Chapter 9: Race and Ethnicity

Question 1

What event catalyzed discussions on racial profiling and “Stand Your Ground Laws”?

Answer 1

The death of Trayvon Martin at the hands of George Zimmerman.

Question 2

What is racial profiling?

Answer 2

The use by law enforcement of race alone to determine whether to stop and detain someone.

Question 3

What was the outcome of George Zimmerman’s trial?

Answer 3

He was found not guilty of second-degree murder.

Question 4

What impact did European colonization have on Native American populations?

Answer 4

Their numbers dwindled from over 1 million to about 240,000 by 1900 due to violence, disease, and conflict.

Question 5

Describe the history of African Americans in the U.S. during the colonial period.
A: They were forcibly transported, sold, and abused as slaves, leading to significant violence against them.

Question 6

What term describes the segregation and violence against African Americans in the South from the 1870s to the 1960s?

Answer 6

Jim Crow racism.

Question 7

What is nativism?

Answer 7

Anti-immigrant sentiment that led to violence against groups like Catholics and Chinese immigrants.

Question 8

Who noted the conflict between American ideals and the reality of discrimination against African Americans in 1944?

Answer 8

Gunnar Myrdal.

Question 9

What did the Kerner Commission report in 1968?

Answer 9

The U.S. was moving toward “two societies, one black, one white – separate and unequal.”

Question 10

What is the current sociological view on race?

Answer 10

Race is more of a social construct than a biological reality.

Question 11

What is the definition of ethnicity?

Answer 11

Shared social, cultural, and historical experiences stemming from a common background.

Question 12

Define a minority group.

Answer 12

A group singled out for unequal treatment due to physical or cultural traits.

Question 13

What are the three forms of contact between racial and ethnic groups?

Answer 13

Conquest, annexation, and immigration.

Question 14

Differentiate between prejudice and discrimination.

Answer 14

Prejudice is an attitude; discrimination is a behavior.

Question 15

What is racism?

Answer 15

The belief that certain racial or ethnic groups are inferior to one’s own group.

Question 16

What are stereotypes?

Answer 16

Simplified, mistaken generalizations about people based on their race or ethnicity.

Question 17

What theory posits that prejudice develops from harsh parenting styles?

Answer 17

Adorno’s theory of the authoritarian personality.

Question 18

What is the scapegoat theory of prejudice?

Answer 18

It suggests that frustrated individuals blame lower status groups for their problems.

Question 19

What is the social learning theory’s view on prejudice?

Answer 19

Prejudice is learned through socialization and conformity to cultural norms.

Question 20

What form of racism involves the belief that certain cultures are inferior?

Answer 20

Cultural racism.

Question 21

Define institutional racism.

Answer 21

Racism embedded in the fabric of society, affecting systems and institutions.

Question 22

What is colorism?

Answer 22

Prejudice based on skin tone within a racial group, where lighter skin is often favored over darker skin.

Question 23

Define discrimination.

Answer 23

The arbitrary denial of rights, privileges, and opportunities to members of subordinate groups.

Question 24

What are the four categories of people based on prejudicial beliefs and discriminatory actions?

Answer 24

Active Bigots
All-weather Liberals
Timid Bigots
Fair-weather Liberals

Question 25

Who are Active Bigots?

Answer 25

Individuals who are both prejudiced and discriminatory.

Question 26

Who are All-weather Liberals?

Answer 26

Individuals who are neither prejudiced nor discriminatory.

Question 27

Describe Timid Bigots.

Answer 27

Individuals who are prejudiced but do not discriminate due to fear of legal consequences.

Question 28

What are Fair-weather Liberals?

Answer 28

People who are not prejudiced but still discriminate due to peer pressure.

Question 29

What is individual discrimination?

Answer 29

Discrimination practiced by individuals in their daily lives, often stemming from prejudice.

Question 30

What is institutional discrimination?

Answer 30

Discrimination that pervades the practices of whole institutions, affecting large groups based on race or ethnicity.

Question 31

Give an example of individual discrimination.

Answer 31

African Americans facing discrimination in stores and restaurants, or being harassed by police.

Question 32

How does institutional discrimination impact health care?

Answer 32

People of color often have higher disease rates and less access to medical procedures compared to whites.

Question 33

What is redlining?

Answer 33

Practices that limit access to loans and insurance in certain neighborhoods, affecting predominantly minority communities.

Question 34

What does Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 address?

Answer 34

It bans racial discrimination in employment, yet inequality persists.

Question 35

Define genocide.

Answer 35

The deliberate annihilation of a targeted subordinate group.

Question 36

What is expulsion in the context of intergroup relations?

Answer 36

A subordinate group being forced to leave an area or country by a dominant group.

Question 37

Differentiate between de jure and de facto segregation.

Answer 37

De jure is enforced by law, while de facto occurs by custom or tradition.

Question 38

What was the outcome of Brown v. Board of Education?

Answer 38

It declared that “separate educational facilities are inherently unequal,” ending de jure segregation.

Question 39

What is hypersegregation?

Answer 39

A pattern of extreme residential segregation, where African Americans are isolated in certain neighborhoods.

Question 40

How do sociologists measure segregation?

Answer 40

Using segregation indices that scale from zero (most integrated) to 100 (least integrated).

Question 41

What impact does housing discrimination have on communities of color?

Answer 41

It contributes to concentrated poverty and limits access to resources and opportunities.

Question 42

What do statistics reveal about racial and ethnic inequality in the U.S.?

Answer 42

They show disparities in income, education, and health among different racial and ethnic groups.

Question 43

How do African Americans, Latinx Americans, and Native Americans compare to Whites and Asian Americans?

Answer 43

They have lower family incomes, higher poverty rates, and are less likely to have college degrees.

Question 44

What are the infant mortality rates for African Americans and Native Americans compared to Whites?

Answer 44

African American infants are more than twice as likely to die as White infants.

Question 45

How does ethnicity affect the experiences of different groups?

Answer 45

For example, Cuban Americans generally fare better than Puerto Ricans and Central Americans.

Question 46

Despite higher overall indicators, what challenges do Asian Americans face?

Answer 46

They experience stereotypes, discrimination, and a significant increase in hate crimes.

Question 47

What longstanding explanations exist for racial and ethnic inequality?

Answer 47

They include beliefs in biological or cultural inferiority of minority groups.

Question 48

What does the structural explanation suggest about racial inequality?

Answer 48

It attributes inequality to institutional and individual discrimination, educational inequalities, and housing segregation.

Question 49

What did W. E. B. Du Bois identify as the major issue of the 20th century?

Answer 49

The problem of the color line.

Question 50

What mixed outcomes have characterized racial issues in the U.S. in the 2020s?

Answer 50

While legal segregation is outlawed and racism has declined, modern cultural racism and institutional discrimination persist.

Question 51

What is Affirmative Action?

Answer 51

Policies and practices that promote equal opportunity for minorities and women in employment and education.

Question 52

What landmark case upheld the use of race as a criterion for college admissions?

Answer 52

Grutter v. Bollinger (2003).

Question 53

What arguments do opponents of affirmative action make?

Answer 53

They argue it results in discrimination and implies beneficiaries are less qualified.

Question 54

What reasons do supporters of affirmative action provide?

Answer 54

They cite historical discrimination, lack of access to opportunities, and the need for diversity.

Question 55

How has immigration shaped American society?

Answer 55

Increased immigration has led to greater diversity but also competition for jobs and resources.

Question 56

How do perceptions of crime relate to immigration?

Answer 56

Research shows immigrants have lower crime rates and contribute to community stability.

Question 57

What demographic shift is projected for the U.S. by 2060?

Answer 57

Whites will make up less than 44% of the population, while Latinx individuals are projected to increase significantly.

Question 58

What potential challenges may arise from changing demographics?

Answer 58

Increased competition for jobs and resources may lead to more racial and ethnic strife.

Question 59

What is the urgency in light of changing racial and ethnic dynamics?

Answer 59

It is crucial to foster mutual understanding and eliminate discrimination.