Week 1: Introduction to the Concepts of Race and Ethnicity

Durkheim

ethnicity: a collective conscience as a source of identity and group formation

• social solidarity in premodern societies based on sameness

• being with your “own kind”

• feelings of “us” vs “them: crucial to social group formation

• boundary making - who belongs?

Weber

ethnicity: determined by common descent, tribe, culture, religion, nationality

• monopolistic closure: institutionalized processes that facilitate access to resources for members of in-groups while blocking access for members of out-groups

• belief in differences between groups is what matters, regardless of how insignificant, superficial or minor the differences actually are

culture

• a set of dynamic social processes and practices that inform action, behaviour and responses to the environment

assimilation

• process by which members of an ethnicc group are incorporated in to the dominant culture of a society

collective

• based on consensus within group of what defines the group and how it differs from others

individual

• based on relationship of individuals to their own ethnic collectivity; how strongly do they identify with the collective

diachronic dimensions of ethnicity

transmitting culture from on generation to the next is facilitated by two main processes

1. endogamy (marrying within limits of a local community)

2. enculturation (acquiring characteristics and norms of one’s culture or group)

synchronic dimensions of ethnicity

• how an individual or ethnic collectivity is defined, evaluated, and treated by others

Herberg

Institutional Completeness: the extent to which an ethnic group forms organizations and institutions by and for its members (Herberg 1989)

• important for retaining ethnic identity

• informs ethnic group consciousness (Kallen 2003)

large numbers of organizations and institutions associated with high levels

Breton

Institutional Completeness: ethnic organizations as political entities

• “encapsulated political systems” embedded within larger canadian sociopolitical and economic framework

• domestic and external affairs

  • domestic: provision of material services, symbolic services

  • external: matters of government policies concerning immigrants, issues of discrimination and prejudice, relations with broader societal institutions, relations with the country of origin and its representatives

Reitzz

Institutional Completeness: ethnic organization participation common among first generation as a model of socialization for offspring

• second generation may be more susceptible to assimilation into dominant culture and rejection of ethnic background

• ethnic organizations and institutions as alternatives to the dominant structure

  • providing services outside of mainstream options

  • access professional services offered by co-ethnics

  • expression and reaffirmation of identity and attachment to community

historical approaches to race

• based on ascriptive characteristics (eg. skin colour, eye colour/shape, hair type, nose shape, etc.)

  • also tied to lineage, religion, and the environment

scientific racism

based on the belief that there are innate biological differences that exist between groups and that some groups are superior or inferior relative to other groups

• biological differences = cultural differences

five assumptions of scientific racism

1. there exist distinct and permanent types of humans

2. physical appearance and behaviour is an expression of a discrete biological type

3. cultural variation is determined by differences in biological type

4. biological variation is the origin of conflict between individuals and between nations

5. races are differentially endowed such that some are inherently inferior to others

the human genome project

• project that started in 1987 to map the human genome and DNA

• findings:

  • 99.9% of genetic material id the same

  • 0.1% of genetic material accounts for variation and differences

racialization

the social process of defining racial differences as significant and important, which may also extend to ascribing racial identities to individuals or groups of people

The New Racism - Barker, 1981

biologically informed racism is less common today but negative evaluations of racially defined groups persisted

• masked as racially neutral and coded language

• hostility towards minority groups

anti-immigrant racism

• context of new immigration from asian and latin american countries

• fear of foreignness → nativism

  • 3 sentiments:

    • fear of non-english language undermining the American nation

    • fear of racialized immigrants taking advantage of multiculturalism and affirmative action and retaining distinct ethnic and racial identities

    • fear of immigrants taking advantage of publicly funded resources and services

anti-black racism

• some scholars argue that the black-white colour pin is the more significant than other racial divisions in the US

• symbolic racism: based on perceived value conflict between programs and philosophies that are designed to improve outcomes for minority groups and universal western values of freedom and equality

• persistent negative attitudes towards blacks over time

canada - democratic racism

• cultural differences tied to value conflicts

• democratic racism as an ideology that emphasizes democratic principles and fairness which are in conflict yes coexist with negative perceptions about minority groups and discrimination against them

• this ideology minimizes the existence and seriousness of racism in canadian society

democratic racism discourses

1. colour-blindess

2. equal opportunity

3. blaming the victim

4. multiculturalism