Week 1: Introduction and Main Definitions

Question 1

Inequality

Answer 1

Unfair difference in access to resources, opportunities, social mobility

Question 2

Majority and Minority

Answer 2

Groups based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation.

Majority - dominant
Minority - subordinate

Question 3

Race

Answer 3

• social construct
• physical, not biological differences
• racial formation motivated by political interests
  people treat race as “real”

Question 4

Ethnicity

Answer 4

• social construct

- cultural similarities (nationality, language, religion)

Question 5

Racism

Answer 5

• attitude, belief, behavior, or institutional arrangement that favors one racial or ethnic group
• can be intentional or unintentional

Question 6

Types of Racism: Racial prejudice

• What are the 3 forms of racial prejudice?

Answer 6

Individual attitudes and beliefs (overgeneralized and not based on facts) that favor one group over another. Can be overt, explicit, subtle, or indirect.

3 forms:

• Cognitive: what a person believes to be true
• Affective: what a person likes or dislikes
• Conative: a person’s tendency to behave

Question 7

Types of Racism: Ideological Racism

Answer 7

The belief that some races are biologically, intellectually, or culturally superior. Science has been used to supposedly prove the inferiority of a race and justify domination.

Problems:

• Not neutral (scientist’s race is always superior)
• Findings don’t support claims and race is not defined on biological basis

Question 8

Types of Racism: Individual and Institutional Discrimination

Answer 8

Individual Discrimination:
- individual behavior that leads to unequal treatment based on race or ethnicity

Institutional Discrimination:

• arrangements or practices of social institutions and organizations that favor one racial or ethnic group
• might be conscious, intentional, unconscious, or unintentional