theme 4 - social change Flashcards
(15 cards)
political status of Black Americans by 1992?
increased political presentation and significance
the number if black Congressmen increased from 45 (1990) to 69 (1992)
black mayor elected in Chicago (1984) and Philadelphia (1988)
however, black Americans rarely won statewide elections as some white voters didn’t want to be represented by a black person
political status of Hispanic Americans by 1992?
increasing population and political significance
1989: first Hispanic cabinet member
number of Hispanic Americans in House of Representatives increased from 10 (1980) to 17 (1992)
increased strength of Hispanic lobbying groups, such as LULAC and MALDEF
- persuaded Congress to make the 1986 Immigration Reform Control Act more sympathetic to undocumented aliens
political status of Native Americans by 1992?
preferred separatism
activism was effective in increasing sovereignty and land rights
1990: Duro v. Reina meant tried didn’t have authority over non-tribe members and had to report to external authorities
status of ethnic minorities in the legal system by 1992?
black and Hispanic Americans well represented in police departments
still faced police brutality
- 1991 high-speed car chase, police beat up suspect
- 1992: police stopped drivers on interstate highway in Volusia County, Florida - 70% were black or Hispanic, although they were only 5% of drivers on that road
disproportionate number of black men in jail
1990: Supreme Court rules states could deny employment to peyote users, which Native Americans used for religious purposes
economic status of ethnic minorities by 1992?
on average poorer than white Americans
- 1970-90: 30% of black American in poverty
- black unemployment 2x that of whites
- 1/4 of Hispanic Americans below the poverty line
- Native American income less than 1/2 the national average
affirmative action for ethnic minorities
increased numbers attending college
1992: 51.5% black students went straight to college
1970-90: 20% increase in Native Americans with college education, 33% for Hispanic Americans
increased educational opportunities ensured a rise in ethnic minority incomes
- 1981-92: average black income rose by nearly 20%
what examples are there of racial prejudice in the 1980s?
9% continued to live in de facto segregation in inner-city ghettos
Southern schools slowly became re-segregated from 1988
what examples are there of racial tolerance in the 1980s?
Congress passed the 1988 Civil Rights Restoration Act which meant recipients of federal funds must comply with civil rights laws in all areas
Congress demonstrated respect with Native American Grave Protection and Reparation Act, enabling Native Americans to retrieve remains of their ancestors
what impact did the success of black individuals have on racial tensions?
white Americans enjoyed black artists
- 19/50 top albums in 1985 were by black artists
however, some argued that black sporting success reinforced with prejudices that blacks were physically aggressive and lacking in intellect
what opposition did women face to working?
economic status was improving but was still inferior to men, so groups campaigned for equal pay and opportunities
women held fewer executive and managerial positions
sexual harassment
what examples are there of sexual harassment being taken seriously?
1980 Equal Employment Opportunity Commission stated that sexual harassment was a form od sex discrimination
1991: number of sexual harassment cases filed annually reached 6,000
reproductive rights for women
1973 Roe v. Wade
later Supreme Court rulings made access to abortion more difficult
- Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey (1992) required when to undergo counselling then wait 24 hours before abortion
impact of women in the workplace
social conservatives claimed women were taking men’s jobs and working women couldn’t look after the family properly
liberals and organisations such as the NOW argued employment had a positive impact on women - increased finances and standard of living, independence and potential
women in politics
greatly under-represented in government at all levels
1984: Geraldine Ferraro appointed as Democratic Party’s vice-presidential candidate was a huge step forward, but also faced great sexist backlash
number of Senators remained very low - none in 1980, 2 by 1992
number of Congresswomen increased from 16 (1980) to 38 (1992)
the impact of women in politics
increased number of women served on state legislatures and in the House of Representatives
women in Congress were important in passing legislation that benefited women
- e.g 1992 Women’s Business Ownership Act, giving financial aid to women to help them establish businesses
Sandra Day O’Connor was the first female Supreme Court justice and argued against barriers to accessing abortion, such as having married women producing a signed statement proving she’s told her spouse.
