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Race and Ethnicity. Race A category of people who have been singled out as inferior or superior, often on the basis of physical characteristics such as skin color, hair texture, and eye shape. Perceived biological characteristics that distinguish people
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RaceA category of people who have been singled out as inferior or superior, often on the basis of physical characteristics such as skin color, hair texture, and eye shape.
Perceived biological characteristics that distinguish people Not scientific fact – race is “murky” business
“Concept has no validity in the human species” “race is self-identification by people according to the race or races with which they most closely identify” or are Identified
So why study it? • “We all live racially structured lives” • 2 major myths: • 1. any pure race • 2. any superior race
Affects life chances… education, health, religious views, occupation, longevity
Dominant GroupGroup that is advantaged and has superior resources and rights in a society. Perceptions of innate superiority, ability to oppress minority group members, ability to control political power
Ethnic GroupA collection of people distinguished by others or by themselves on the basis of cultural or nationality characteristics (e.g., language and religion)
Subordinate Group “minority”A group whose members, because of physical or cultural characteristics, are disadvantaged and subjected to unequal treatment by the dominant group.
Ethnic PluralismThe coexistence of a variety of distinct racial and ethnic groups within one society.
Assimilation A process by which members of minority groups become absorbed into the dominant culture and distinction disappears.
Blocked Assimilation SegregationSpatial and social separation of categories of people by race, ethnicity, class, gender and/or religion.
Internal Colonialism Occurs when members of a racial or ethnic group are conquered or colonized and forcibly placed under the economic and political control of the dominant group within a country
Native Americans: Example of Internal Colonialism • 1830 Indian Removal Act - Called for relocation of all Native Americans to land west of the Mississippi. • In the “Trail of Tears,” the U.S. Army rounded up all 16,000 Cherokees and marched them to Oklahoma. • 4,000 Cherokees died. • 1890 Wounded Knee ended the war and resulted in placement on reservations.
GenocideThe deliberate, systematic killing of an entire people or nation.
What are the driving forces behind these varieties of race relations?
PrejudiceA negative attitude based on faulty generalizations about the members of selected racial and ethnic groups.
RacismA set of attitudes, beliefs, and practices that is used to justify the superior treatment of one racial or ethnic group and the inferior treatment of another racial or ethnic group.
Cycle leads to • DiscriminationActions or practices of dominant group members that have a harmful impact on members of a subordinate group.
Construction of Race: U.S. • From Eugenics to Human Genome Project
Theory of racial formation - actions by the government substantially define racial and ethnic relations -- the politics of race • But social protest movements help to rearticulate our understanding of race • See -- www.jimcrowhistory.org
Between 1892 and 1921 -- estimated 6,000 Lynchings of African Americans • From Slavery to “Jim Crow” to Civil Disobedience -- Civil Rights Acts of 1964 & 1965
As of 2000 the U.S. Census allows for multi-racial classification • Today over 6.4 million Americans report being “multi-racial” U.S. Census
In 1967, there were still sixteen U.S. states that had laws on the books banning interracial marriage. That year the US. Supreme Court unanimously struck down laws banning interracial marriages with these words: "The freedom to marry, or not marry, a person of another race resides within the individual and cannot be infringed on by the State.”
Mildred and Richard Loving’scase led the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down laws against interracial marriages
1998 - South Carolina voted to abolish it’s “symbolic law” against miscegenation 40% voted to keep it 2000 – Alabama 32 percent voted to keep it.
How Far Have We Come? Majority of Americans describe Obama as our first Black President What does this tell us About our understanding Of race in America?
"One-drop rule: American social and legal custom of classifying anyone with one black ancestor, regardless of how far back, as black.” Source: Thinking About Race 1998
A Color Blind Society? • His (Obama's) election demonstrates America's extraordinary capacity to renew itself and adapt to a changing world," said former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan.
Are We really “Post Racial”? • Obama isn't 'post-racial.' He isn't the messiah whose coming ends bigotry and inequality for all time," Cynthia Tucker Atlanta Journal-Constitution .
Symbolic Ethnicity • “a nostalgic allegiance to the culture of the immigrant generation, or that of the old country; a love for and pride in a tradition that can be felt without having to be incorporated in everyday behavior” • Herbert Gans
Merton’s types of discrimination and prejudice Non-prejudiced/ non-discriminator – “all weather liberal” Non-prejudiced discriminator – “fair weather liberal” Prejudiced Non-discriminator – “fair weather bigot” Prejudice Discriminator - “all weather bigot”
Theories • Dollard – • frustration aggression • Unable to strike out at real source of frustration
ScapegoatA person or group that is incapable of offering resistance to the hostility or aggression of others.
Adorno’s Authoritarian Personality Type -- • excessive conformity, submissiveness to authority, intolerance, insecurity, a high level of superstition, and rigid, stereotypic thinking.
Stereotypesrigid mental image Overgeneralizations about the appearance, behavior, or other characteristics of members of particular categories. e.g., all blonds are dumb, all blacks are good athletes…..
Social distance • The extent to which people are willing to interact and establish relationships with members of racial and ethnic groups other than their own. Bogardus Scale
Hartley Study Wallonians, Denierians, Perenians….. Significance of Study: Humans have shown a universal ability to be prejudiced against people they have never met!
Bobo and Klugel found: • Younger and More Educated score lower on the Social Distance Scale. = less prejudiced
Individual DiscriminationOne-on-one acts by members of the dominant group that harm members of the subordinate group or their property.
Institutional DiscriminationDay-to-day practices of organizations and institutions that have a harmful impact on members of subordinate groups.
Why do White Americans Have more wealth than minority groups? Luck or a history of Institutional Racism? • Does White Privilege Exist? Tim Wise
Feagin’s types • Isolate – harmful action by a dominant group member and is supported by other dominant group members in the immediate community. (e.g., a judge who gives harsher sentencing to members of a minority group) • Small-group - similar but not supported by other members of the dominant group -- e.g., racially motivated vandalism
Direct Institutionalized – e.g., intentional exclusion of people of color from public institutions • Indirect - unintended consequences such as special education classes that were intended for students with various disabilities – but some claim they have resulted in segregation
Home Ownership • Housing Segregation still taking place • “ghettos with grass” - Whites move out of suburban neighborhoods when blacks and Latino(a) residents move in. • Institutional Racism – Wealth
