SOC101Y

1
SOC101Y

• Introduction to Sociology
• Professor Robert Brym
• Lectures 11
• Race and Ethnicity
• 26 Nov 08

2
Prejudice and Discrimination

• Prejudice is an attitude that people employ to
  judge others on their groups real or imagined
  characteristics.
• Discrimination is unfair treatment of people due
  to their perceived group membership.

3
DNA Snips

• DNA is a chemical that contains the genetic
  instructions for all living organisms. When
  people have a child, the DNA of the mates
  combines and the child inherits the parents DNA.
  
• DNA consists of 3 billion pairs of four types of
  molecules. Different sequences of molecules
  result in different characteristics (e.g., skin
  colour). 99.5 of the DNA of all people is
  identical.
• The remaining 0.5 of DNA may differ between any
  two people these differences (known as Single
  Nucleotide Polymorphisms, SNPs or snips) are
  the focus of research in the field of comparative
  genomics.

4
Comparative Genomics

• Snips influence readily apparent physical
  differences such as skin pigmentation and less
  apparent physical differences such as the
  capacity to absorb and utilize various chemicals.
  Identifying snips of the latter type enables the
  production of designer drugs that are best
  suited to groups with unique genetic
  characteristics.
• Significantly, comparative genomics research
  focuses on differences between socially distinct
  groups, such as blacks and whites. Yet genetic
  diversity is greatest among people of African
  origin, and genetic variation within other racial
  groups may be pharmacologically significant.

5
Base Pairs among Blacks and Whites
More genetic variation exists among blacks than
among whites, but comparative genomics research
focuses on black-white differences, thus (1)
perpetuating the notion that social distinctions
are the ones that matter most biologically and
(2) failing to realize the full medical potential
of the research. Is this research different in
its social implications from Mortons research in
the 1850s?
Blacks
Whites
Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (snip)
6
Race, Biology, and Society

• There is no biological evidence that races
  differ in ways that explain behavioural
  differences.
• Behavioural differences between racial groups
  are not constant.
• Behavioural differences between racial groups
  vary by social circumstance.

7
The Social Roots of Racism

• Physical markers are used to distinguish groups
  and create inequality based on race.
• Different social conditions among superordinates
  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.

8
Race and Ethnicity Defined

• A race is composed of people whose perceived
  physical markers are socially significant
  (especially in creating and maintaining systems
  of social inequality).
• An ethnic group is composed of people whose
  perceived cultural markers are socially
  significant (especially in creating and
  maintaining systems of social inequality).

9
Six Degrees of Separation

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

10
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.

11
Immigration, Canada, 1860-2001
Note Annual immigration as a percent of the
population has declined from 1.25 in 1851-61 to
0.76 in 2006.
WWI
Depression WWII
Deracialization
12
Immigrants by Source Area, Canada, pre-1961 and
2005 (in percent)
2005
Before 1961
13
Top Ten Countries of Origin, Canadian Immigrants,
2005 (percent of total)
In 2005, the top 10 countries of origin accounted
for 55 percent of all immigrants. Before the
mid-1960s, immigration was mainly from Europe.
Since the mid-1960s, immigration has been mainly
from Asia with a significant admixture from the
Caribbean in the 60s and 70s.
14
Proportion of Population by Ethnic Origin, Single
and Multiple Responses, Canada, 2006

• Canadian 32.2 Dutch 3.3 Swedish 1.1
• English 21.0 Polish 3.2 Spanish 1.0
• French 15.8 E. Indian 3.1 American 1.0
• Scottish 15.1 Russian 1.6 Hungarian 1.0
• Irish 13.9 Welsh 1.4 Jewish 1.0
• German 10.2 Filipino 1.4 Greek 0.7
• Italian 4.6 Norwegian 1.4 Jamaican 0.7
• Chinese 4.3 Portuguese 1.3 Danish 0.6
• N.A. Indian 3.6 Métis 1.3
• Ukrainian 4.0 Oth. British 1.3

Note Equals more than 100.0 because
multiple responses allowed.
15
Proportion of Population by Visible Minority
Status, Canada, 2006
Note Visible minority Canadians (excluding
aboriginal Canadians) represented 16.2 percent of
the total population in 2006.
16
Percent of Population Whose Mother Tongue is not
English or French, Canadas Five Biggest Cities,
2001
Percent
17
Attitudes Toward Immigration and Cultural
Diversity, Canada

• Desire for immigration in 21st century
• More 14
• Same 43
• Less 41
• DK 2
• Cultural diversity enhances or erodes Canadian
  identity
• Enhances 59
• Erodes 30
• DK 11

18
Canadians Feeling Uncomfortable or Out of Place
because of Ethno-Cultural Characteristics, 2002
Percent
19
Canadians Reporting Discrimination or Unfair
Treatment Sometime or Often in Past 5 Years,
2002
Percent
Note The often category alone ranges from a
low of 2 for Chinese to a high of 9.5 for
Blacks.
20
Percent Not Wanting Neighbour of a Different
Race, Selected Countries, 2000
Percent
21
Canadian Research on Ethnicity, Race, and SES A
Summary

• Ethnicity is a poor predictor of SES and social
  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 members
  of racial minorities as they do overall.
• In the 90s, upward mobility among racial
  minority immigrants slowed.

22
The Effect of Race and Immigration Status
onIncome for Canadian Men and Women, Age 25-64,
1986 (with controls deviations from the mean in
)

Mean 27,019 Mean
15,080