🔝Social Stratification Unit 3 – Race and Ethnicity in Social Stratification

Key Concepts and Definitions

• Race socially constructed category based on physical characteristics (skin color, hair texture) used to classify and differentiate groups of people
• Ethnicity refers to shared cultural heritage, language, traditions, and ancestry within a group
• Minority group has less power, representation, and status compared to the dominant group in a society
  • Can be based on race, ethnicity, religion, or other characteristics
• Prejudice preconceived opinions, attitudes, or beliefs about a group without factual basis
• Discrimination unequal treatment of individuals or groups based on their race, ethnicity, or other characteristics
• Racism belief in the superiority of one race over others, leading to discrimination and prejudice
• Institutional racism policies and practices within organizations that create and perpetuate racial inequalities
• Colorblind ideology belief that race should not matter in society, often ignoring the reality of racial inequalities

Historical Context

• Colonialism and imperialism European powers dominated and exploited non-European societies, shaping racial hierarchies and inequalities
• Slavery forced labor system based on race, particularly affecting African populations in the Americas
• Jim Crow laws state and local laws in the United States that enforced racial segregation and discrimination against African Americans
• Civil Rights Movement 1950s-1960s struggle for racial equality and end of legal discrimination in the United States
  • Key events include Brown v. Board of Education (school desegregation) and the Civil Rights Act of 1964
• Immigration policies historically shaped racial and ethnic demographics, often favoring European immigrants while restricting others
• Redlining discriminatory housing practices that denied services to residents of certain areas based on race or ethnicity
• Apartheid system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination in South Africa from 1948 to 1994

Theoretical Frameworks

• Social constructionism view that race and ethnicity are socially created categories, not biologically determined
• Critical race theory examines the intersection of race, law, and power, emphasizing the centrality of racism in society
  • Challenges dominant ideologies and advocates for social justice
• Assimilation theory describes the process by which minority groups adopt the culture and values of the dominant group
• Pluralism theory advocates for the coexistence and mutual respect of diverse racial and ethnic groups within a society
• Conflict theory sees race and ethnicity as sources of social inequality and conflict, with dominant groups maintaining power over subordinate groups
• Intersectionality framework that examines how multiple social identities (race, class, gender) interact to shape experiences of privilege and oppression
• Postcolonial theory analyzes the lasting impacts of colonialism on racial and ethnic relations in contemporary societies

Race and Ethnicity in Social Structures

• Stratification system that ranks individuals and groups based on their access to resources and power
  • Race and ethnicity often serve as bases for social stratification
• Wealth and income disparities significant gaps in financial resources between racial and ethnic groups (white households vs. black households in the US)
• Educational attainment differences in access to and completion of education across racial and ethnic lines
  • Achievement gaps and disparities in school funding and resources
• Occupational segregation concentration of racial and ethnic groups in specific job sectors or positions
• Housing segregation separation of racial and ethnic groups in residential areas, often resulting from discriminatory practices
• Criminal justice system disproportionate targeting, arrest, and incarceration of racial and ethnic minorities
• Political representation underrepresentation of racial and ethnic minorities in elected offices and decision-making bodies

Intersectionality and Identity

• Multiple identities individuals belong to various social categories (race, ethnicity, gender, class) that intersect to shape their experiences
• Intersectional oppression experiences of discrimination and disadvantage based on the combination of multiple marginalized identities
• Colorism discrimination based on skin tone, often within racial or ethnic groups
  • Privileges lighter-skinned individuals over darker-skinned individuals
• Racial identity development process by which individuals come to understand and embrace their racial or ethnic identity
• Bicultural identity navigating and integrating two or more cultural identities (immigrant youth)
• Passing ability of individuals to be perceived as members of a different racial or ethnic group, often to avoid discrimination
• Microaggressions subtle, everyday forms of discrimination and insults directed at marginalized groups
  • Can be verbal, nonverbal, or environmental

Systemic Inequalities and Discrimination

• Systemic racism deeply embedded, often invisible, practices and policies that perpetuate racial inequalities across institutions
• Employment discrimination unequal treatment in hiring, promotion, and wages based on race or ethnicity
• Housing discrimination practices that limit access to housing for racial and ethnic minorities (redlining, steering)
• Environmental racism disproportionate exposure of communities of color to pollutants, hazardous waste, and other environmental harms
• Health disparities differences in health outcomes and access to healthcare based on race and ethnicity
  • Higher rates of chronic diseases and mortality among minority populations
• Wealth gap significant differences in accumulated assets and financial stability between racial and ethnic groups
• Digital divide unequal access to technology and internet resources, often along racial and ethnic lines
• Linguistic discrimination prejudice or unequal treatment based on an individual's language or accent

Current Issues and Debates

• Affirmative action policies aimed at increasing representation of underrepresented groups in education and employment
  • Controversial, with debates over fairness and effectiveness
• Immigration reform ongoing discussions about policies regulating entry, status, and rights of immigrants
  • Issues of border control, deportation, and paths to citizenship
• Racial profiling discriminatory practice of targeting individuals for suspicion based on their race or ethnicity
• Police brutality and accountability concerns over the use of excessive force by law enforcement against communities of color
• Reparations proposals to provide compensation to descendants of enslaved people for historical injustices
• Hate crimes criminal acts motivated by bias against a person's race, ethnicity, religion, or other characteristics
• Cultural appropriation adoption of elements from a marginalized culture by members of a dominant group, often without proper context or respect
• Xenophobia fear, hatred, or prejudice against individuals perceived as foreign or different

Practical Applications and Case Studies

• Diversity and inclusion initiatives efforts by organizations to create more representative and equitable environments
  • Strategies include diversity training, mentorship programs, and targeted recruitment
• Ethnic studies programs academic disciplines that focus on the histories, cultures, and experiences of racial and ethnic groups
• Community organizing grassroots efforts to mobilize communities around shared concerns and advocate for change
  • Examples include the Black Lives Matter movement and immigrant rights campaigns
• Restorative justice alternative approach to addressing harm and conflict, emphasizing dialogue, accountability, and healing
• Bilingual education programs that provide instruction in two languages, often to support the academic success of language minority students
• Ethnic enclaves geographic areas with high concentrations of a particular ethnic group (Chinatowns, Little Italys)
  • Can provide cultural support and resources but may also reflect segregation
• Indigenous land rights movements efforts by Native communities to reclaim ancestral lands and assert sovereignty
• Refugee resettlement programs that assist refugees in adapting to life in a new country, providing support for housing, employment, and social integration