The Social Roots of Racism

1
The Social Roots of Racism

• Physical markers are used to distinguish groups
  and create inequality based on race by means of
  colonialism, slavery, etc.

• Different social conditions among
  super-ordinates and subordinates create
  behavioral differences between them.

• Perceptions of behavioral differences get
  embedded in culture as racial stereotypes.

• Racial stereotypes reinforce the use of physical
  markers to distinguish groups.

2
Race and Ethnicity Defined

• A race is composed of people whose perceived
  physical markers are deemed socially significant.
• An ethnic group is composed of people whose
  perceived cultural markers are deemed socially
  significant.

3
Six Degrees of Separation

• Genocide group extermination (GermansgtJews)
• Expulsion forcible removal of group from a
  territory (W. Europeans gt Native Americans)
• Slavery legal ownership of a group (W.
  Europeans gt Africans)
• Segregation spatial and institutional
  separation of groups (White Americans gt African
  Americans)
• Pluralism retention of identity combined with
  equal access to basic social resources (Canada
  today)
• Assimilation cultural blending of majority and
  minority groups (Canada today)

4
Assimilation in Canadas Residential Schools
Before and After
5
Factors Influencing Assimilation

• Length of time in country varies
  proportionately with assimilation.
• Socioeconomic status varies proportionately
  with assimilation.
• Occupational segregation varies inversely with
  assimilation.
• Historical discrimination (genocide,
  expulsion, slavery, segregation) varies
  inversely with assimilation.

6
Immigration, Canada, 1860-2001
Note Annual immigration as a percent of the
population has declined from 1.25 in 1851-61 to
0.75 in 1991-98.
WWI
Depression WWII
7
Independent Immigrants Need 75 Points Based On

• criterion maximum points
• education 25 (PhD or MA max)
• language 24 (French, English)
• work experience 21 (4 yrs max)
• age 10 (21-49 max)
• arranged employment 10
• adaptability 10 (work, study, family)
• total 100

8
Classes of Immigrants, Canada, 2001

• class max. planned actual
• family 61,000 66,644 26.6
• economic 130,700 152,939 61.1
• refugee 29,300 27,894 11.1
• other 4,000 2,828 1.1
• total 225,000 250,305 100.0

9
Sources of Immigration Canada 1990-96
10
Percent of Urban Population Whose Mother Tongue
is not English or French, Canada, 1996
Percent
11
Emigration Brain Drain vs. Brain Gain

• annual emigration as a of the population has
  declined from 0.6 in 1851-61 to 0.15 in 1991-8
• emigration 20 of immigration
• 50 to US 19 Asia 19 Europe 12 other
• 49 with university degrees 44 in top 10 of
  class 66 25-44 yrs. old 27 high-income
• mainly physicians, nurses, scientists, engineers
• internal graduation immigration compensate for
  the drain, but not in the health professions

12
Attitudes Toward Immigration and Cultural
Diversity, Canada, 1999

• Immigration in 21st century... More 14
• Same 43
• Less 41
• DK 2
• Cultural diversity enhances or erodes
  ID... Enhances 59
• Erodes 30
• DK 11

13
Canadian Research on Ethnicity, Race, and SES A
Summary

• Ethnicity is a poor predictor of SES and
  mobility in Canada when other causes are held
  constant.
• Ethnic inequality is decreasing over time.
• Members of most ethnic groups experience
  considerable net upward mobility.
• The effect of ethnicity on SES weakens as
  immigrants become more assimilated.
• These generalizations do not hold as strongly
  for members of some groups -- especially some
  racial minorities -- as they do overall.