chapter 11 Flashcards
(24 cards)
minority group
a group of people in a given society who, because of their distinct physical or cultural characteristics, find themselves in situations of inequality compared with the dominant group within that society
race
a socially constructed category rooted in the belief that there are fundamental differences among humans, associated with phenotype and ancestry
ethnicity
cultural values and norms that distinguish the members of a given group from others. An ethnic group is one whose members share a distinct awareness of a common cultural identity, separating them from other groups. In virtually all societies, ethnic differences are associated with variations in power and material wealth. Where ethnic differences are also racial, such divisions are sometimes especially pronounced.
racism
the attribution of characteristics of superiority or inferiority to a population sharing certain physically inherited characteristics. Racism is one specific form of prejudice, focusing on physical variations among people. Racist attitudes became entrenched during the period of western colonial expansion, but seem also to rest on mechanisms of prejudice and discrimination found in human societies today
prejudice
the holding of preconceived ideas about an individual or group, ideas that are resistant to change even in the face of new information. Prejudice may be either positive or negative
stereotyping
thinking in terms of fixed and inflexible categories
scapegoats
individuals or groups blamed for wrongs that were not of their doing
discrimination
behavior that denies to the members of a particular group resources or rewards that can be obtained by others. Discrimination must be distinguished from prejudice. Individuals who are prejudiced against others may not engage in discriminatory practices against them or vice versa
white privilege
the unacknowledged and unearned assets that benefit whites in their everyday lives
institutional racism
the idea that racism occurs through the respected and established institutions of society rather than through hateful actions of some bad people
racial microaggressions
small slights, indignities, or acts of disrespect that are hurtful to people of color even though they are often perpetrated by well meaning whites
scientific racism
the use of scientific research or data to justify or reify beliefs about the superiority or inferiority of particular racial groups, Much of the “data” used to justify such claims is flawed or biased.
apartheid
the system of racial segregation established in South Africa
assimilation
the acceptance of a minority population, in which the new group takes on the values and norms of the dominant culture.
melting pot
the idea that ethnic differences can be combined to create new patterns of behavior drawing on diverse cultural sources
pluralism
a model for ethnic relations which all ethnic groups in the United States retain their independent and separate identities yet share equally in the rights and powers of citizenship
multiculturalism
a condition in which ethnic groups exist separately and share equally in economic and political life
immigration
the movement of people into one country from another for the purpose of settlement
emigration
the movement of people out of one country to settle in another
diaspora
the dispersal of an ethnic population from an original homeland into foreign areas, often in a forced manner or under traumatic circumstances.
affirmative action
policies that grant preferential treatment to groups regarded as disadvantaged or subject to discrimination
genocide
the systematic, planned destruction of a racial, political, or cultural group
ethnic cleansing
the creation of ethnically homogenous territories through the mass expulsion of other ethnic populations
segregation
the practice of keeping racial and ethnic groups physically separate, thereby maintaining the superior position of the dominant group.
