Study Plan: Race and Ethnicity

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

minority group

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

race

a socially constructed category that produces real effects on the actors who are racially categorized

scapegoat theory

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

social construction of race

the school of thought that race is not biologically identifiable

subordinate group

a group of people who have less power than the dominant group

colorism

a form of prejudice based on the belief that one type of skin tone is superior or inferior to another within a racial group

color-blind racism

the belief that one doesn’t “see” race

discrimination

prejudiced action against a group of people

institutional racism

racism embedded in social institutions

prejudice

biased thought based on flawed assumptions about a group of people

racial steering

the act of real estate agents directing prospective homeowners toward or away from certain neighborhoods based on their race

racial profiling

the use by law enforcement by looking at race alone when determining whether to stop and detain

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

sedimentation of racial inequality

the intergenerational impact of de facto (a matter of custom) and de jure (a matter of law) racism that limits the abilities of Black people to accumulate wealth

stereotypes

oversimplified generalizations about groups of people

white privilege

the benefits people automatically receive simply by being part of the dominant group

amalgamation

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

assimilation

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

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

pluralism

the ideal of the United States as a “salad bowl:” a mixture of different cultures where each culture retains its own identity and yet adds to the “flavor” of the whole (compare with “melting pot”)

segregation

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

African diaspora

the dispersion of African peoples into other communities, especially those in North and South America, from the 16th to the 19th centuries

model minority

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

white supremacy

the belief that whites are racially superior and should dominate all other races

contact hypothesis

Gordon Allport’s theory that emphasizes the importance of interpersonal communication in reducing stereotypes, prejudices, and discrimination

culture of prejudice

the theory that prejudice is embedded in our culture

double consciousness

the feeling that one’s identity is divided because of race

intersection theory

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

social identity theory

people examine their own identity as based on group membership (in-groups and out-groups)