5 Deviance, Law, & Crime

LIFE IS NOT ALWAYS FAIR

RAC(ISM) AND COLONIALISM

  • Instructor: Prof. Nonomura

  • Course: Sociology 1027A

  • Week: 6

ACKNOWLEDGING THE LAND

  • Importance of recognizing Indigenous land and history.

WEEK 6 OVERVIEW PLAN FOR THE DAY

Housekeeping

  • Midterm Exam:

    • Format: ~60-70 multiple choice questions.

    • Weight: 30% of course grade.

    • Date & Time: Next class, 1:35 pm - 4:15 pm.

    • Locations based on last name.

Synthesizing Concepts

  • Seeing Race & Ethnicity

    • Concept of the Day: Social construction.

    • Analytical Levels: Micro, Meso, Macro Perspectives.

    • Contemporary Connections: Resurgence & Resistance with NODAPL protests.

RECALL: WHERE WE START DEPENDS ON THE STORY WE WANT TO TELL

  • Influence of politics seen with examples from Donald Trump's executive orders on DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion).

  • Challenges faced by DEI in corporate contexts highlighted by company practices.

OXFORD DICTIONARY’S 2016 WORD OF THE YEAR: “POST-TRUTH”

  • Definition: Circumstances where emotional appeal overshadows objective facts in public opinion.

  • Quote: “Neither the life of an individual nor the history of a society can be understood without understanding both.” — C.W. Mills.

SOCIAL INEQUALITY

  • Defined as a condition where access to resources is patterned and not randomly distributed.

  • Socially significant differences indicate causal factors impacting inequalities.

CORE CONCEPTS IN ETHNICITY & RAC(ISM)

  • Key Terms:

    1. Race (p. 154)

    2. Ethnicity (p. 154)

    3. Indigenous Peoples (p. 168)

    4. Immigration (p. 181)

  • Understanding structural differences linked to racial and colonial inequalities.

LEVELS OF ANALYSIS

  • Macro: Large-scale systems (e.g., nations).

  • Meso: Groups and organizations.

  • Micro: Individual interactions.

RECALL WEEK 5: SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION

  • Knowledge is acquired through social interactions and perspectives.

  • Reality is socially constructed and reinforced through interaction (Berger & Luckmann, 1966).

SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION AND REALITY

  • The Thomas Theorem: Defined situations carry real consequences.

    • Examples: Money, borders, adulthood, and race.

UNDERSTANDING RACISM

  • Definition: An organized system of privilege based on race, perpetuating inequality.

  • Systemic Racism: Operates at the macro level, beyond individual bias.

MICRO-LEVEL ANALYSES

  • Focus on individual interactions, including micro-aggressions and biases.

  • Relevant video: "Being Black in a White Place."

WHITE PRIVILEGE AND THE "INVISIBLE KNAPSACK"

  • McIntosh's definition: Invisible privileges afforded to white individuals.

  • Example privileges:

    • Freedom to associate primarily with one's race.

    • Lack of burden to represent all members of one’s race.

OPTIONAL ETHNICITIES: FOR WHITES ONLY?

  • White Americans' ability to choose ethnic identities contrasts with visible minorities' experiences.

  • Challenges faced by BIPOC students in predominantly white institutions.

MESO-LEVEL ANALYSES

  • Consideration of group and organizational dynamics affecting race relations.

  • Importance of context in labeling and categorization within society.

    • Robbers Cave experiment (realistic conflict theory) demonstrated how intergroup conflict can arise from competition over limited resources, highlighting the impact of group identity on race relations.

    • Contact didn’t reduce friction… Cooperation did by encouraging collaboration towards shared goals, which ultimately fostered understanding and reduced prejudice among the groups involved.

  • Martis (UWO student): experiences of racism connected with depression, anxiety, hypertension, hopelessness, unhealthy eating

  • Durkheim’s studies of suicide: emphasized the role of social integration and regulation in individual behavior, suggesting that a lack of connection to community can lead to higher rates of suicide, paralleling how social dynamics influence mental health outcomes in marginalized groups.

POLICE AND RACE IN CANADA

  • Statistical evidence of disproportionate policing of Black individuals.

AUTHORITARIAN PERSONALITY

  • Characteristics include susceptibility to prejudice and societal conditions.

REALISTIC CONFLICT THEORY

  • Group competition over scarce resources breeds animosity.

CONTACT THEORY

  • Increased intergroup contact can reduce prejudice but requires equal power and cooperation.

IMPLICATIONS OF RACE AND COLONIALISM

  • Understanding racial categorizations as socially constructed.

  • Intersectionality as a foundational principle of critical race theory.

COLONIALISM AND INDIGENOUS RIGHTS

  • Definition of colonialism and settler colonialism.

  • Impact on Indigenous populations, including policies that marginalized them.

  • Historical context of Indigenous experiences in Canada.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Racism as both personal trouble and broader public issue.

  • Structural analysis is essential for addressing racism.

  • Recognizing privilege aids in developing strategic responses.

CASE EXAMPLE: PROTECTORS, NOT PROTESTERS

  • Discussion on the modern implications of colonialism and resistance.

  • Standing Rock protests as a case study for Indigenous rights activism.

WRAP UP

Key Concepts Recap

  • Topics include: Authoritarian personality, contact theory, critical race theory, and social construction of race.

MIDTERM PREPARATION

  • Review sample questions, focusing on critical concepts like conflict theory and public issues.