discrimination of people of color. It examines systemic discrimination against racial groups.

White Privilege

The systemic advantages provided to individuals who are identified as white, highlighting systemic racial inequality without blaming individuals.

Intersectionality

Developed by Kimberlé Crenshaw, it examines how different forms of discrimination, such as race, sex, class, and sexual orientation, intersect and affect individuals' experiences.

Employment Income Disparity

Race and ethnicity play a role in income inequality, with visible minority Canadians earning lower incomes compared to non-visible minority Canadians, even with similar education levels.

European Colonization and Indigenous Peoples

Indigenous Peoples are the original inhabitants of Canada, with a rich history, culture, and governance systems impacted by European colonization.

Indigenous Sovereignty

The challenges faced by Indigenous Peoples due to the arrival of British and French settlers, which disrupted their way of life and led to the colonization of their lands.

Indian Act of 1876

Legislation that granted the federal government control over most Indigenous Peoples and their lands.

Colonialism

The aim of colonialism to extinguish, expel, or contain Indigenous Peoples in order to make way for settlers.

Assimilation

The pursuit of assimilation through tools like residential schools, which aimed to erase Indigenous cultures and identities.

Decolonization

The movement advocating for the return of land to Indigenous nations and the dismantling of colonial structures.

Historical Mistreatment

The mistreatment of Indigenous Peoples, resulting in the death of thousands due to diseases, violence, and loss of traditional subsistence methods.

Black Settlement in Canada

The long history of Black people in Canada, including their roots tracing back to the 1700s and their migration through the Underground Railroad.

Segregation

The practice of segregating Black Canadians into their own communities, such as Africville in Halifax, leading to mistreatment and displacement.

Racial Discrimination

The limited opportunities and racial discrimination faced by Black Canadians in the labor market and other areas of life.

Islamophobia

The discrimination and negative attitudes towards Muslim Canadians, particularly after 9/11, including surveillance, negative public discussions, and religious symbols bans.

Immigration

The significance of immigration for Canada's population growth, economic development, and refugee protection.

Multiculturalism

The policy and practice of embracing and celebrating diversity in Canada, shaped by immigration.

Immigration Policies

The historical immigration policies that aimed to create a white nation and targeted specific ethnic groups, as well as the introduction of the points system in 1967.

Integration

The process of integrating immigrants into Canadian society, with similar levels of integration between immigrants and the Canadian-born population.

Syrian Refugee Crisis

The welcoming of thousands of Syrian refugees by Canada, including families, and the challenges they face as highlighted by the RISE project.

Gender

The social construction of expected appearances, behaviors, roles and traits that are built around sex categories

Sex

The biological characteristics of bodies used to distinguish males and females

Gender Inequality

Inequalities in power, status, and wealth between men and women

Sex Assignment

the sex a child is assigned at birth on the basis of their genitals

Gender Role Socialization

the learning of normative gender roles through primary and secondary agents of socialization including family, friends, and mass media

Gender Roles

Expectations for the behavior of men and women, based on societal norms and standards

Gender expression

The public presentation of a person’s gender, which may include clothing, hair, make up name, pronouns, voice and behavior