13. Ethnicity + Racialized Groups

What is race?

• similarity of physical appearance

  • genetic variation within groups is as great as between groups

What are continuous traits?

• physical characteristics

What are discrete traits?

• ex. blood type, sickle cell trait

What is racialization?

• the political process of ascribing racial identity to a group that didn’t define itself as such

What is ethnicity?

• generally biologically self perpetuating

  • shares a culture

  • bembers communicate, interact, and identify with one another.

  • distinguished from other similar groupings

What is the main characteristic of ethnicity?

• ethnic groups have cultural boundaries

  • racialized groups have hereditary physical similarities

What are the measures of ethnicity?

• origins - where ancestors emigrated from

• identity - to whom they feel they belong

• mother tongue - first language learned

What is a minority?

• a disadvantaged group subjected to unequal treatment by a dominant group

  • regard themselves as objects of collective discrimination

What are patterns of intergroup relations?

• annihilation

• stratification

• pluralism

• assimilation

What is annihilation?

• elimination of relations through one group being:

  • annihilated

  • expelled

What is stratification?

• fomation of a hierarchy of dominance

What are examples of stratification?

• colonialism - one group dominates the other

• segregation - physical + social separation of categories of people

What is pluralism?

• multiculturalism - the mosaic

  • groups live together on an equal basis while keeping + valuing their differences

What is institutional completeness?

• a complete set of social institutions that serve their own people in their own language

  • a form of pluralism

What is assimilation?

• the reduction/blurring of boundaries that produce a common culture where the minority is absorbed into dominant culture

What are the dimensions of assimilation? (4)

• cultural - merging of values + standards

• structural - equal occupation distribution, education levels, political participation

• psychological - attitude of “oneness”

• biological - blending of genetic patterns through long inter-breeding

What are factors of assimilation? (6)

• ethnic neighbourhood residence

• ethnic self-identification

• endogamy vs exogamy

• ethnic religious affiliation

• ingroup interaction

• ethnic language retention

What is group mobilization?

• political organization of racial/ethnic groups to resist assimilation

What is geographical concentration?

• settling in selected localities

What is postmodernity?

• ethnic mobilization as reaction to modernization

What is nationalism?

• increased ethnic consciousness creates demand for political independence

What are split labour markets?

• undercutting + dividing the working class

What are segregated labour markets?

• ethnic groups dominating certain labour markets

What is race/ethnicity/nationality as a resource?

• using identity and community/network to a personal advantage

what is nepotism/ethnic sponsorship?

• using kinship influence to personal advantage

What is prejudice?

• a rigid + irrational generalization about an entire category of people

  • stereotypes

  • social distance

  • self-fulfilling prophecy

What are stereotypes?

• exaggeration of a trait typical of the group

What is discrimination?

• treating various categories of people unequally

What are types of discrimination?

• differential treatment - treating individuals differently

• prejudicial treatment - treating someone based on the category they belong before getting to know them

• denial of what they desire - placing restrictions on the aspirations of members of a whole group

• disadvantageous treatment - ex. verbal derogation → physical attack

What is racism?

• a set of beliefs that assume behaviour tendencies are genetically based, races differ in their possession of these traits, some races are superior and should enjoy extra privilege + power

What is racial profiling?

• discriminatory practice of law enforcement officials targeting someone based on their race, ethnicity, religion, or national origin

What is scapegoating?

• blaming others for our own failures

What is authoritarianism?

• being unthinkingly deferring to those above you in a hierarchy + insensitively domineering to those below you

What is white fragility?

• defensive moves that white people make when challenged racially - characterised by emotions like anger, fear, guilt, and by behaviours such as argumentation

What is intrapersonal racism?

• internalized beliefs + feelings

What is interpersonal racism?

• prejudice shown between individuals through word + deed

What is the institutional level of racism?

• discriminatory policies + practices within social institutions

What is systemic racism?

• ongoing racial inequalities maintained by society

How is a strict pluralist society sustained?

• tolerance

• economic autonomy

• legal autonomy

• unambiguous group leadership

• discrimination