Identity, Ethnicity, Race, and Gender Studies Overview

Identity

The way individuals and groups define themselves and are defined by others, including aspects like nationality, ethnicity, gender, and social roles.

Situational Negotiation of Identity

The process of changing one's identity depending on the context or social situation.

Intersectionality

A framework that examines how different aspects of a person's identity (e.g., race, gender, class) intersect to create unique modes of discrimination or privilege.

Status

A person's position within a social structure, which can be ascribed (assigned at birth) or achieved (earned through actions).

Role

The behaviors and expectations associated with a particular status in society.

"Me" vs. "We" Cultures

"Me" cultures emphasize individualism, personal achievement, and autonomy (e.g., United States). "We" cultures focus on group membership, collective responsibility, and interdependence (e.g., many Indigenous or Asian cultures).

Ethnicity

Social groups defined by shared characteristics like culture, language, religion, or national origin.

Origin Myths

Stories or narratives that explain the origin of an ethnic group, helping to foster a sense of shared history and identity.

Nationalism

A belief in the shared identity of a nation, often emphasizing the interests of the nation-state above others.

Boundary Markers

Physical or symbolic markers used to distinguish one ethnic group from another (e.g., language, dress, religious practices).

Ethnic Symbols

Cultural items or practices (like clothing, rituals, or foods) that are used to signify ethnic identity.

Symbolic Ethnicity

Ethnicity that is expressed in a way that is largely symbolic or occasional, not necessarily tied to day-to-day life or politics.

Ethnogenesis

The process through which a new ethnic group comes into being, often through social and cultural changes.

Ethnic Cleansing/Violence

The systematic attempt to remove or destroy an ethnic group from a specific area, often through force or genocide.

Race

A social construct used to categorize people based on physical characteristics (e.g., skin color, hair type), often linked to social and political power.

Clines

Gradual changes in a trait or characteristic across geographical areas, showing that race is not biologically discrete but instead exists on a spectrum.

Racial Commonsense

Common beliefs or stereotypes about race, which are often taken for granted or seen as 'obvious' without questioning.

Institutional Racism

Discriminatory policies and practices embedded within social structures or institutions.

Individual Racism

Personal prejudices or discriminatory actions that an individual may hold or perform.

History of Race in the U.S.

The development of racial categories and hierarchies in the U.S., often rooted in colonialism, slavery, and segregation.

Hypodescent

The practice of classifying a person as part of a marginalized racial group if they have any ancestry from that group, regardless of other factors.

Blood Quantum

A legal measure used to determine an individual's racial or ethnic identity, particularly in relation to Native American heritage.

White Privilege

The unearned advantages or benefits that white people experience in a racially structured society, often invisible to those who possess it.

Cross-cultural Understandings of Race

Different cultures and countries define and understand race in unique ways.

Brazil

Has a more fluid and complex racial categorization system, with a focus on color rather than rigid categories.

Dominican Republic

Racial identity is heavily influenced by the history of colonialism and the Afro-Dominican population's struggle with identity.

K. Brodkin-Sachs

Focused on how European immigrants in the U.S. became "white" through social and political processes.

Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Explores the historical and social constructs of race, especially in relation to African American identity.

Peggy McIntosh

Known for her work on 'white privilege,' outlining the advantages that white people often take for granted.

Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man

A series where Emmanuel Acho has candid discussions on race, racism, and privilege.

Race in Latin America

Explores how race is understood differently in Latin American contexts, comparing U.S. and Latin American systems of racial categorization.

Sex

Biological and physical characteristics that define humans as male, female, or intersex, typically including chromosomes, reproductive organs, and hormones.

Gender

Socially constructed roles, behaviors, and attributes that a society considers appropriate for men, women, and other gender identities.

Intersex

Individuals born with physical sex characteristics that do not fit typical definitions of male or female.

Sexual Orientation

Who someone is attracted to sexually.

Romantic Orientation

Who someone is attracted to emotionally or romantically.

Sexual Fluidity

The idea that an individual's sexual attractions and identity may change over time, influenced by personal experiences or social context.

Gender Identity

An individual's personal sense of their gender, which may or may not align with their sex assigned at birth.

Gender Expression

How an individual expresses their gender through appearance, behavior, clothing, and other outward traits.

Transgender

A person whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth.

Cisgender

A person whose gender identity aligns with the sex they were assigned at birth.

Two-Spirited Ones

A term used in some Indigenous cultures to describe a person who embodies both masculine and feminine qualities or occupies a unique gender role.

Muxe

A Zapotec cultural concept from Oaxaca, Mexico, describing individuals assigned male at birth but who take on female gender roles and may have a distinct social and spiritual position.

Hijras

A third gender category in South Asia, often considered neither male nor female, with cultural roles that can include spiritual or ceremonial duties.

Sworn Virgins

Women in some Balkan cultures who take on male social roles and identities, often due to family or social expectations.

Gender Revolution

A documentary exploring the science and cultural aspects of gender, featuring a range of perspectives on gender identity.