sociology exam 2

sharecropping

a system of farming in which a landowner allows a tenant to use the land in return for a share of the crops produced on that land

in short, black workers farmed white-owned land for a share of the crops

New Deal

social programs dealing with welfare, work, unemployment, insurance, minimum wags, work day limitations, and veteran assistance

many POC excluded from benefits of New Deal due to pressure from souther Democrats

GI bill

created American middle-class, most non-white veterans excluded from the bill

industrialization

economic momentum, increased access to jobs, particularly in the north. Emergence of a black middle class

came with significant discrimination and limited job movability because POC were usually stuck with dangerous and low paying jobs

deindustrialization

standard of living for many POC improved bc of New Deal programs, but whites still benefitted more.

the economic momentum came to a hault which: widened already large racial gap, blacks and puerto ricans hit hard, white people were 4 times as likely to be eomployed full time in the service industry than blacks

Historical Racial Regime Scale

measures state-level manifestation of the US racial regime during slavery and Jim Crow (Total proportion of population that was enslaved in 1860, percentage of sharecroppers who were black in 1930, total number of disenfranchisement devices, the percentage of black children attending a majority-black school in 1968)

correlations between states with higher racism/segregation and outcomes today (wealth, income)

income

money received from employment, retirement, or government aid

wealth

owned assets that yield monetary return, stocks/bonds, savings accounts, houses and real estate, and business and farm ownership 

racial wealth gap

generational, white people are wealthiest (by assets), great recession- hit POC hardest. racialized wealth patterns are a legacy of : slavery, colonization, JIm Crow, New Deal, 

from 2005 to 2010, asian/hispanic/black households had a 60% decline in median wealth while whites only had a 23% decline 

income inequality 

gap between wages of whites and POC has narrowed slightly since Civil Rights Movement. Hispanic and Black people had substantially lower income medians in 2020 than any other race 

majority-white jobs pay more than majority-black jobs. most races work with majority of the same race

reaganomics

idea to cut back taxes on the wealthy and businesses so they would invest more and the benefits would trickle down to everyone else. 

poor POC hit the hardest. in early 1980s, poorest black families lost 18% of family income. gap between rich and poor increased as well as the gap between white and non-white americans 

race and employment

times of increases and decreases in unemployment were fairly similar among races but Blacks and hispanics still had substantially higher percentages of unemployment throughout all of it 

occupational segregation

men, women, and people of different races tend to be concentrated in different types of jobs

this segregation and high unemployment rates lead to less bargaining power. the workers will be less likely to fight for higher wages and better working conditions 

race audit studies

a type of experiment to identify discrimination when it is difficult to detect. ex: in hiring/resumes

studies had the same results on names, good/bad resumes, crimincal record/no record, and positive responses

Political party affiliation by race

During reconstruction nearly all blacks considered themselves republican (1865-1877). In 1948 presidential election, 77% of blacks voted democrat

Voting disenfranchisement

Terrorism, poll taxes, literacy tests

Voting rights act of 1965

Outlawed literacy tests and other discriminatory voter registration requirements, included special provisions for jurisdictions with histories of race-based voter discrimination

Current voter suppression laws , voter ID/groups

Between 2010 and 2015 22 states passed strict new voting restrictions: photo ID requirements, registration restrictions, absentee ballot voting restrictions.

Affects mainly poor people, urban/inner city residents, and college students- all three groups tend to vote democrat

Gerrymandering

Process by which elected politicians redraw and minute the borders of political districts secure political advantage

Cracking- spreading out voters of one type

Packing- concentrating voters of one type

Civil rights movement

Boycotts and civil disobedience; Montgomery bus boycott, Birmingham movement, freedom riders, freedom summer

Civil rights act of 1964

Signed into law by pres. Johnson in July 1964, prohibited unequal application of voter registration requirements, prohibited racial segregation in schools, workplace, and “public accomodations”

Fair housing act

Prohibited discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on: race, gender, religion, national origin, people with disabilities, etc. introduced specific penalties for housing discrimination and provided mechanisms for addressing individual complains of discrimination

*officially known as Civil Rights Act of 1968

Southern strategy

Coordinated republican strategy used to court white voters by manufacturing and appealing to anti-black racism. Massive shift to the Republican Party among white voters.

Two strategic lessons: opposing racial justice movements increase support among white voters, promote white supremacy- but never do so explicitly

George Wallace and other examples

Governor of Alabama. Wallace used anti-southern and Eastern European rhetoric in early speeches. As a presidential candidate, he campaigned with people of southern and Eastern European descent and framed all white Americans as victims of civil rights legislation

Jimmy Carter- followed Wallace and praised him. He campaigned with the founder of the Georgia white citizens council. After the election, he switched positions and came out in opposition to racial discrimination

Negative affects of special concentration poverty

Underfunded school, crime, violence, low demand density. Limited employment opportunities and limited access to goods and services

Dog whistle politics

How talk in politics allows the speakers to use racially discriminating language or refer to racial prejudice without directly admitting to the prejudice

Ghettos

Part of city that is almost exclusively inhibited by members of one racial/ethnic group and to which virtually all members of that group are restricted. Advanced marginality: spatial and social segregation, exclusion from economic prosperity, limited access to goods and services.

Great migration

Massive movement of African Americans from rural south to urban north.

Escaping Jim Crow and terrorism- for safer, new lives. Spurred by job shortages and job vacancies in the north- encouraged them to move to north

Between 1910 and 1930, 1.5 million blacks migrated north. 1940-1960, another 3 million followed

Residential segregation

American residential space is more racially segregated today than in the years following the civil war. Blacks in 20th century went from living in majority-white neighbourhoods to living in majority-black neighbourhoods

Causes? Rise of industrialism, racial and ethnic groups tend to cluster together

Index of dissimilarity

Scale measuring segregation with 0 being total integration and 100 being total segregation

Redlining

Practice of denying mortgage loans for homes in non-white neighbourhoods

Property deeds included race- restrictive covenants. Slumlords made money charging inflated rents. Avg rent for blacks higher than for whites in 1960

Urban renewal

Further concentrated and intensified poverty Urban Development projects. City planners would destroy neighbourhoods for new highways and buildings. POC were more packed together in fewer neighbourhoods

White flight

White people moved out of urban centres to the suburbs beginning in 1950s

White fight

Some working-class and immigrant whites couldn’t afford to leave the ghetto. Remaining whites warded off POC with intimidation protests and violence

Environmental racism

Any law, policy, or practice that differentials disadvantages (even without purpose) individuals, groups, or communities based on race

Environmental justice movement

A movement advocating for the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, Color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies

Flint water crisis

Water supply in Michigan switched to flint river. Discoloured and smelly water, water not properly treated. Showed government neglect. Showed how race, poverty, and political power shaped who is protected and who isn’t