Ethnicity and Religion

1
Ethnicity and Religion

• Chapter 5

2
Being White

• Aspects of white as a race
• Historical creation of whiteness
• Defined by English, political founders
• Europeans only seen as white when distanced from
  others (Native and African Americans)
• whiteness is nothing but an expression of racial
  privilege (Ignatiev, p. 137)
• How contemporary white people reflect on their
  racial identity
• Whiteness in context of not being black

3
Definitions Ethnicity

• Third Generation Principle the third generation
  (grandchildren of original immigrants) will have
  increased ethnic awareness and interest (Hansen)
• Symbolic ethnicity exaggerated persistence of
  ethnic ties
• Recently embraced by English-speaking whites

4
Definitions Ethnicity

• Ethnicity paradox mechanism that facilitates
  full entry into the dominant culture
• Useful financial boost
• Psychological strength and positive self-esteem
• Continuity to past in form of emotional tie
• Source of social cohesion, even in the absence of
  proximity

5
Review and Reaction

• Ian Stone, as reported on page 114, said that he
  never felt ethnic.
• Do you identify with a particular culture or
  ethnic group, besides being American? If so,
  which one? To what extent do you incorporate
  that identity into your everyday life?
• Log onto the discussion and share this
  information.

6
Definitions Ethnicity

• Respectable bigotry hostility toward and
  stereotyping of white ethnics (Lerner)
• Not ethnic prejudice but class prejudice
• Ethnic jokes are accepted racial jokes are not
• Examples Italians concerned that their image
  is overwhelmed by Mafia, spaghetti, overweight
  mothers, etc.

7
Life Chances

• Peoples opportunities to provide themselves with
  material goods, positive living conditions, and
  favorable life experiences
• Religion and ethnicity or both may affect life
  chances
• It is difficult to sort out which has an
  influence
• Religion, ethnicity and class combine to form
  ones identity

8
Religious Pluralism

• U.S. history of religious tolerance
• 1500 religious bodies in U.S.
• Range in participation
• 60 million Roman Catholics
• Sects of fewer than 1000 members
• See figures 5.1 and Table 5.2
• Increasing non-Christian presence
• Diversity results from
• First Amendment
• Immigrant heritage

9
Definitions Religion

• Denomination large, organized religion that is
  not linked officially with the state or
  government
• Pluralism vs. monopolism

10
Civil Religion

• Civil Religion religious dimension of American
  life that merges the state with religious beliefs
  
• Robert Bellah borrowed from Rousseau
• Incorporates all faiths does not endorse just
  one
• In God We Trust as a motto
• one nation, under God, indivisible. (added to
  pledge in 1954)

11
Civil Religion

• Civil religion reinforces American values
• Civil religion almost makes religious practice of
  patriotic behavior
• Hymns God Bless America America the Beautiful
• Rituals Standing for SSB Pledge of Allegiance
  hand over heart 21-gun salute
• Martyrs Patrick Henry, Unknown soldier

12
Diversity within Denominations

• Roman Catholics
• Influenced by variations in ethnic background
• Protestants
• Little attention has been given to doctrinal and
  attitudinal differences
• Glick and Stark (1965) generic theological camps

13

• Protestants
• Denominational social class hierarchy
• Trend toward more rigidity and fundamental
  interpretations of Bible

14
Women and Religion

• Exalted but protected position
• Lack of access to leadership positions
• If allowed to lead, will followers follow?
• If allowed to lead, lack access to prestigious,
  larger congregations
• Low end of pay scale
• Lack influence on denominational policy

15
Limits to Religious Freedom

• Supreme Court
• First Amendment rights versus individual rights
• Creationism versus Evolutionary Theory
• Public displays of religious symbols
• Nativity on Town Square?
• Required public education
• Monogamy or polygamy
• Drug use as a sacrament

16
Creationism versus Evolutionary Theory

• Creation Science Debunked
• http//www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Hangar/2437
  /
• Teaching about Evolution and the Nature of
  Sciencehttp//www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/evolu
  tion98/

17

http//origins.swau.edu/
http//www.answersingenesis.org/home.asp
18
Intergroup Relations Continuum

• Using the consequences of subordinate-group
  status described in Chapter 1 and thinking about
  levels of tolerance, the white ethnics and
  religious groups have been placed along a
  continuum. This is described in the Summary for
  Chapter 5 and the diagram is reproduced on the
  next slide.

19
Intergroup Relations Continuum
Secessionist minorities Symbolic
Ethnicity Religious pluralism Third-generation
principle
20
Exit Exercise

• Search the Internet for a website for a
  non-Christian religion such as Islam or
  non-mainstream religion that interests you. What
  is your reaction to the beliefs that are offered
  there? How well do you think this group is
  tolerated in the United States? What kinds of
  information are provided about numbers,
  leadership, or recruitment/conversion activities?
• Write a short report answering the questions and
  incorporating your response. Remember Dont
  let ethnocentric judgments get in your way of an
  objective evaluation.
• Examples Bahai http//www.bahai.org/Celtic
  Druids http//www.britannia.com/wonder/michell2.
  html

21
Sites related to Islam

• Simple explanations of Islamic belief systems and
  vocabularyhttp//www.ummah.org.uk/what-is-islam/i
  ndex.html
• Women in Islam http//www.islam101.com/women/women
  .html
• Educational information about Islam by
  convertshttp//www.islamfortoday.com/about.htm