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CHAPTER 9
INEQUALITIES OF RACE AND ETHNICITY
KEY TERMS
assimilation: the process of being absorbed into the mainstream culture (p. 234)
authoritarian personality: Adorno’s term for people who are prejudiced and rank high on scales of
conformity, intolerance, insecurity, respect for authority, and submissiveness to superiors (p. 230)
compartmentalize: to separate acts from feelings or attitudes (p. 233)
discrimination: an act of unfair treatment directed against an individual or a group (p. 227)
dominant group: the group with the most power, greatest privileges, and highest social status (p. 226)
ethnic work; activities designed to discover, enhance, or maintain ethnic and racial identification (p. 227)
ethnicity (and ethnic): having distinctive cultural characteristics (p. 223)
genocide: the systematic annihilation or attempted annihilation of a people based on their presumed race
or ethnic group (p. 223)
individual discrimination: the negative treatment of one person by another on the basis of that person's
perceived characteristics (p. 229)
institutional discrimination: the negative treatment of a minority group that is built into a society's
institutions, also called systematic discrimination (p. 229)
internal colonialism: the policy of economically exploiting a minority group (p. 233)
melting pot: the view that Americans of various backgrounds would blend into a sort of ethnic stew,
leaving behind their distinctive ethnic identities and forming a new ethnic group (p. 227)
minority group: people who are singled out for unequal treatment on the basis of their physical and
cultural characteristics, and who regard themselves as objects of collective discrimination (p. 226)
multiculturalism: (also called pluralism) a philosophy or political policy that permits or encourages
groups to express their individual, unique racial and ethnic identities (p. 234)
pan-Indianism: a movement that focuses on common elements in the culture of Native Americans in
order to develop a cross-tribal self identity and to work toward the welfare of all Native
Americans (p. 249)
pluralism: the diffusion of power among many interest groups which prevents any single group from
gaining control of the government (p. 234)
population transfer: forcing a minority group to relocate (p. 233)
prejudice: an attitude of prejudging, usually in a negative way (p. 228)
race: a group whose inherited physical characteristics distinguish it from other groups (p. 222)
racism: prejudice and discrimination on the basis of race (p. 227)
reserve labor force: the term used by conflict theorists for the unemployed who can be put to work
during times of high production and then discarded when no longer needed (p. 231)
rising expectations: the sense that better conditions are soon to follow, which, if unfulfilled, creates
mounting frustration (p. 242)
scapegoat: an individual or group unfairly blamed for someone else's troubles (p. 230)
segregation; the policy of keeping racial or ethnic groups separated (p. 234)
selective perception: seeing certain features of an object or situation, but remaining blind to others (p.
232)
split labor market: a term used by conflict theorists for the practice of weakening the bargaining power
of workers by splitting them along racial, ethnic, gender, age, or any other lines (p. 232)
WASP: white Anglo-Saxon Protestant; narrowly, an American of English descent; broadly, an American
of western European ancestry (p. 235)
white ethnics: white immigrants to the U.S. whose culture differs from that of WASPs (p. 235)
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Chapter 9
Inequalities of Race and Ethnicity
KEY PEOPLE
Theodor Adorno: Adorno identified the authoritarian personality type.
Emery Cowen, Judah Landes and Donald Schaet: In an experiment, these psychologists found that
students directed frustrations onto people who had nothing to do with their problem.
Ashley Doane: Doane identified four factors that affect an individual’s sense of ethnic identity.
John Dollard: This psychologist first suggested that prejudice is the result of frustration and scapegoats
become the targets for people’s frustrations.
Eugene Hartley: Known for his work on prejudice, Hartley found that people who are prejudiced against
one racial or ethnic group tend to be prejudiced against others and that prejudice is not necessarily
based on personal negative experiences.
Douglas Massey: Massey and his students designed a research project to test discrimination in the
housing market. Students from different racial and social class backgrounds made calls about
apartment units available for rent. When compared with white students, the African Americans
were less likely to actually speak to a rental agent, less likely to be told a unit was available, more
likely to have to pay an application fee, and more likely to have their credit mentioned.
Ashley Montagu: This physical anthropologist pointed out that some scientists have classified humans
into two races while others have identified as many as two thousand.
Alejandro Portes and Rueben Rumbaut: These sociologists looked at the impact that immigration has
had on our country, noting that there has always been an anti-immigrant sentiment present.
Barbara Reskin: Reskin examined the results of affirmative action, concluding that it has had only a
modest impact on hiring, promotion, and college admission.
Muzafer & Carolyn Sherif: The Sherifs researched the functions of prejudice and found that it builds ingroup solidarity.
Charles Willie: Willie has criticized William Wilson’s work, arguing that race is still an important
criterion for discrimination.
William Wilson: Known for his work on racial discrimination, Wilson argues that class is a more
important factor than race in explaining patterns of inequality.
Louis Wirth: Wirth offered a sociological definition of a minority group.
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PRACTICE TEST
1. Ethnicity is based upon:
a. biological characteristics and a feeling of peoplehood.
b. common ancestry and genetic disposition.
c. common ancestry and cultural heritage.
d. biological characteristics and genetic disposition.
2. Sociologically, the concept of minority group refers to:
a. African-American, Latinos, and Asians.
b. people who are singled out for unequal treatment and collective discrimination.
c. the ethnic or racial group with the fewest members in society.
d. anyone who immigrates into a nation.
3. Sociologically, the people with the greatest power, most privileges, and highest social status are
referred to as the:
a. dominant group.
c. bourgeoisie.
b. ruling class.
d. capitalists.
4. ____________ is an action of unfair treatment directed against someone while ____________ is
an attitude that conveys negative prejudging.
a. Domination/stereotyping
c. Discrimination/prejudice
b. Discrimination/profiling
d. Domination/subjugation
5. Individual discrimination is:
a. discrimination by one person against another.
b. discrimination against a group that is built into a society’s social structure.
c. discrimination against all other groups by members of a particular social institution.
d. the perception by some that societal institutions are discriminatory.
6. Unfair treatment directed against a group of people based on their ethnic or racial status that is
woven into the fabric of society is referred to as:
a. institutional discrimination.
c. dejure discrimination.
b. individual discrimination.
d. defacto discrimination.
7. A racial, ethnic, or religious minority who is unfairly blamed for others’ troubles are seen as:
a. racist.
c. authorities.
b. scapegoats.
d. ethnocentric.
8. The Authoritarian Personality Theory to explain prejudice was developed by:
a. John Dollard.
c. Theodore Adorno.
b. Robert Merton.
d. Robert Muir.
9. The sociological perspective that suggests prejudice and discrimination leads to group solidarity
and can actually provide a positive incentive for society is the:
a. symbolic interactionist perspective.
c. conflict perspective.
b. functionalist perspective.
d. neo-conflict perspective.
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Inequalities of Race and Ethnicity
10. When discussing the split labor market and reserve labor force as instruments of prejudice and
discrimination, one is addressing the ______________ perspective.
a. conflict
c. structural
b. functionalist
d. symbolic interactionist
11. In terms of prejudice, symbolic interactionists argue that:
a. groups are pitted against one another benefiting those in power.
b. the labels we learn affect the way we see people.
c. prejudice is functional.
d. prejudiced people are insecure conformists.
12. The systematic annihilation of a race or ethnic group is referred to as:
a. genocide.
c. population transfer.
b. subjugation.
d. assimilation.
13. An impact of labeling that leads us to see certain things and be blind to others is referred to as:
a. compartmentalization.
c. selective perception.
b. self-fulfilling prophecy.
d. group polarization.
14. Another term for multiculturalism is:
a. assimilation.
b. pluralism.
c. colonialism.
d. segregation.
15. The best example of a society that has developed the approach of pluralism (multiculturalism)is
that of:
a. America.
c. Germany.
b. Switzerland.
d. South Africa.
16. __________ is the process by which a minority group is absorbed into the mainstream culture.
a. Assimilation
b. Pluralism
c. Colonialism
d. Segregation
17. Internal colonialism is often accompanied by ___________, the separation of racial or ethnic
groups.
a. assimilation
c. discrimination
b. colonialism.
d. segregation
18. The Naturalization Act of 1790, passed by the Continental Congress, declared that:
a. only men of any race, color, or creed could apply for American citizenship.
b. all immigrants, regardless of sex, race, color, or creed could apply for citizenship.
c. only white immigrants could apply for citizenship.
d. all Europeans could apply for citizenship but not Asians or Africans.
19. The Civil Rights Act, making it illegal to discriminate in restaurants, theatres, and other public
places, was passed in:
a. 1971.
b. 1957.
c. 1977.
d. 1964.
20. The 1896 Supreme Court case that addressed “separate but equal” accommodations for blacks as
a reasonable use of state power was:
a. the Dred Scott Decision.
c. Brown vs. Topeka Board of Education.
b. Plessy vs. Ferguson.
d. the Emancipation Proclamation.
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21. The 1955 incident in which Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white person,
inspiring the Civil Rights Movement, took place in:
a. Savannah, Georgia.
c. Montgomery, Alabama.
b. Tupelo, Mississippi.
d. Richmond, Virginia.
22. What separates most Latinos from other U.S. ethnic groups?
a. the Spanish language
c. state boundaries
b. geographic distance
d. residential patterns
23. The three largest groups of Asian Americans trace their heritage to:
a. Vietnam, Cambodia, and the Philippines.
b. Vietnam, China, and Japan.
c. China, Indonesia, and Japan.
d. China, the Philippines, and Japan.
24. The “Invisible Minority” refers to:
a. African Americans.
b. Latino Americans.
c. Native Americans.
d. Asian Americans.
25. The emphasis on the common elements running through Native American culture which develop
an identity that goes beyond the tribe is called:
a. Native Americanism.
c. American Indianism.
b. Pan-Indianism.
d. Nativism.
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Chapter 9
Inequalities of Race and Ethnicity
PRACTICE TEST — ANSWER KEY
1. C (page 223)
2. B (Page 226)
3. A (page 226)
4. C (page 227)
5. A (page 229)
6. A (page 229)
7. B (page 230)
8. C (page 230)
9. B (page 231)
10. A (page 231)
11. B (page 232)
12. A (page 232)
13. C (page 232)
14. B (page 234)
15. B (page 234)
16. A (page 234)
17. D (page 234)
18. C (page 235)
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19. D (page 242)
20. B (page 240)
21. C (page 242)
22. A (page 239)
23. D (page 246)
24. C (page 247)
25. B (page 249)