Difference between race and ethnicity race a social construct used to distinguish people in terms of one or more physical markers usually with profound effects on their lives ethnicity composed of people whose perceived cultural markers are deemed socially significant differ from one another as far as language religion customs and values Just as physical Race cannot be altered as it is an indication of the heritage with which you were born regardless of location or learned behavior Ethnicity can be altered or mimicked through choice and beliefs difference between prejudice and discrimination prejudice an attitude that judges a person on his or her group s real or imagined characteristics discrimination unfair treatment of people because of their group membership If race is a social construction why don t sociologists throw out the category all together Most sociologists continue to use the term race because perceptions of race profoundly affect most people Everything from wealth to health is influenced by whether others can see you as black white or Native American It allows social inequality to be created and maintained why does race matter It allows social inequality to be created and maintained what role to scapegoats play in the creation of social inequality scapegoat disadvantaged person or category of people whom others blame for their own problems Strong countries such as the example of slavery or the Jews in the concentration camp take over a race people and make them a scapegoat for all of their problems Once the inequality is understood behavioral differences develop For example slaves had no motivation to work besides the master s whip making them tend to do the minumum The masters noticed this and characterized them as slow and unreliable This stereotype then gets written in literature journalism and politics The racial inequality has become reinforced what social groups are most often able to express symbolic ethnicity symbolic ethnicity a nostalgic allegiance to the culture of the immigrant generation or that of the old country a love for and a pride in a tradition that can be felt without having to be incorporated in everyday behavior White americans are most often able to express symbolic ethnicity Institutional racism bias that is inherent in social institutions and is often not noticed by members of the majority group How does institutional racism shape the divestment deprivation of inner cities and the proliferation growth of suburban america Policies and political power are made off of the stereotypes society gives to poorer communities For example admissions based off test scores If you live in a poor neighborhood with lack of education funding you will not do well on that test the way a kid that lives in the suburbs who has a good education will Robert Park s ecological theory 1 invasion one racial or ethnic group tries to move into the territory of another 2 resistance the established group tries to defend its territory and institutions against the intruding group It may use legal means violence or both 3 competition if the established group doesn t drive out newcomers the two begin to compete for scarce resources jobs housing public park space 4 accommodation and cooperation over time the two groups work out an understanding of what they should segregate divide and share 5 assimilation the process by which a minority group blends into the majority population and eventually disappears as a distinct group How do internal colonialism and split labor markets explain why some groups are unable to achieve the fifth stage of ecological theory colonialism involves people from one country invading another in the process changing or destroying the native culture The colonizers gain virtually complete control over the native population develop racist belief that the natives are inherently inferior confine natives to demeaning work internal colonialism prevents assimilation by segregating the colonized in terms of jobs housing and social contacts ranging from friendship to marriage The split labor market also prevents assimilation because low wage workers of one race and high wage workers of another race compete for the same jobs High wage workers are likely to resent the presence of low wage workers resulting in confilct and racist attitudes develop reinforce hate crimes are criminal incidents motivated by a person s race religion ethnicity sexual orientation or disability affirmative action is a policy that gives preference to minority group members if equally qualified people are available how do hate crimes and affirmative action figure as key concepts in the sociological study of both ethnicity and race and sexuality and gender hate crimes are criminal acts motivated by a person s race religion or ethnicity hate crimes are the result of discrimination and prejudice Affirmative action is a step to promote equality regardless or race or gender What is the difference between sex and gender sex depends on whether you were born with distinct male or female genitals and gender is composed of the feelings attitudes and behaviors typically associated with being male or female what is an essentialist view of gender see gender differences as a reflection of biological differences between men and women Gender differences are viewed as a reflection of naturally evolved tendencies and society must reinforce the tendencies in order to function smoothly what are four important sociological critiques of essentialism 1 ignore historical and cultural variability 2 ignore variations within gender groups 3 lack of genetic evidence 4 ignore the role of power where do conflict theorists and feminist theorists locate the root of male domination conflict class inequality Male domination increased because industrial capitalism made men still wealthier and more powerful while it relegated women to subordinate domestic roles feminist theory male domination is rooted less in industrial capitalism than in the patriarchal authority relations family structure and patterns of socialization and Culture that exist in most society according to symbolic interactionists are we passive recipients of gender socialization no creatively interpret negotiate resist and self impose these ideas all the time what is the difference between intersexed and transgendered individuals Intersexed people are born with ambiguous genitals and transgendered individuals are people who defy society s gender norms and