race + ethnicity

race

grouping of humankind based on shared physical or social qualities that can vary from one society to another

German physician, zoologist, and anthropologist Johann Friedrich Blumenbach (1752-1840) introduced one of the famous groupings by studying human skulls. 5 different races

Ethnicity

is based on shared culture—the practices, norms, values, and beliefs of a group that might include shared language, religion, and traditions, among other commonalities

minority group

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

subordinate group

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

dominant group

• a group of people who have more power in a society than any of the subordinate groups

scapegoat theorey

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

An example from the last century is the way Adolf Hitler blamed the Jewish population for Germany’s social and economic problems

can examine race and ethnicity through three major sociological perspectives:

functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism

functionalisim

Functionalism emphasizes that all the elements of society have functions that promote solidarity and maintain order and stability in society. Hence, we can observe people from various racial and ethnic backgrounds interacting harmoniously in a state of social balance. Problems arise when one or more racial or ethnic groups experience inequalities and discriminations.

ex: George Floyd

Interactionism

Conflict theorey

Conflict theories are often applied to inequalities of gender, social class, education, race, and ethnicity. A conflict theory perspective of U.S. history would examine the numerous past and current struggles between the White ruling class and racial and ethnic minorities, noting specific conflicts that have arisen when the dominant group perceived a threat from the minority group.

Intersection theorey

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

which suggests we cannot separate the effects of race, class, gender, sexual orientation, and other attributes (Figure 11.4). When we examine race and how it can bring us both advantages and disadvantages, it is important to acknowledge that the way we experience race is shaped, for example, by our gender and class. Multiple layers of disadvantage intersect to create the way we experience race.

For example, if we want to understand prejudice, we must understand that the prejudice focused on a White woman because of her gender is very different from the layered prejudice focused on an Asian woman in poverty, who is affected by stereotypes related to being poor, being a woman, and her ethnic status.

culture of prejudice

refers to the theory that prejudice is embedded in our culture. We grow up surrounded by images of stereotypes and casual expressions of racism and prejudice.

• the theory that prejudice is embedded in our culture

11.3 continue from here