Race, Ethnicity, and Racism — Vocabulary Flashcards (Chapter 11)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from Chapter 11 lecture slides on race, ethnicity, and racism.

Minority group

A group in a society that, because of distinct physical or cultural characteristics, experiences inequality relative to the dominant group.

Race

A socially constructed category rooted in the belief that there are fundamental differences among humans, linked to phenotype and ancestry.

Ethnicity

Cultural values and norms that distinguish members of a given group from others.

Racism

The attribution of characteristics of superiority or inferiority to a population sharing certain physically inherited characteristics.

Prejudice

A preconceived negative judgment about a group, often not based on experience.

Discrimination

Behavior that denies to members of a particular group resources or rewards that can be obtained by others.

Color-blind racism

Racism without racists; the belief that ignoring race will eliminate racism but can perpetuate racial inequality.

White privilege

The unacknowledged and unearned assets that benefit whites in their everyday lives.

Institutional racism

Racism that occurs through the respected and established institutions of society, rather than through individual hate.

Overt racism

Racism that is openly expressed by individuals who hold racist beliefs.

Microaggressions

Small slights, indignities, or acts of disrespect toward people of color, often by well-meaning whites.

Apartheid

The system of racial segregation established in South Africa.

Assimilation

The process by which a minority group is absorbed into the dominant culture, adopting its values and norms.

Melting pot

The idea that ethnic differences can be combined to create new patterns of behavior drawing on diverse cultural sources.

Pluralism

A model in which all ethnic groups retain their identities yet share equally in the rights and powers of citizenship.

Multiculturalism

A condition in which ethnic groups exist separately and share equally in economic and political life.

Global migration

Migratory movements across borders, including immigration (into a country) and emigration (out of a country) for settlement.

Diaspora

The dispersal of an ethnic population from its homeland into foreign areas, often in a forced or traumatic manner.

Genocide

The systematic, planned destruction of a racial, political, or cultural group.

Ethnic cleansing

The creation of ethnically homogeneous territories through the mass expulsion of other ethnic populations.

Segregation

The practice of keeping racial and ethnic groups physically separate, thereby maintaining the dominant group's superior position.