Ch. 7 - Race and Ethnicity: Key Concepts and Historical Perspective

These flashcards cover key concepts related to race, ethnicity, prejudice, and historical perspectives on these issues.

Minority Group

A group of people in a given society who, because of their distinct physical or cultural characteristics, find themselves in situations of inequality compared with the dominant group.

Race

Presumed biological differences between humans to which people attach meaning, resulting in the creation of supposed genetically distinct subgroups.

Ethnicity

Presumed cultural differences between humans to which people attach meaning, resulting in the creation of supposed socially distinct subgroups.

Stereotyping

An unreliable generalization about all members of a group that does not recognize individual differences within the group.

Scapegoating

Blaming individuals for problems that are not their fault.

Discrimination

Practice of denying equal access to opportunities and resources based on group membership rather than merits or rights.

Hate Crime

A criminal offense committed because of the offender's bias against an individual based on characteristics such as race, religion, or ethnicity.

Colorism

Discrimination based on skin color, usually perpetrated by members of the same race.

One-drop Rule

A historical rule that classified individuals with any Black African ancestry as Black, regardless of appearance.

Genocide

Systematic, planned destruction of a racial, political, or cultural group.

Assimilation

Acceptance of a minority group by a majority population, where the new group takes on the values and norms of the dominant culture.

Push Factors

Dynamics within a country that push people out.

Pull Factors

Features of destination countries that attract immigrants.

expulsion

creation of ethnically homogenous territories through mass removal of other ethnic populations

acculturation

majority and minority group form new ones

pluralism

all ethnic groups retain their independent and separate identities yet share equally in the rights and powers of citizenships.