race and ethnic relations midterm

sociology

the scientific study of

• social life

• human behavior

• social structures

sociological imagination

• C.W Mills

• ability to see the connection between individual experiences and larger economic and historical issues

Industrial Revolution

provided major transformations in 1750-1880 regarding

• technology

• society

• politics

• economy: became about the economic interests of the richer class

• steam engine: first time burning coal and gas

founders of sociology

• august comte

• herbert spencer

• karl marx

• emile durkheim

• max weber

august comte

• French philosopher

• “sociology”

• statics (social order)/dynamics (social change)

• 3 types of sociology: theological society, metaphysical society, rational society.

theological society

religion explains everything

metaphysical society

tradition explains everything

rational society

scientific reasoning explains everything

herbert spencer

• survival of the fittest

• poor/weak die out and rich survive

• believes we should not mess up this process

• father of social darwinism

karl marx

• class struggle

• theory of profit factory owners own what you make

• control means of production

• don’t control your own time

• alienation: feeling out of place

• economic determinism: if you have money, you control everything

max weber

• religion determines economic systems

• church said you can go to heaven if you donate money

• hardwork is a calling and worship to God

emile durkheim

• first professor in sociology

• 2 types of society: mechanical solidarity and organic solidarity

• suicide (1897): due to society

mechanical solidarity

• similarity in thought, behavior, and action

• little or no division of labor (specialization)

• relations are personal, deep

organic solidarity

• differences in thought, behavior, and action

• high degree of specialization of division of labor

• relations are distant and not personal

W.E.B du bois

• did a non-racist study which was also the first statistically advanced study

• found the issue of double consciousness: African Americans are outside looking in

• passing the color line: racial barriers

Linnaeus (1758)

the 4 race categories

• americans: red, quick-tempered

• asiaticus: yellow, sad, inflexible

• africanus: black, rude, stupid, lazy

• monstros: giants, dwarfs

J von Blumenback

the 5 races cateogory: skin color

• first person to use the term race

• race is defined by phenotype- observable biological features

sam norton

• 1840

• “craniometry”

• false findings that people of color are less intelligent because their craniums are smaller

de gobineau

• 1853

• wrote an essay on the inequality of races

• 3 races: white, yellow, black

• “whites are intellectually superior”

tenets of race theories

difference, deficit, and division

study of evolution of words overtime

lineage and authority

3 dimensions of race definition

• biology

• politics (the law)

• social definitions

quadron

¼ black

octorian

1/8 black

social definition of race

how you see yourself and how others define you

prejudice

to judge people before you get to know them. unequal treatment of people because they belong to a group

discrimination

to divide people

mertons matrix on prejudice and discrimination

• unprejudiced non-discriminator

• prejudiced discriminator

• unprejudiced discriminator

• prejudiced non-discriminator

modes of relationships between dominant groups and minorities

• assimilation: trying to make them similar

• expelling: kick them out

• subjugates: dominate and exploit minorities

• genocide: kill

• accommodation: adjust without abandoning identity fully

ethnic groups

• language

• territory

• customs

• religion

theories of ethnicity

• instrumentalism (cultural)

• constructivism (political and social)

• primordialism (biological)

defining minority groups

a population subgroup that holds differential power, resources, and social status compared to a dominant majority group

intersectionality

multiple social identities overlap to create unique experiences of discrimination or privilege

the psychology of prejudice- T Adorno

• the theory of authoritarian (strict) personality

• most of these highly prejudiced people dislike openness to interpretation, have strict obedience to leaders, and intolerance to weakness

• insecure or angry child

scapegoating

blaming others for something that is not their fault (when frustrated)

self justification

we blame others to justify our mistreatment of them

socialization

• children conform to their parents expectations in understanding the world and people

• therefore, we learn prejudice from our parents

minority responses

• avoidance

• deviance

• defiance

• acceptance

avoidance

means leaving discrimination behind

deviance

rebel against the cultural frameworks of the dominant group. E.g. Native Indians and crimes of personal disorganization i.e. drunkenness, drug abuse, gambling

defiance

Economic empowerment, cultural nationalism, self-defense. could be violent or non-violent.

acceptance

maintains the domination of establishment but reduces open tension and conflict