9. race and ethnicity
ethnicity is cultural: language, religion, geography, history, ancestry, and race
race is biologically meaningless, physical characteristics
ethnic groups and ethnic identity
china and ethnicity
china is not homogenous and there are various ethnic groups that make up china.
white people invented race to justify colonialism and superiority
racial categories have been used to divide, rank, and control conquered and enslaved populations by the european and american colonial powers
race is an ideology
belief
values
way of thinking
how we perceive reality
race distorts our idea about human differences
it sustains social inequality
race in japan
they say japan does not have a race problem, but in reality there are aboriginal people ainu, who are outcasts and referred to as burakumin, less than. immigrants are also seen as less than.
japan was created based off of the shinto religion. in their religion their sun god created japan because mount vesuvius erupted and islands scattered. as a result the japanese are very nationalistic.
this is called intrinsic racism- a perceived racial difference.
race in brazil
they were the last country to abolish slavery and had the most slaves out of the countries in the americas.
in brazil, you can change your race because it is based off of physical and social characteristics. things like tanning and education change your race and you can be a different race in certain times and contexts.
ethnic groups, nations, and nationalities
nation - state: independent centrally organized political entity
ethnic groups not necessarily nation-states, but most nation states are ethnically heterogeneous. there are multiple ethnic groups in each state.
colonialism → different ethnic groups under same states
recolonization - second wave of colonization
ethnic tolerance and accommodation
assimilation - ethnic groups adopt a common language, common norms, common patterns of the dominant host culture.
pluralism - combining ethnic contrasts and economic interdependence of ethnic groups
multiculturalism - cultural diversity is good and desirable
majority-minority - the minority have less power
roots of ethnic conflict
prejudice - devalues a group because of assumptions about them in relation to their level of capacity.
stereotype - negative generalizations about a group of people.
discrimination - policies and practices that harm a group
de jour: imbedded and institutionalized
de facto: illegal
colonialism - social, political, cultural domination of territory and people by foreign power over an extended period of time.
ethnic nationalism - the result of colonialism. ethnic groups establishing their viable nation states.