Ethnicity and Inequality

what does ethnicity refer to

the cultural heritage of groups of people, but is hard to make clear cut distinctions

what is super diversity

Verotec

there are so many groups and individuals living in contemporary society it is hard to make distinctions between different groups

what does ethnocentric mean

Bias towards one’s own culture. See own culture as the norm and anything that deviates from this as inferior

what is cultural racism

This is where mistaken notions of a particular ‘racial’ group are shared by a whole culture/society

what is institutional racism

When racist beliefs and practices are ingrained within an organisation

what is the ethnic penalty

The disadvantage ethnic minorities experience in the labour market compared to white British people

what is Islamophobia and what are the 4 elements of it

This is a form of cultural racism. It is a distrust, dislike and hostility towards Islam.

The Runnymede Trust identified four elements of Islamophobia:

• Prejudice

• Discrimination

• Exclusion

• Violence.

what are 2 pieces of evidence for Islamophobia

• 31% of Muslims working in the UK have no formal qualifications.

• Bangladeshi and Pakistani underachievement in education and in employment.

what is the functionalist approach to ethnic inequality

Ethnic inequality is inevitable over a period of time, but are temporary.

Assimilation – how well an individual adapts to the majority culture and dilutes their original cultural norms and values - is a key concept.

Parsons described the American Negro as a second class citizen, but believed ethnic minorities would eventually become part of a shared value system.

Patterson claimed Britain was a harmonious place in the 1950s, but the arrival of immigrants threatened the consensus of norms and values. The fear of the natives and the failure of the immigrants to assimilate create racism

critiques of the functionalist approach to ethnic inequality

Assimilation does not seem to be happening for many ethnic groups, particularly Muslims, in the UK.

Where you live has an impact on how well an individual can assimilate

Marxist approach to ethnic inequalities

Cox claims that racism is a product of capitalism.

Capitalism uses a divide-and-rule strategy to control the working class by creating antagonism amongst the white working class.

However, Westergard and Resler claim that ethnic minorities are part of a unified working class.

Castles and Kosack said ethnic minorities are concentrated in low-pay, low-skill employment. They therefore represent a reserve army of labour

Neo-Marxist approach to ethnic inequality

Try to unite the economic argument with a cultural explanation.

Miles claims that minority groups are part of the main class structure, but a racialised part, always perceived as different due to race.

Other neo-Marxists, including Hall, talk of the scapegoating of ethnic minorities.

New Racism is ethnic minorities being seen as a threat to mainstream values.

Afro-Caribbean and Asian families were not accepted as British due to their failure to adopt mainstream British cultural practices.

Gilroy claims that ethnic minorities, even those born in UK, are seen as outsiders to the above concepts.

Gilroy also argues the connection between blackness and crime adds to this racism

Weberian approach to ethnic inequalities

Put more emphasis on ethnic differences than economic differences in explaining social inequalities.

Parkin says ethnic minority groups are negatively privileged status groups, being kept out of privileged status groups by social segregation.

There is a glass ceiling keeping ethnic minorities down.

Rex and Moore: Dual Labour Market theory can also be applied to ethnic minorities.

Rex and Tomlinson: Black underclass: ethnic minorities exploited by capitalism and driven into low status jobs. Black people disproportionately likely to live in poor housing and areas of high unemployment > which creates higher rates of single parenthood.

New Right approach to ethnic inequality

Blame the culture of some ethnic minorities for the poverty and unemployment they experience.

Murray focused on black single mums.

Black feminist approach to ethnic inequalities

Abbot et al

Argue that previous strands of feminism were ethnocentric and have perpetuated a victim ideology – seeing black women as helpless victims, ignoring how black women fight oppression

Black feminist approach to ethnic inequalities

Brewer

Black women experience inequality because they are:

• Black

• Women

• Working class

Black feminist approach to ethnic inequalities

Mirza

Black women have fought domestic violence and sexism in schools.

They have also developed alternative family forms.

Black women have challenged racism amongst police and immigration officials

Black feminist approach to ethnic inequalities

Connell

Much sexism is caused by colonialism in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Most women live in these areas, so we shouldn’t focus on the minority of women in Britain and other Western countries

Black feminist approach to ethnic inequalities

Hartmann

Triple systems theory – racism, sexism and classism

postmodernist approach to ethnic inequalities

Rejects sociology that makes grand claims about ethnic groups.

Super-diversity is a key concept.

Modood advocates a more plural approach, due to there being more diversity within cultural groups than between ethnic groups