AAS Terms: Chapter 1

Racial Progress

Few of us will experience grotesque acts of racial violence that many people of color experienced 50 years ago.

Individualistic Fallacy

Divides the world into 2 types of people - those guilty of the crime of racism (racists) and those innocent of the crime (nonracist).

Legalistic Fallacy

Assumes that abolishing racist laws (racism in principle) automatically leads to the abolition of racism in everyday life (racism in practice).

Tokenistic Fallacy

Assumes that the presence of people of color in influential positions is evidence of the complete eradication of racial obstacles.

Ahistorical Fallacy

Assumes that history (slavery, segregation) is inconsequential today.

Fixed Fallacy

Assumes that racism is fixed, constant across time and space.

Institutional Racism

Systemic white domination of people of color, embedded and operating across legal systems, political bodies, cultural life and other social collectives.

Symbolic Power

To classify one group of people as “normal” and other groups of people as “abnormal”.

Political Power

To withhold basic rights from people of color and marshall the full power of the state to enforce segregation and inequality.

Social Power

To deny people of color full inclusion or membership in associational life.

Economic Power

Privileges white people in terms in wealth and property accumulation.

Organizational Racism

A subset of institutional racism carried out in corporations, workplaces, and other organizations where people come together to create, work, or worship.

Interpersonal Racism

Racialized dispositions, some conscious, many more unconscious, that guide our thoughts and behaviors (People of color can take part in this kind of racism).

Symbolic Violence

A subtle form of power where dominant groups impose their values, norms, and beliefs on others, making inequality and social hierarchies seem natural or deserved.

Biological Determinism

The belief that human behavior, abilities, and social differences (like gender, race, or intelligence) are controlled entirely by biology or genetics, rather than shaped by environment, culture, or personal experience.

Intersectionality

The idea that different aspects of a person’s identity - such as race, gender, class, sexuality, and ability - overlap and interact to shape their experiences of privilege or discrimination in society.

Whiteness

A social construct that defines what it means to be “White” and grants social, economic, and political advantages to those considered White, often at the expense of non-White groups. It shapes power, privilege, and norms in society.

White Privilege

The unearned advantages and benefits that White people receive in society because of their race, often without realizing it, simply due to being part if the dominant racial group.

Symbolic Category

A socially created classification or label - like race or gender - that groups people based on perceived differences, often giving those differences meaning or importance even though they aren't biologically real.

Ethnicity

A shared cultural identity based on common traits such as language, ancestry, traditions, history, or nationality, rather than physical characteristics.

Reflexively

The practice of thinking about and examining your own beliefs, biases, and experiences to understand how they shape your perspective, research, or interactions with others.