Sociology and Race, Sociology and Race, Prejudice, & HatePrejudice, & Hate

•Are We Racist/ Prejudiced……………..Are We Racist/ Prejudiced……………..

In WRHS????

In NJ???? IN

USA????Journal : Have you ever experienced discrimintation yourself? Explain!

Basic TermsBasic Terms

• AssimilationAssimilation: The process through which a : The process through which a person forsakes his or her own cultural person forsakes his or her own cultural tradition to become part of a different culture.tradition to become part of a different culture.

• Should we demand that immigrants Should we demand that immigrants assimilate?assimilate?

• Is assimilation necessary?Is assimilation necessary?

Basic TermsBasic Terms• Ethnic GroupEthnic Group: A group that is set apart from others : A group that is set apart from others

primarily because of its national origin or distinctive primarily because of its national origin or distinctive cultural patterns.cultural patterns.

• DIFFERENT FROM RACE!DIFFERENT FROM RACE!

Basic TermsBasic Terms

  

• Prejudice:Prejudice: A negative attitude toward an entire category of A negative attitude toward an entire category of people, often an ethnic or racial minority. people, often an ethnic or racial minority.

  

• Racism:Racism: The belief that one race is supreme and all others The belief that one race is supreme and all others are innately inferior. are innately inferior.

• DiscriminationDiscrimination: The denial of opportunities and equal rights : The denial of opportunities and equal rights to individuals and groups because of prejudice or other to individuals and groups because of prejudice or other arbitrary reasons. arbitrary reasons.

Basic TermsBasic Terms

• PluralismPluralism: Mutual respect : Mutual respect for one another’s culture for one another’s culture among the carious groups among the carious groups in a society, which allows in a society, which allows minorities to express their minorities to express their own cultures without own cultures without experiencing prejudice. experiencing prejudice.

• Stereotype:Stereotype: An unreliable An unreliable generalization about all generalization about all members of a group that members of a group that does not recognize does not recognize individual differences individual differences within the group. within the group.

Basic TermsBasic Terms

• EthnocentrismEthnocentrism: The tendency to assume that : The tendency to assume that one’s own culture and way of life represent one’s own culture and way of life represent the norm or are superior to all others. the norm or are superior to all others.

• Hate Crime:Hate Crime: A criminal offense committed A criminal offense committed because of the offender’s bias against a race, because of the offender’s bias against a race, religion, ethnic group, national origin, or religion, ethnic group, national origin, or sexual orientation. sexual orientation.

• Should rape be considered a hate crime?Should rape be considered a hate crime?

JournalJournal

• What is a question you are afraid to ask What is a question you are afraid to ask regarding race or prejudice? Explain.regarding race or prejudice? Explain.

5 Basic Characteristics of 5 Basic Characteristics of MinoritiesMinorities

• Members of a minority group experience unequal treatment Members of a minority group experience unequal treatment compared to members of a dominant group. compared to members of a dominant group.

• Members of a minority group share physical or cultural Members of a minority group share physical or cultural characteristics that distinguish them from the dominant group. characteristics that distinguish them from the dominant group. Each society arbitrarily decides which characteristics are most Each society arbitrarily decides which characteristics are most important in defining groups.important in defining groups.

• Membership in a minority group is not voluntary, people are Membership in a minority group is not voluntary, people are born into the group.born into the group.

• Minority group members have a strong sense of group Minority group members have a strong sense of group solidarity.solidarity.

• Members of a minority group generally marry others from the Members of a minority group generally marry others from the same group. A member of a dominant group is often unwilling same group. A member of a dominant group is often unwilling to marry into a supposedly inferior minority group. to marry into a supposedly inferior minority group.

Sociological Theories on Sociological Theories on RacismRacism

• Functionalist Perspective: Functionalist Perspective: • Three purposes that Racism hasThree purposes that Racism has::

1.1. Racist views provide a moral justification for Racist views provide a moral justification for maintaining an unequal society that routinely maintaining an unequal society that routinely deprives a minority group of its rights and deprives a minority group of its rights and privileges. privileges.

2.2. Racist beliefs discourage the subordinate Racist beliefs discourage the subordinate minority from attempting to questions the very minority from attempting to questions the very foundations of society.foundations of society.

3.3. Racial myths suggest that any major societal Racial myths suggest that any major societal change would only bring greater poverty to the change would only bring greater poverty to the minority and lower the majority’s standard of minority and lower the majority’s standard of living. living.

Sociological Theories on Sociological Theories on RacismRacism

Four Dysfunctions Associated with Racism: Four Dysfunctions Associated with Racism:

1.1. A society that practices discrimination fails to use the A society that practices discrimination fails to use the resources of all individuals. Discrimination limits the search resources of all individuals. Discrimination limits the search for talent and leadership to the dominant group. for talent and leadership to the dominant group.

2.2. Discrimination aggravates social problems such as Discrimination aggravates social problems such as poverty, delinquency, and crime, and places the financial poverty, delinquency, and crime, and places the financial burden of alleviating those problems on the dominant burden of alleviating those problems on the dominant group. group.

3.3. Society must invest a good deal of time and money to Society must invest a good deal of time and money to defend its barriers to the full participation of all members. defend its barriers to the full participation of all members.

4.4. Racial prejudice and discrimination often undercut goodwill Racial prejudice and discrimination often undercut goodwill and friendly diplomatic relations between nations.and friendly diplomatic relations between nations.

Sociological Theories on Sociological Theories on RacismRacism

• Conflict Perspective: Conflict Perspective: • Exploitation Theory: (Marxist Class theory) Exploitation Theory: (Marxist Class theory)

• Views the exploitation of the lower class as a basic part of the Views the exploitation of the lower class as a basic part of the capitalist economic system. capitalist economic system.

• Racism keeps minorities in low-paying jobs, supplying the Racism keeps minorities in low-paying jobs, supplying the capitalist ruling class with a pool of cheap labor. capitalist ruling class with a pool of cheap labor.

• Only problem is it does not account for all types of prejudice. Only problem is it does not account for all types of prejudice. Some minority groups have experienced prejudice in the Some minority groups have experienced prejudice in the United States without experiencing it in the workforce or in United States without experiencing it in the workforce or in economic terms. economic terms.

Sociological Theories on Sociological Theories on Racism Racism

• Interactionist PerspectiveInteractionist Perspective: : • In cooperative circumstances, interracial contact between In cooperative circumstances, interracial contact between

people of equal status will cause them to become less people of equal status will cause them to become less prejudiced and to abandon old stereotypes.prejudiced and to abandon old stereotypes.

• People begin to see one another as individuals and discard People begin to see one another as individuals and discard the broad generalizations characteristic of stereotyping. the broad generalizations characteristic of stereotyping.

• Based on individual interactions; on a micro level. Based on individual interactions; on a micro level.