2. Outline
Social Construction of Race
Defining Race and Ethnicity
Minority groups and Racism
Prejudice and Discrimination
Theoretical Approaches
Life Chances
Conflict and Cooperation in Race Relations
3. Social Construction of Race
Race and ethnicity are socially constructed categories
Meanings are created over time
Race is also a means of stratification
19th century shema-3 races
Negroid, Mongoloid, Caucasoid
Modern scientists-there are no “pure” races
4. Race and Ethnicity
Race-social category, based on real or perceived biological
differences between groups of people
Ethnicity-social category based on common language,
religion, nationality, history, or another cultural factor
How do we show our racial/ethnic group membership?
Symbolic ethnicity-enactments of ethnic identity that
occur only on special occasions
Ex.: St. Patrick’s Day
Situational ethnicity-ethnic identity can either be
displayed or concealed depending on its usefulness in a
given situation
In U.S., if you are non-white you don’t get a chance for
symbolic/situational ethnicity – your ethnicity usually shows
5. Minority groups and Racism
Minority group-members of a social group that’s
systematically denied same access to power and
resources available to the dominant groups of a society
Not necessarily fewer in number
Minority status is not about numbers!! It’s about social
inequalities!
May serve as a master status
Racism-ideology about the superiority of one racial or
ethnic group used to justify inequality
Often rooted in assumption that differences between
groups are genetic
6. Prejudice and Discrimination
Prejudice-“Pre-judgment”-inflexible attitude about a
group of people rooted in generalizations or
stereotypes
Applied to all members of the group, unlikely to change
unless evidence against it (usually negative)
Discrimination-unequal treatment of individuals
based on their membership in a social group, usually
motivated by prejudice
7. Prejudice and Discrimination
Individual Discrimination-discrimination carried
out by one person against another
Institutional Discrimination-discrimination carried
out systematically by institutions (political, economic,
educational) that affects all members of a group who
come into contact with it
1944-G.I. Bill- advantages were institutionally blocked
for blacks
Loans granted to those only buying in all-white
neighborhoods
8. Why does race still play such a
critical role in society?
Functionalist-Groups have a tendency toward
ethnocentrism and social bonds toward their own
group-can lead them to view other groups unfavorably
Conflict-Struggle for scarce resources drives society.
Split along racial lines. One group is routinely paid less
than others
Ideas like Manifest Destiny helped to justify the taking
of lands from Indians (heathens) and justified killing
them
9. Interactionism
Passing-presenting yourself as a member of a
different racial/ethnic group than you were born into
Light-skinned blacks try to avoid consequences of being
black in a racist society
Occurred via marrying other whites, having no children, using
make-up to lighten skin
“Doing white” still occurs
Bleaching, make-up
10. Race, Ethnicity and Life Chances
Health-Disparities in life expectancy rates of men and
women of different races
Education-High dropout rates are associated with
those from economically disadvantaged and non-
English speaking backgrounds
Among high school dropouts:
11.8%-Whites
14.2%-Blacks
28.4%-Hispanics
11. Work and Life Chances
Work and Income-People of color carry burden of
most difficult jobs
Many minorities in semi-skilled or unskilled
occupations-fill bottom tier of job market
Minorities also compete with each other for those jobs
Class and race often intersect, influencing life chances
In 2001, below poverty level:
7.9% of whites
23.1% of blacks
24.9% of Hispanics
12. Criminal Justice and Life Chances
U.S. population is 69%
white, 13% black, 13%
Hispanic, but 40% of
prisoners are African-
American, 34% are
white, 21% are Hispanic
Half of all hate crimes
related to racial
discrimination; 2/3
targeted towards blacks
13. Race Relations: Conflict
Genocide-deliberate and systematic extermination of a
racial, ethnic, national or cultural group “Ethnic cleansing”
Ex.: Holocaust: 6 million Jews, millions of other
undesirables (Gypsies, people with disabilities, political
enemies, gays, etc…)
Population Transfer-forcible removal of people from
the territory they have occupied
Native Americans forced to move onto Indian
reservations in early 19th century
1838-9:“Trail of Tears”-17,000 Cherokees moved 800 mi.
4,000 people died on the way
14. Race Relations: Conflict
Internal Colonialism-the exploitation of a minority
group within the dominant group’s own borders
Takes form of economic exploitation
Includes physical segregation
Segregation-formal and legal separation of groups by
race
Ex.: Blacks in the American South up to the 1960s
Separate neighborhoods, sections of buses, restaurants, etc…
Separate and unequal
15. Race Relations: Cooperation
Assimilation-the minority group is absorbed into the
mainstream or dominant group
America as “melting pot”
Society becomes more homogenous-immigrants lose
sense of “foreign-ness”
Racial assimilation-minority groups absorbed into
dominant group through intermarriage
Cultural assimilation-minority groups adopting the
dominant group’s culture
May be forced-results in loss of previous cultural identity
16. Race Relations: Cooperation
Pluralism-(multiculturalism)-encourages racial and
ethnic variation within a society
Tolerates and celebrates racial/ethnic identities
America as “salad bowl”
Switzerland-French, German, Italian
1848-constitution makes sure power is shared among all
groups
How can the U.S. gain a more multicultural national
identity?
