CHAPTER NINE RACE AND ETHNICITY AS LIVED EXPERIENCE believed each race was characterized by its own biological makeup Defining Race and Ethnicity 19th century schema by biologists Negroid Mongoloid and Caucasoid black Asian and white modern science there are no pure races with all lines between races being blurry rather than fixed and there s no such thing as a superior race also greater genetic diversity within racial populations than between all humans are 99 9 percent genetically identical 15 percent of the remaining 1 percent of variation occurs between geographically distinct groups race a socially defined category based on real or perceived biological differences between groups of people it s more meaningful to us on a social rather than biological level ethnicity a socially defined category based on common language religion nationality history or another cultural factor symbolic ethnicity an ethnic identity that is only relevant on specific occasions and Ethnic Options Symbolic and Situational Ethnicity display group membership through dress language food religious practices preferences in music art or literature projects we find interesting and topics pursued at school two specific ways to show group membership does not significantly impact everyday life depending on its usefulness in a given situation whether it favors our ethnicity important to note that neither symbolic nor situational ethnicity is available to those who are visibly nonmainstream situational ethnicity an ethnic identity that can be either displayed or concealed involves a cost benefit analysis need to appraise each situation to determine St Patrick s Day Irish people proud to display their ethnicity What is A Minority minority status is not definitive by numbers it s about social inequalities minority group members of a social group that is systematically denied the same access to power and resources available to society s dominant groups but who are not necessarily fewer in number than the dominant groups dominant groups likely to perceive selves as targets of collective discrimination membership of a minority can serve as a master status over others such as gender and age denied the access to power and resources generally accorded to others in the unequal unfair treatment and lack of access to power and resources generates a strong sense of common identity among members of minority groups because of this minorities tend to practice high rates of in group marriage endogamy rooted in generalizations and or stereotypes Racism Prejudice and Discrimination racism a set of beliefs about the superiority of one racial or ethnic group used to justify inequality and often rooted in the assumption that differences between groups are genetic can also arise from negative view of groups cultural characteristics prejudice an idea about the characteristics of a group that is applied to all members of that group and is unlikely to change regardless of the evidence against it discrimination unequal treatment of individuals based on their membership in a social group usually motivated by prejudice is possible that a person can be prejudiced and not discriminate against others also possible to discriminate against others without being prejudiced discrimination takes different forms because of their race or ethnicity political economic educational and others that affect all members of a group who come into contact with it institutional discrimination discrimination carried out systematically by institutions individual discrimination discrimination carried out by one person against another offers best explanation of how prejudice and discrimination develop by focusing on Theoretical Approaches to Understanding Race in the United States sociologists study why race continues to be such a critical role in society functionalist theory has been less successful in explaining persistence of racial divisions and why other races and ethnicities have continued to maintain distinct identities along with white majority culture today social solidarity and group cohesion way of life are right and normal this cohesiveness can lead members to see others unfavorably conflict theory focuses on struggle for power and control 1960s sociologists looked for source of racism in capitalist hierarchies Bonacich argues racism is partly driven by economic competition and struggle over scarce resources split labor market where one group of workers is paid less than other groups keeps wages low for racial and ethnic minorities compounding effects of racism with those of poverty Wilson believes that racist government policies and individual racist attitudes are the groups have tendency toward ethnocentrism or belief that own culture and driving forces in the creation of a black underclass perpetuated by economic factors not racial ones conflict theorists have developed new approaches to understanding race Facial Fault Lines The Historical Origins of White Supremacy in California by Almaguer looks at history of race relations in California during late nineteenth century examines how white supremacist ideology became institutionalized and racist beliefs became part of political economic life during that period justify killing them system permeating lived experience and large scale activity I e economy government experienced not as overarching general theories Omi and Winant argue race isn t a secondary phenomenon resulting from the class Collings Hooks and Anzaldua argue race must be explained in terms in which it s manifest destiny and notion that Native Americans were uncivilized helped other writers feel that race is created symbolically in everyday interactions during and after slavery light skinned African Americans passing as white Race as an Interactional Accomplishment Passing passing presenting yourself as a member of a different racial or ethnic group than the one you were born into passing involves manufacturing maintaining a new identity that s more beneficial than one s real identity W E B DuBois concept of double consciousness can one be black and claim one s rights as an American situational context is important in examining cases of passing you have to include racially relevant content and language it s not just what Race as an Interactional Accomplishment Embodied and Disembodied Identities embodied identity those elements of identity that are generated through other s perceptions of our physical traits this is something that is not
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