Transcript Race
Chapter 13 Race Lecture PowerPoint © W. W. Norton & Company, 2008 Figure 13.5 | Race Questions from the 2000 U.S. Census What is Race? Race = a group of people who share a set of characteristics—usually physical ones—and are said to share a common bloodline. Racism = belief that members of separate races possess different and unequal human traits. Race is also a social construct – defined by culture and society (e.g., “whiteness” was broadly defined in the past, more narrow now). 3 You May Ask Yourself Copyright © 2008 W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. The Concept of Race from the Ancients to Alleles Ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome: Did not discriminate based on race. (But did discriminate on other characteristics). Europeans used racism to justify colonization 19th century: “scientific” attempts to explain race 4 Most were ethnocentric – saw white as superior Ontological equality – belief that differences were external only (environmental); all people essentially created equal Darwinism – belief in evolution of most successful traits (white) Eugenics – races had distinct origins, were biologically different 20th century – focus on blood, genetics, DNA You May Ask Yourself Copyright © 2008 W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. Racial Realities Racial identity – race as part of one’s self-concept Racialization formation of a new racial identity around a formerly unnoticed group of people. Example: 911 - anti-Muslim backlash – singling out of Arabs or anyone who “looks Arab” Has resulted in prejudice, profiling, and discrimination based on name or appearance 5 You May Ask Yourself Copyright © 2008 W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. Race versus Ethnicity 6 Race is imposed, usually based on physical differences, hierarchical, exclusive, and unequal. Ethnicity is voluntary, self-defined, nonhierarchical, fluid, cultural, and not always linked with power differences. Ethnic identity becomes racialized when it is subsumed under a forced label, racial marker, or “otherness.” Some sociologists refer to racial-ethnic groups You May Ask Yourself Copyright © 2008 W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. Racial -ethnic groups in the U.S. 7 Native Americans Decimated by European colonizers through war and new diseases Segregated on reservations, often land that no one wanted forced assimilation of children in government-run schools Today Native Americans are on the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder. You May Ask Yourself Copyright © 2008 W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. Ethnic Groups in the United States 8 The black community in America is marked by high rates of poverty, crime, unemployment, incarceration, and health problems. The community is also expanding as new immigrants from Africa and even “old” immigrants from the Caribbean resist being lumped in with African Americans. You May Ask Yourself Copyright © 2008 W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. Ethnic Groups in the United States 9 The Latino population in America is very diverse, though one common trait is that most Latino immigrants have come to the United States voluntarily in search of economic opportunity. Latinos have a somewhat ambiguous racial identity—sometimes they are grouped with whites and sometimes not. You May Ask Yourself Copyright © 2008 W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. Ethnic Groups in the United States 10 The first wave of Asian immigrants to the United States in the mid-nineteenth century was mostly unskilled laborers. The current, second wave consists primarily of well-educated and highly skilled people from all over Asia. Asians are unique among U.S. minorities in that they generally achieve a high economic status. You May Ask Yourself Copyright © 2008 W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. The Importance of Being White 11 White people are NOT identified by their specific race American society and culture are mainly “white” White people have more flexibility and power to choose how they want to be identified. White = not having to think much about race Whiteness has been held up as a standard of normality or neutrality. You May Ask Yourself Copyright © 2008 W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. Minority-Majority Relations: Assimilation 12 Park (1920) straight-line assimilation model: 4 stages Contact Competition Accommodation Assimilation. Gordon (1964): variation on Park’s model seven stages or types of immigration Could become stuck in one stage Did not assume that full assimilation was always the outcome. You May Ask Yourself Copyright © 2008 W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. Table 13.2 | Gordon’s Stages of Assimilation Minority-Majority Group Relations 14 Ethnic identification can persist even after a group has become fairly well assimilated. One explanation for this phenomenon is primordialism (the ethnic ties are fixed in a deeply felt connection to one’s homeland culture). Another is that it is in people’s interests to maintain a strong ethnic identification—it serves as a type of interest group to promote and protect its members. You May Ask Yourself Copyright © 2008 W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. Minority-Majority Group Relations: Pluralism 15 Coexistence of numerous distinct groups in one society, with no one group being in the majority. Statistical pluralism does not imply cultural pluralism. The most contentious form of minority-majority group relations is, of course, outright conflict. Genocide is the deliberate and systematic extermination of a national, racial, political, or cultural group. You May Ask Yourself Copyright © 2008 W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. Minority-Majority Relations: Segregation is the legal or social practice of separating people on the basis of their race or ethnicity. Segregation was official policy in the United States, particularly in the South, until the 1960s. Still exists in American society today, particularly in schools, housing, and prisons. Residential segregation has pervasive and long term effects – schools, social networks, job opportunities, safety and security 18 You May Ask Yourself Copyright © 2008 W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. Minority-Majority Relations: Conflict Forced emigration or deportation Violence, war Genocide Often backed by government policy Based on perceived supremacy of one group. May be reinforced by religion. Recent examples in central Asia, Africa Four Responses to Domination 20 Withdrawal – leave the country or area Passing – change name or appearance to look more like majority. Other group members may view as rejection of one’s culture Acceptance – giving in, following norms of dominant culture Resistance – may be passive, practice own culture in private, or active social movement You May Ask Yourself Copyright © 2008 W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. Prejudice, Discrimination, and the New Racism Prejudice = negative thoughts and feelings about an ethnic or racial group. Discrimination = harmful or negative acts against people deemed inferior on the basis of their racial category. Obvious prejudice and discrimination are no longer acceptable, but “new racism,” based on culture and nationality, is emerging. More subtle, harder to fight. 21 You May Ask Yourself Copyright © 2008 W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. Figure 13.4 | Merton’s Chart of Prejudice and Discrimination Discriminates Prejudiced Not prejudiced Does not discriminate How Race Matters: The Case of Wealth wealth gap = difference in net worth, property, assets. Median family net worth, 2001 “Equity Inequality” 23 White: $106,400 Black: $10,700 Latino: $3000 Has accumulated over many generations Has resulted in part from govt. seizure of land & property Property in minority areas does not appreciate as quickly Govt. policies have not addressed this issue You May Ask Yourself Copyright © 2008 W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. The Future of Race by 2050 whites will no longer be a majority in U.S. Could cause narrowing of definition of white, as happened in the nineteenth century Significant resegregation in public schools 24 Whites may try to demarcate boundaries Some desegregation decisions recently reversed White students leave when minorities come Increasing gaps in wealth and opportunities Possibly wider cultural gaps, more strain & conflict You May Ask Yourself Copyright © 2008 W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.