Race & Ethnicity

Race & Ethnicity Race • Socially constructed category composed of people who share biologically transmitted traits that members of a society consider important • Classification is based on physical characteristics such as skin color, facial features, hair texture, and body shape Each racial/ethnic group has its own unique history, influences, language… culturally it’s important to understand the effect of race, especially if prejudice and discrimination affect the opportunity structure in society • Racial diversity appeared among our human ancestors as the result of living in different regions of the world o Climates with intense heat – darker skin (melanin) for protection from the sun o Moderate climates - lighter skin Migration promotes diversity of races as well • Introduced in the 19th century as a way of organizing the world o Caucasoid – light skin & fine hair o Negroid – dark skin & coarse hair o Mongoloid – yellow or brown skin & folds in the eyes • Social Construction of Race White, Black, Asian • • • • These categories are misleading First, they do not recognize the heterogeneity within a group (ex. Distinctions in skin pigment) Second, it suggests that there are pure races Third, people with characteristics from multiple categories do not fit (ex. Someone with coarse hair and lighter skin) Ethnicity • Race is from the Latin word Root and Ethnic is from the Greek meaning Culture • Both race & ethnicity are about ancestry • Ethnicity is: Shared cultural heritage • Based on common ancestors, language, and religion • Includes: customs, foods, holidays, dress too Race is from the Latin word Root and Ethnic is from the Greek meaning Culture Race v Ethnicity • Race – Biological * Ethnicity – Cultural • Ethnicity may be more specific to a region o May or may not be recognized within someone’s family o Immigrants may want to downplay their ethnicity to “fit in” o Other groups may want to “play up” their ethnicity to revive their ethnic pride Asian (Race) can mean Korean, Taiwanese, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, etc… – a more descriptive, meaningful term White (race) includes: Irish, Italian, German, Jewish, French, Polish, Swedish etc…. Hispanic- Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican, Jamaican Black includes: Libyan, Ethiopian, Nigerian, Jamaican (could also be Hispanic), Mixture- many people identify with more than one ethnicity (ex Tiger Woods) The Census • 2000 o People can now designate more than one race • The options were: o 'White', o 'Black or African American', o 'American Indian and Alaska Native', o 'Asian' o 'Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander • 2010 Census Race/Ethnicity breakdown o 72% are White o 13% are Black or African-American o 5% are Asian o 3% are 2 or more races o .9% are American Indians & Inuit o .2% are Native Hawaiians & Pacific Islanders Hispanic or Latino Americans comprise 50.5 million (16% of total U.S. population), 91.9% are white, 4.0% Black • 66% without Hispanic/Latino component Race as a Discredited Biological Concept • Race has meaning in social, cultural, and political terms • Over the centuries, groups with power have used racial ideology to justify, explain and preserve their privileged positions • Race is assumed to indicate social inferiority o Inferiority is inevitable, and natural o Does not take into account experiences & opportunities  STRATIFICATION & Vicious Cycle Racial Discrimination has led to… • Victims of violence • Confinement & Enslavement (1620’s-1865) • Inequalities in economic & educational achievement • Underrepresentation in government • Segregation 245 years of slavery! Patterns of Intergroup Relationships • Genocide • Expulsion • Segregation • Pluralism • Assimilation • Amalgamation – true melting pot, intermarriage Civil Rights Movement (highlights) • Up until the 1950’s, the domination of African Americans was institutionalized and backed by the government • African Americans were denied civil rights • Segregation was legal until Brown v Board of Education in 1954 but it took years before it was implemented • Civil Rights Act of 1964 o Fought segregation in public facilities & employment • Voting Rights Act in 1965 (prohibits discrimination in voting) • Miscegenation Laws struck down by Supreme Court (Loving vs. Virginia) 1967 • Fair Housing Act in 1968 Foundational concepts • Prejudice – rigid and irrational generalization about an entire category of people, an attitude • Discrimination – treating categories of people unequally, an action Any person can be the target of P&D Prejudice – positive or negative Applies to all minorities, Culture of prejudice • • • • Stereotyping – exaggerated or overgeneralized descriptions (“categories that have gone too far”) Stereotypes have a way of “sticking” even if refuted with evidence of the contrary. That’s why stereotypes are often IRRATIONAL Herein lies the danger and the long-lasting effects • • •  • Forms of prejudice o Racism o Sexism o Ageism o Classism o Heterosexism Belief that membership to a group makes you inferior It’s not about an individual’s personality, or actions – it’s the category that they belong to, OR are assumed to belong to Minority o Numerical assessment of the population Majority vs. Minority “A group of people who, because of their physical or cultural characteristics, are singled out from the others in the society in which they live for differential and unequal treatment, and who therefore regard themselves as objects of collective discrimination.” Louis Wirth intersection theory – There is a combined effect of various statuses, including race o Race o Class o Gender o Sexual Orientation • • • • Vicious Cycle o The cultural construction Prejudice does not reflect innate inferiority, but rather social (created/produced) inferiority. Pervasion pattern can prevent mobility Kernel of truth In-group / Out-group o Always relative o “Us” vs “Them” mentality “Us” is complex/complicated but “them” is generalized/static o Associate positive things with “Us” o Studying the dominant group as an in-group helps us to understand their reactions to and treatment of “strangers” o Studying the minority group as an in-group helps us to understand their efforts to maintain their sense of group identity and solidarity  • Eye of the Storm (1971) • Jane Elliot began • Creates a fake/arbitrary hierarchy o Creates privileges/disadvantages based on group membership o Segregation o Reinforces it Reverse Racism • The process of openly and legally discriminating against members of an ethnic group which are or have been in the past, a majority group, to the benefit of a traditionally minority group that had in the past been discriminated against. • For Sociologists, racism is a matter of structural power and white privilege. White Privilege • Tim Wise: • “White privilege refers to any advantage, opportunity, benefit, head start, or general protection from negative societal mistreatment, which persons deemed white will typically enjoy, but which others will generally not enjoy.” • The “other side” of discrimination • Peggy MacIntosh o I can go shopping alone most of the time, pretty well assured that I will not be followed or harassed. o I am never asked to speak for all the people of my racial group. o If a traffic cop pulls me over or if the IRS audits my tax return, I can be sure I haven't been singled out because of my race. o I can if I wish arrange to be in the company of people of my race most of the time. o I do not have to educate my children to be aware of systemic racism for their own daily physical protection. Correcting Centuries of Unequal Treatment • Affirmative Action – broad set of policies geared at promoting equal opportunity and eliminating discrimination o To compensate for the effects of past discrimination & prevent current discrimination o Created in 1965 – Any employer that receives federal money must take steps to ensure fair treatment in employee applications  Colleges & universities  Workplace • Applies to racial and gender minorities Some Vietnam Vets and people with disabilities Affirmative Action: The 20 Mile Race • Several people are in a 20-mile race, with a $100,000 reward for the winner. Two of the runners (Sally and Tony) are very good runners, and both are in good physical condition. Tony was required to wear a set of 20-pound ankle weights on each leg, but Sally was able to run without them. In fact, Sally did not even know that Tony had these weights on. • While Sally reaches the 13-mile marker and Tony is about 2 miles behind, the judges decide to remove the ankle weights from Tony. Tony is not only exhausted but is experiencing a shortened running stride and is off-rhythm because of the weights.