SOC- Chapter 10

stratfication

a system that ranks entire groups of people and perpetuates unequal rewards and life chances in society

race

a socially constructed category of individuals labeled and treated as similar because of shared or similar physical characteristics or biological traits

“assumed to be common to all members”

ethnicity

refers to sense of community based on shared ancestry and cultural heritage

refers to nonbiological traits that give people a sense of common identity

ex- latino can be people of any race

racism

belief that humans are subdivided into distinct groups so different in their social behavior and mental and physical capacities that they can be ranked as superior or inferior

“destructive from of social categorization”

race, racism

____ and ____ are contingent and contextual

prejudice

a judgment in advance; rigid, unfavorable opinions, attitudes, and beliefs

discrimination

unfair treatment of people based on some characteristic (race,sex, religion)

overt discrimination

open disdain in face-to-face interactions

quiet discrimination

informal barriers, subtle behaviors which create discriminatory conditions

motivators- uncomfortable, fear, not hate

native americans

experienced and continue to experience severe oppression

perceived as “savages” by European settlers, driven off of land

not until 1940 were ____ ____ born in United States considered citizens

continue to work to protect their land and promote their own interests

“American Indian”- some tribes prefer to be called this

Asian Americans

histories and country of origin very greatly

model minority

wide range of experiences in the US

African Americans

experience direct and indirect legacies of slavery

overt racism had declined, but on the rise again

true

true or false

the history of latinos/latinas/latinx populations has been and is diverse

they make up a big portion of the US population

Muslim Americans

smaller ethno-racial group

diverse origins

mostly assimilated into mainstream US society

unfavorably viewed by many

• anti-islamic imagery common in the media

equation of muslims with violet terrorism has been a common prejudice for decades

personal racism

refers to the expression of racist attitudes or behaviors by individual people

can happen simultaneously with institutional racism

stereotype

an overgeneralization and simplification

a belief that a certain trait, behavior, or attitude is common to all members of some identifiable group

beliefs remain despite of evidence to the contrary

ex-most African Americans are not on welfare

implicit bias

refers to how prejudice that operates below our conscious awareness

privilege

an unearned special entitlement, powers, or advantages

ex- white privilege- white people have “perks”

racial transparency

The race of the majority group is considered the norm

those belonging to the dominant racial group do not have to “think” about their race in the same way as those from the minority group

in the US, white is th e”neutral” or “normal” race

cultural appropriation

refers to a non-member inappropriately adopting or taking on customs, practices, fashion, hairstyles, language, artifacts, or sacred objects

• typically happens by members of a dominant people or society at the expense of the exploitation of minority or minoritized cultures

• usually, it is unacknowledged

institutional racism

consists of established laws, customs, and practices that systematically reflect and produce racial inequalities in society, regardless of whether or not the individuals maintain these practices have racist intentions

economic

example of an institutional racial inequality

minority workers concentrated in lower-paying jobs

low wage jobs more susceptible to enconomic downturns

employment opportunities may be blocked

harder to get small business loans

healthcare

example of an institutional racial inequality

minorities are less likely than whites to have health insurance

affirmative action

remedy for institutional racism

addresses not just equality of opportunity, but equality of results

Omi and Winant

wrote “Racial and Ethnic Formation”

racial formation

the sociohistorical process, by which categories are created, established, inhabited, transformed, and destroyed

optional ethnicities

whites have the option to identify as plain white or American

can choose what ethnicities to present

symbolic ethnicity

ethnicity is chosen and expressed through celebrations but largely ignored in day-to-day life

• tends to ignore that people of color do not have the option of symbolic ethnicity

oppositional identities

a large part of this identity is to see those who are not part of the group as “sell-outs” or that they are “acting white”

• a way of defining oneself either through a rejection of dominant cultural norms or through the conflict between two highly valued identities

model minority

a stereotype that purports that a minority group has innate characteristics that help them to succeed

transgender

one’s biological sex does not match their gender identity

cisgender

a term used to describe those whose whole biological body matches their gender identity

intersex

a term used to describe individuals who have ambiguous genitalia, sex organs, chromosomes or hormones