Race

1
Race Ethnicity

• The social context gives meaning to race and
  ethnicity which has no meaning except as social
  construction.

2
Race

• Defined as people who share similar physical
  characteristics the category of people regarded
  as socially distinct because they share
  genetically transmitted physical characteristics.
  
• Physical differences due to human adaptations to
  environments and evolution.
• Beliefs about race influence behavior

3
Ethnicity

• The cultural traits that socially define an
  ethnic group.
• An ethnic group is a category of people who are
  regarded as socially distinct due to their shared
  cultural heritage (language, religion, diet,
  social practices).
• Beliefs about ethnicity are culturally learned
  not genetically determined.

4
Minority/majority groups

• A group defined as a minority group may not be
  in the numerical minority.
• Being defined as minority group means that
  cultural practices or physical appearance become
  defined as unlike those of the majority group and
  become susceptible to differential and/or unequal
  treatment by majority group members.
• Majority group may try to deny equal access to
  wealth, power, prestige to minority group thus
  discriminating against them.

5
Minority group features

• Group suffers disadvantages at hands of majority
  group
• Group has socially defined characteristics which
  set them apart from majority group.
• Individual difference of minority group members
  regarded as less important than supposed
  differences of minority group.
• Group has consciousness of identity
• Membership is ascribed not achieved
• Practice endogamy

6
Patterns of relations

• Assimilation
• Pluralism
• Legal Protection
• Population transfer
• Subjugation
• Extermination/genocide

7
Theories

• Functionalism no social benefits to social
  inequality. Racial conflict is dysfunctional to
  societies.
• Conflict need three conditions for racial
  antagonismidentifiable groups, competition over
  resources, unequal power. Competition leads to
  beliefs about inferiority/superiority of groups.
  Moves towards greater equality conteracts this.

8
Racism

• The belief that one racial or ethnic group is
  inferior to another. Groups which discriminates
  roots ideology in biology or morality. Material
  conditionscompetition over resources, labor
  scarcitycreates groups which attempt to dominate
  other groups and then develop ideologies to
  justify domination.
• Colonialism15th to 20th centuries developed
  systems of slavery, oppression which served to
  justify colonialism through racist ideologies
• False consciousness where racist ideologies
  become internalized

9
Prejudice

• Attitudes/beliefs that are irrational, inflexible
  about a group of people.
• Generalizations about groups ignores differences
  between individuals in groups
• Stereotyping, irrationality, scapegoating,
  Adornos authoritarian personality

10
Discrimination

• The unequal treatment of people based on the
  grounds of their group membership.
• Refusal to give group members opportunities
  granted to members of another group
• Legalunequal treatment upheld by laws
• Institutionalizedunequal treatment upheld by
  custo

11
U.S. race/ethnicity

• Panethnicity
• Differing cultural histories
• History of slavery and U.S. Civil War
• Race riots
• Affirmative action