Race and Ethnicity - Unit 11

Race

A grouping of humankind based on shared physical or social qualities that vary across societies.

Social Construction of Race

The school of thought that race is not biologically identifiable.

Ethnicity

Shared culture, including heritage, language, religion, values, and beliefs.

Pan-ethnic Group

Closely associated ethnic groups that share cultural, linguistic, or historical backgrounds.

Minority Group

Any group of people singled out for differential and unequal treatment.

Subordinate Group

A group of people who have less power than the dominant group.

Dominant Group

A group of people who have more power in a society than any other group.

Scapegoat Theory

Theory suggesting the dominant group displaces its unfocused aggression onto a subordinate group.

Anti-miscegenation Laws

Laws that prohibited interracial marriage and relationships.

Loving v. Virginia (1967)

Supreme Court case that overturned the remaining 16 state bans on interracial marriage.

Functionalism

Perspective viewing social stability as maintained by harmonious interaction among groups.

Conflict Theory

Perspective examining struggles between the ruling class and racial or ethnic minorities.

Intersection Theory

Theory suggesting we cannot separate the overlapping effects of race, class, gender, and sexual orientation.

Stereotypes

Oversimplified ideas about groups of people.

Prejudice

Biased thought based on flawed assumptions and prejudgment rather than experience.

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to notice evidence that confirms existing prejudices or stereotypes.

Discrimination

Actions, policies, or barriers enacted against a group of people.

Systemic Racism

Systems with procedures or processes that disadvantage racial minority groups.

Colorism

A form of racism where one skin tone is favored over another within the same racial group.

Color-Avoidance Racism

Avoidance of racial language to indicate that racism is no longer an issue.

Implicit Bias

Unconscious predispositions or leanings toward people based on their identities or characteristics.

Anti-racism

Actively working internally and externally to reduce or eliminate racist acts, policies, and beliefs.

Pluralism

Intergroup relationship characterized by mutual respect among all cultures in a multicultural environment.

Assimilation

The process by which a minority group takes on the characteristics of the dominant culture.

Amalgamation

The process by which a minority group and a majority group combine to form a new group.

Segregation

The physical separation of two groups in residence, workplace, and social functions.

Expulsion

The act of a dominant group forcing a subordinate group to leave a certain area.

Indian Removal Act of 1830

Act forcing the relocation of Native tribes east of the Mississippi River to western lands.

Dawes Act of 1887

Act forcing Native Americans onto individual properties, reducing their collective power.

Model Minority Stereotype

Stereotype applied to a minority group seen as reaching high socioeconomic levels without challenging the establishment.