Race Relations in the US UVM Exam 2

Assimilation (majority-conformity) Theory

The process by which members of racial or ethnic minorities are able to function within a society without indicating any marked cultural, social, or personal differences from the people of the majority group

structural pluralism

coexistence of racial and ethnic groups in separate sub societies; also may be divided along social class and regional boundaries

split or dual labor market

a concept explaining ethnic antagonism on the basis of conflict between higher-paid and lower-paid labor --> same business pays different employees different amounts

middleman minorities

a minority group occupying an intermediate occupational position in trade or commerce between the top and bottom strata

structural assimilation

Large-scale entrance of minority-group members into primary-group relationships with the host society in its social organizations and institutions

Vicious-circle phenomenon

dynamics of intergroup relations where prejudice and discrimination serve as reciprocal stimuli and responses to reinforce one another

Accommodation (pluralistic) theory

A tendency to accept the situation as it exists, without seeking to change it or make others conform; pluralism

acceptance

a minority response to prejudice and discrimination; based on powerlessness, fear for personal safety, desire for economic security, or split-labor market theory fatalism

xenophobia

the irrational fear of or contempt for strangers or foreigners

deviance

characteristics or behavior violating social norms and therefor negatively valued by many people in that society

spatial segregation

The physical separation of a minority group from the rest of society, such as in housing or education

negative self-image

The result of social conditioning, differential treatment, or both, causing people or groups to believe themselves inferior

cumulative causation

Gunnar Myrdal's term for the vicious-circle process in which prejudice and discrimination mutually "cause" each other, thereby continuing and intensifying the cycle

marginality

The situation of individuals who are the product of one culture but are attempting to live within another, and therefore are not fully a part of either one

marital assimilation

A pattern of intermarriage of minority-group members with dominant-group members, A synonym is the melting-pot theory

Exploitation

the selfish use of the labor of others for profit at their expense

annihilation

The extermination of a specific group of people

cultural pluralism

two or more culturally distinct groups coexisting in relative harmony

Amalgamation (Melting Pot) Theory

The biological and cultural blending of two or more groups of people into a distinct new type; the melting-pot theory, A synonym is marital assimilation

primary structural assimilation

Integration in which dominant and minority-group members share close, personal interactions in churches, families, social clubs, or gatherings

Expulsion

the forced removal of a group of people from an area

Cultural assimilation (acculturation)

Changing cultural patterns of behavior to those of the host society

social segregation

A situation in which participation in social, fraternal, service, and other types of activities are confined to members of the in-group

avoidance

a minority-group response to prejudice and discrimination by migrating or withdrawing to escape further problems; a majority-group attempt to minimize contact with specific minority groups through social or spatial segregation

underground economy

Individuals or businesses that deal in cash "under the table" and "off the books" so income is not reported and thus not taxed

defiance

a peaceful or violent action to challenge openly what a group considers a discriminatory practice

americanization movement

The effort to have ethnic groups quickly give up their cultural traits and adopt those of the dominant U.S. group

invasion-succession

the ecological process in which one group displaces another group in a residential area or business activity

Anglo-conformity

A behavioral adherence to the established white Anglo-Saxon Protestant prototype; what many ethnocentric U.S. residents mean by assimilation

secondary structural assimilation

integration in which dominant and minority group members share the more impersonal public sphere of civic, school, recreational or work settings

labeling theory

a perspective addressing how others' categorizations affect one's self identity and behavior

environmental justice

A movement to eliminate environmental harms to all people

sovereign

having independent power or authority

environmental racism

the disproportionate impact of hazardous substances on low-income minority groups, particularly people of color

dichotomy

a division into two, possibly contrasting, parts

indigenous

referring to a group, person, plant, or animal in its native habitat

Pan-Indianism (Red Power Movement)

Social movement in which tribes not united by kinship join together in a common cause.

mortality rate

number of deaths per 1000 people in a given year

cultural drift

a gradual change in the values, attitudes, customs, and beliefs of the members of a society

de facto segregation

physical separation of a group that is entrenched in customs and practices

de jure segregation

physical separation of a group that is established by law

Jim Crow Laws

southern-state segregation laws, passed in the 1890's and early 1900's; covered use of all public facilities, including schools, restaurants, transportation, waiting rooms, rest rooms, drinking fountains, and parks

Ebonics

An African American systematic language dialect with its own grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary

redlining

unwillingness of some banks to make loans in lower-income minority neighborhoods

black codes

Southern state laws enacted during Reconstruction to keep blacks in a condition close to slavery

bipolarization

two opposite trends occurring simultaneously

slavery reparations

cash or land compensation to descendants of slaves to rectify past injustices

critical race theory

a marxist position that racism is so ingrained in the social system that equal protection under the law is impossible

institutional racism

unequal treatment of a racial group inherent in the ongoing operations of society's institutions

feminization of poverty

a term describing female-headed households living in poverty