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RACE AND ETHNICITY
Chapter 5 – Race and Ethnicity - Sociology
Race: Myth and Reality
Race: A group of people with inherited physical characteristics (skin color, hair texture, eye hues) that distinguish it from another group.
Myths About Race Some races are superior to other races A “pure” race exists
Race: Myth and Reality
Genocide: The attempt to destroy a group of people because of their race or ethnicity. Ex: Adolf Hitler and the Holocaust Ex: Hutus vs. Tutsis in Rwanda
Race is arbitrary – biologists can’t agree on how many races exist
Ethnic Groups
Ethnicity: Having distinctive cultural characteristics
Ethnic groups identify with each other on common ancestry and cultural heritage Nation of Origin Food Clothing Language Music Religion
Ethnic Groups
Race and ethnicity are often confused Ex: Jews are an ethnic group, not a race
Minority Groups and Dominant Groups Minority Group: People who are singled out
for unequal treatment and who regard themselves as objects of collective discrimination.
Minorities share several conditions worldwide: Their physical or cultural traits are held in low
esteem by the dominant group They are treated unfairly by the dominant group They tend to marry within their own group
Minority Groups and Dominant Groups The conditions in which minority groups
live tend to create a sense of identity (“we-ness”) and common destiny.
Minority groups are not necessarily numerical minorities Ex: British discrimination against Indians in
India Ex: Dutch discrimination (apartheid)
against blacks in South Africa
Minority Groups and Dominant Groups Dominant Group: The group with the
most power, greatest privileges, and highest social status. Often possesses political power Unified by shared cultural traits
Minority Groups and Dominant Groups A group becomes a minority in one of
two ways: Through the expansion of political
boundaries Ex: The U.S. taking over Mexico in 1848
Through migration (voluntary or involuntary) Ex: Mexicans coming to the United States Ex: African slaves being brought to the United
States
Constructing Racial-Ethnic Identity
Heightened Sense of Ethnicity
Heightened Sense of Ethnicity
Low Sense of Ethnicity Low Sense of Ethnicity
•Part of the Majority •Greater Power•Similar to “National Identity” •No discrimination
•Part of the Majority •Greater Power•Similar to “National Identity” •No discrimination
•Smaller Numbers •Lesser Power•Different from “National Identity” •Discrimination
•Smaller Numbers •Lesser Power•Different from “National Identity” •Discrimination