Ethnicity and Race Chapter 10

I. Definitions

1. Race Ethnicity, and Minority Group

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Race:   Racial differences are physical variations singled out by members of a community or society as socially significant (Giddens Textbook).

Ethnicity: Refers to cultural differences. Learned, not inherited.

Minority group: In sociology this term does not refer to a numerical distinction, but to a group that

• is disadvantaged
• and has some sense of group solidarity (identity)

1. B. Example: American Indians.
The original "Quarter Rule" of racial/ethical discrimination stated that someone has to have 25% American Indian blood relations in order to pass as an American Indian.

Question: This rule was dismissed? Why?

Question: Was the 25% rule an ethnic or racial definition of an American Indian?

1.C. Another example in Sociology a Global Perspective (Joan Ferrante 1988)
"Under German law, people who can prove German ancestry are entitled to citizenship regardless of their country of birth...

This criterion for citizenship is biological... This law make it difficult for those who have lived in Germany all of their lives, but are not biologically German"(p.298).

Question: What is the difference between the American Indian Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood, and the German definition of Citizenship?

2. Prejudice, Discrimination, and Racism

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Prejudice is a rigid, usually negative attitude towards a group of people.

Discrimination is the unequal treatment of people on the basis of attributes other than merit ability or past performance.

Racism: determination of actions or attitudes by believes about racial characteristics.

2.A. Textbook Example: Prejudice

Eugene Hartley (1946) investigated attitudes towards 35 ethnic minorities. He found that "Jews and African Americans were dislikes just as much as Walonians, Pireneans, and Danierans. The three latter groups in fact are nonexistant"(Giddens, p.187 Second edition).

• People have prejudice against groups they could not have heard of.
  
• Prejudice against the unknown!

2.B. Question: Does Prejudice lead to Discrimination

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LaPiere Study: Attitude => Behavior?

Part One

IV1: Behavior of visiting

DV1: Treatment

·      The couple was denied service only once on the whole trip

·      In half of the hotels they received above of the average service.

Part Two

 DV2: Inquired Attitude

·      92% said they would not accept Chinese customers.

2.C. Question: Can there be Discrimination without Prejudice?

The fear that black people move into white neighborhoods. Not because of negative attitudes (prejudice) "against African Americans, but because of worries about declining property values"(Giddens p.185 second edition)

Summary

• Prejudice against the unknown: there is prejudice against any group different to the group a person feels to belong. "Attitude toward Walonians experiment"
• Prejudice does not necessarily lead to Discrimination. "Chinese checking into hotel experiment"
• Discrimination does not necessarily lead to Prejudice. "Real estate depreciation argument"

II. Race and Ethnicity as a Touchy Issue

Give Examples

Where does the uneasiness about race and ethnicity come from?

The Guilt Syndrome

U.S. and Germany

Question: Why do the Germans feel guilty when it comes to race and ethnicity. Why do North Americans feel guilt?

III. The focus on race sometimes leads to an underestimation of other important factors.

1) One related factor is income.

Brazilian saying in your textbook: "A rich black man is a white, and a poor white man is a black"

We already integrated the race issue in the previous chapter on Social Stratification.

Cultural Capital: Manner, etiquette, family socialization, social connections.

Question: What does affirmative action contribute changing at this key issues?

Question: How related is cultural capital to race and ethnicity?

2) Another more general, but related concept is cultural diversity and ethnocentrism.

We already integrate the concepts of cultural diversity and ethnocentrism when we spoke about culture and socialization.

Cultural diversity

• language
• food
• dress
  

Ethnocentrism versus cultural relativism

• ethnocentrism: judging other cultures in term of standards of one's own.
• cultural relativism: judging a society by its own standards

3) We also addressed the race issue in the chapter on Deviance Criminology

• 50% of the prison population is Black
• Higher rate of reported crime and higher victimization of Black people.

We integrated the concept of race and ethnicity throughout this course, and we will further address it when we come to the session of family.

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