Race and Ethnicity

race

socially defined category, based on real or perceived biological differences between groups of people

ethnicity

socially defined category bsed on common language, religion, nationality, history, or another cultural factor

Sociologists

see race and ethnicity as social constructs because

race isn’t based on biology ( for instance, we don’t test DNA to determine race

racial categories can change over time

racial categories never have firm boundaries

distinction between race and ethnicity

is important because ethnicity can be displayed or hidden, depending on individual preferences, while racial identities are always on display

symbolic ethnicity

is an ethnic identiy that is only relevant on specfic occasions and does not significantly impact everyday lifes

situational ethnicity

an ethnic identity that can be either displayed or concealed, depending on its usefulness in a given situation

minority group

a social group that is systematically denied acess to power and resources available to the dominant groups of a society

not necessarily fewer in number than the dominant group

racism

set of beliefs about the superiority of one racial or ethnic group

used to justify inequality

often rooted in the assumption that differences between groups are genetic

prejudice (a though process)

an idea about the characteristics of a group

applied to all members of that group

unlikely to change regardless of the evidence against it

discrimination (an action)

unequal treatment of individuals because of their social group

usually motivated by prejudice

individual discrimination

discimination carried out by one person against another

institutional discrimination

systemic discrimination carried out by social institutions (political, economic, educational, and others) that affects all members of a group who come into contact with it

functionalist theorists

focus on the ways that race creates social ties and strengthens group bonds

achnowledge that such ties can lead to violence and social conflict between groups

conflict theory

focuses on the struggle for power and control over scarce resources

symbolic interactionists

focus on the ways that race, class, and gender intersect to produce an individual’s identity

see race as an aspect of identity established through interaction

racial passing

or living as if one is a member of a different racial category, has a long history in the US

race and ethnicity influence

all aspects of our lives, including health, education, work, family, and interactions with the criminal justice system and health care

In US education

the highest high school dropout rates are associated with those from economically disadvantaged with non-english speaking backgrounds

inequality

can also be seen in the workplace and in income distribultion

people of color, who are less likely to achieve high levels of education, are more likely to have lower-paying jobs

nonwhites are more likely to interact with law enforcement

genocide

the deliberate and systematic extermination of a racial, ethnic, national, or cultural group

population transfer

the forcible removal of a group of people from the territory they have occupied

internal colonialism

the economic and political domination and subjegation of the minority group by the controlling group within a nation

segregation

the formal and legal separation of groups by race of ethinicty

assimilation

the minority group is absorbed into the mainstream or dominant group, making society more homogeneous

racial assimilation

racial minority groups are absorbed into the dominant group through intermarriage

cultural assimilation

racial or ethnic groups are absorbed into the dominant group by adopting the dominant group’s culture

pluralism (or multiculturalism)

is a pattern of intergroup relations that encourage and ethnic variation within a society