Soci Chapter 11 on Race and Ethnicity

This set of flashcards covers key terms related to race, ethnicity, and minority groups as outlined in Chapter 11.

Amalgamation

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

Antiracist

A person who opposes racism and acts for racial justice.

Assimilation

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

Colorism

The belief that one type of skin tone is superior or inferior to another within a racial group.

Culture of Prejudice

The theory that prejudice is embedded in our culture.

Discrimination

Prejudiced action against a group of people.

Dominant Group

A group of people who have more power in a society than any of the subordinate groups.

Ethnicity

Shared culture, which may include heritage, language, religion, and more.

Expulsion

The act of a dominant group forcing a subordinate group to leave a certain area or even the country.

Genocide

The deliberate annihilation of a targeted (usually subordinate) group.

Intersection Theory

Theory that suggests we cannot separate the effects of race, class, gender, sexual orientation, and other attributes.

Minority Group

Any group of people who are singled out from the others for differential and unequal treatment.

Model Minority

The stereotype applied to a minority group that is seen as reaching higher educational, professional, and socioeconomic levels without protest against the majority establishment.

Pluralism

The ideal of the United States as a 'salad bowl': a mixture of different cultures where each culture retains its own identity.

Prejudice

Biased thought based on flawed assumptions about a group of people.

Racism

A set of attitudes, beliefs, and practices that are used to justify the belief that one racial category is somehow superior or inferior to others.

Redlining

The practice of routinely refusing mortgages for households and business located in predominately minority communities.

Scapegoat Theory

A theory that suggests that the dominant group will displace its unfocused aggression onto a subordinate group.

Sedimentation of Racial Inequality

The intergenerational impact of de facto and de jure racism that limits the abilities of Black people to accumulate wealth.

Segregation

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

Social Construction of Race

The school of thought that race is not biologically identifiable.

Stereotypes

Oversimplified ideas about groups of people.

Subordinate Group

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

Systemic Racism

Racism embedded in social institutions; also referred to as institutional racism and structural racism.

White Privilege

The societal privilege that benefits White people, or those perceived to be White, over non-White people in some societies.