Race Exam 1

Priomordiarlist school of thought

race is based in biology

constructionalist school of thought

race is a social construct

inherently biological

Stereotypes that we attribute to different racial groups are explained as this

why is race a useful tool?

to JUSTIFY European expansion & exploitation

Drapetomania

a mental illness found only among Black people; this disease caused them (the enslaved)
to run away; sulky behavior

Biological Determinism

The idea that people at the bottom of the hierarchy are fundamentally inferior (& vice-versa).
It’s used to justify slavery, colonization, murder, & the status-quo

Jensenism

genetic differences in intelligence contributed significantly to the average IQ gap between “racial” groups.

intelligence is determined by?

genes and environment

What factors affect one’s health?

genes, work conditions, education, socioeconomic status, stress, culture, etc,.

One Drop Rule

A seemingly arbitrary rule of racial classification that defined anyone as black if
they possessed any “drop of black blood, " regardless of physical appearance

What does “ascertainable” mean?

People in positions of power & everyday people “policed” the boundaries of
whiteness, Any perceived Black ancestry = Black (one drop rule

Purpose of 1-drop rule

• Economic advantage: to increase # of slaves

• To keep a strong line between blacks & whites in
  the segregated South

• To prevent tainting the “purity” of the white race

Racial Integrity Act of 1924: (Virginia)

"Every person in whom there is any ascertainable Negro blood shall be deemed
and taken to be a colored person.”

Implicit Bias

Subconscious, hidden biases that operate outside of our conscious control. They may
run contrary to our stated beliefs.

how can Implicit biases guide our behavior

Non-verbal, Everyday Interaactions

In Education

In the Workplace

Life or Death Situations

Cognitive Dimension of prejudice

what people believe to be true about a group (this is often based on stereotypes!)

affective dimension of prejudice

refers to the feelings, emotions, & sentiments people hold about groups

Authoritarian Personality Theory

Harsh childhood discipline —> Repressed emotions (anger, anxiety)—> Displaced anger & anxiety —> The development of a specific personality type (authoritarian personality)

According to Authoritarian Personality theory, WHO would we predict to be likely to be prejudiced?

People raised in strict, punitive, obedience-focused households

Frustration-Aggression Theory

Missed goal —> Frustration/ Anger! —> Scapegoating

Social Learning Theory

• Prejudice is learned & transmitted through
  the process of socialization.

• We are taught to be prejudiced!

• We learn (1) stereotypes & (2) attitudes &
  feelings.

Conformity Theory

We simply conform to the norms of our surroundings

Conflict Theory

competition ( over real or imagined resources) —> conflict —> prejudice

4 types of feelings present in the dominant group (Blumer)

1) Feeling of Superiority: “we are better!,” “they are
sub-human, inferior”
2. Feeling that the Subordinate Group is
Different/Alien: “they are not our kind,” “they are
different”
3. Sense of Entitlement: “that job should be mine,”
“we deserve this,” “this is ours”
4. Fear or Suspicion of the “subordinate” race, Fear that
they are “getting out of place”: “they are starting to
get uppity,” “they don’t know their place”

Individual Discrimination

Discriminatory actions taken by individuals that are intended to have a harmful effect on a
particular group

Institutional Discrimination

Discriminatory laws, policies, & practices that are built into the social structure and/or social
institutions that are intended to have a differential/harmful effect on a group

Institutional Discrimination: Slavery

Slavery in the United States was governed by an extensive body of law developed from
the 1640s to the 1860s. Every slave state had its own slave code (i.e., slave laws).

Structural Discrimination

Discriminatory laws, policies, & practices that are built into the social structure and/or social
institutions that were NOT intended to have a differential/harmful effect on a group–though
they still differentially affected different social groups (e.g., “race-neutral” policies)

Key distinction between institutional & structural
discrimination

intent

What is “racism”?

A system of advantage based on race (not a personal ideology or individual act!)

What is “white privilege”?

an invisible package of unearned assets which I can count on cashing in each day. . .White privilege is like an invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions, maps, passports, codebooks, visas, clothes, tools, and blank checks