Ethnicity Flashcards
(20 cards)
Ethnicity Perspective
Many ethnic minority groups are located towards the bottom of the stratification system
Parsons
Assimilation Theory
(functionalism)
Functionalists assume all cultures share norms and values
Ethnic inequalities are temporary and based on cultural differences
These differences are inevitable for a period of time, before people are absorbed into the mainstream culture
Minority groups slowly adapt to the majority culture over time
Charles Murray
Racial Underclass
(new right)
Black Caribbean groups experience significant inequality because they form a significant part of the underclass
These families have high rates of single parents, welfare dependency and poverty - this leads to crime
Peter Saunders
Failure in Cultural Assimilation
(new right)
Many migrants fail to adapt to British culture, which is the main reason for ethnic inequality
Some have developed cultural attitudes which lead to poverty
Once in positions of poverty, they accept this, and do not attempt to improve their positions, so become trapped in a cycle of poverty
Castles & Kosack
Racism Benefits Capitalism
(marxism)
Capitalism exploits minorities, divides the working class, and minority groups can be held responsible for the problems of capitalism
Robert Miles
Racialised Class Fractions
(marxism)
Racism divides the working class, and people focus on problems associated with ethnic minorities, rather than the inequality and oppression they are experiencing through capitalism
Prevents class consciousness
Stuart Hall
Racism is a Diversion
(neo marxism)
Working class people are encouraged to focus and blame problems on immigrants
This ensures economic and political problems caused by capitalism are overlooked
Edmund Husserl
Social Othering & Inequality
(neo marxism)
Dominant groups often develop an ‘us and them’ attitude, known as othering - those who are the other are seen as inferior
The othering process can be made easy if the weaker group is easily identifiable
Class (wealth) Inequality
(weberian)
Ethnic minorities often take low paid work, often because its the only work available
This is due to racism and social closure, thus ethnic minorities experience significant class inequalities
Status (social position) Inequality
(weberian)
Some ethnic groups experience low status in society and can result in discrimination and racism
It also prevents assimilation because people do not want to associate with people of lower status
Party (power) Inequality
(weberian)
Ethnic minority groups have the lowest political party membership and not part of the political process
They’re not represented in mainstream politics, experiencing party inequality, which results in their interests not being taken into account
Barron & Norris
Dual Labour Market
(weberian)
Because of social closure, ethnic minorities find themselves in the secondary labour market
Robinson & Richardson
Black Feminism
(feminism)
Erasure:
-the dominant culture may try to remove the minority culture, assimilation can be seen as a form of erasure
Denial:
-people ignore or refuse to acknowledge cultural difference and assume their own beliefs are the only beliefs
Invisibility:
-people are simply overlooked; it is still rare to see non white groups in certain areas of social and economic life
Tokenism:
-this is where one ethnic group will be allowed into an organisation or cultural group in an attempt by that group to show cultural equality
Bell Hooks
Racism White Supremacist Capitalist Patriarchal Values
(feminism)
Society maintains white supremacist patriarchal values
There are systems of domination, society maintains oppression over ethnic minorities and women
Black women experience significant inequality as a result of patriarchy and capitalism
There is racialised sexism
Kennan Malik
Critique of Cultural Assimilation
(postmodernism)
The assimilation model used by most societies is unnecessary
Society is diverse and individualistic
Its impossible to impose one set of norms and values over people, and for everyone to conform to one set of norms and values
Robert Miles
Cultural & Structural Racism
(postmodernism)
Cultural Racism:
-perception that ethnic minority groups are incompatible with traditional values
Structural racism:
-is not just a matter of attitude, but also a matter of behaviour/action, people may be refused employment due to their ethnic background, this is an example of structural racism
Richard Jenkins
Employment Inequality
(postmodernism)
People employ people based on two factors:
- Suitability - qualifications, skills, experience
- Acceptability - whether the employee would fit in with the organisation and based on the stereotypical views of the person making the decision to employ a person
Ethnic minorities are less likely to be successful in job applications, because of perceptions of acceptability
Carmichael & Hamilton
Sociological Analysis of Racism
Institutional racism is a means of subordinating ethnic minorities and maintaining control over them
David Hellman
Sociological Analysis of Racism
Racism is concerned with protecting an advantaged position in society i.e protecting the privileged position of white people over the black population
Critical Race Theory
(coined by Crenshaw, developed by Bell)
Race is a social construct with no biological basis
There is racial bias in all aspects of UK society
All legal and social institutions have been designed for and implemented by white people at the cost of black minority groups
There’s embedded racism within and throughout all structures of society
CRT links to intersectionality, different forms of inequality are interconnected
