Download Ch. 10 S. 1

Chapter 10: S.1: Racial and
Ethnic Relations
Obj: Summarize how sociologists
define the terms race, ethnicity, and
minority group; identify the
characteristics that distinguish minority
groups from one another.
Race
Race and ethnicity are two of the most prominently
ascribed statuses that societies use to
distinguish one group of people from another.
Since ancient times, people have attempted to
group human beings into racial categories based
on physical characteristics, such as skin color,
hair texture, and body structure. These attempts
have produced a number of classification
systems ranging in size from 2 to nearly 200
racial categories.
Historically scholars have placed people into three
racial groups-Caucasoids, Mongoloids, and
Negroids. According to the system, Caucasoidsor whites- are characterized by fair skin and
straight or wavy hair. Mongoloids-or Asians-are
identified by yellowish or brownish skin and by
distinctive folds on the eyelids. Negroids-or
blacks-are distinguished by dark skin and lightly
curled hair. However, in reality, people who are
recognized as belonging to each of these racial
categories exhibit a wide range of skin colors
and hair textures.
However, this well known classification
system has difficulty describing the
complexity of race. For example, how
should the people of southern India, with
their Caucasoid-like facial features, dark
skin color, and straight hair be classified?
In what group should the Ainu people of
Japan, who have Mongoloid-like features
but have light skin, be placed? How should
Australian Aborigines, many of whom have
dark skin and blond tightly curled hair, be
categorized?
As these examples
indicate, it is difficult
to classify people into
clear-cut racial
categories because
people often possess
the traits of more than
one race. There are
no biologically “pure”
races. For this
reason, race as a
biological
classification is of little
use to sociologists.
Almost every sociologist looks at race from a
social perspective. In sociological terms, a
race is a category of people who share
inherited physical characteristics and
whom others see as being a distinct
group. For sociologists, the important
issue is not that a person has a specific
color of skin or hair of a certain texture.
Rather, sociologists are concerned with
how people react to these physical
characteristics and how these reactions
affect individuals in society.
Ethnicity
Like most other societies, American society
consists of people of different cultural
backgrounds. The set of cultural
characteristics that distinguishes one
group from another group is called
ethnicity. People who share a common
cultural background and a common sense
of identity are known as an ethnic group.
Ethnicity is generally based on such
cultural characteristics as national origin,
religion, language, customs, and values.
If an ethnic group is to survive over time, its
cultural beliefs and practices must be passed
from generation to generation. Some ethnic
groups in the US have been more successful
than others in keeping their heritage alive. For
example, Asian Americans and Hispanics tend
to have strong ethnic roots. Unlike recent
immigrants, many generations of German
Americans who were raised in the US no longer
feel deep ties to their ancestral homeland or its
cultural traditions. Consequently, they share few
cultural characteristics with people in Germany.
In some cases, ethnic
identity over steps
racial or national
boundaries. Jewish
people worldwide are
thought to form an
ethnic group. Their
ethnic-group status is
based on their religious
and cultural heritage.
Even Jewish people
who no longer firmly
hold to the religious
beliefs of Judaism are
linked by factors such
as a common history.
Ethnicity and race refer to two separate sets of
characteristics. Ethnicity is based on cultural
considerations. On the other hand, race is based
on physical considerations. Nevertheless, some
ethnic groups are also racially distinct. For
example, African Americans are viewed as a
racially distinct group in the US. Many African
Americans also share a common ethnic heritage
that includes particular foods, types of music,
forms of speech, and cultural traits. Similarly,
groups such as Japanese Americans, Chinese
Americans, and Korean Americans can be
classified both ethnically and racially.
Minority Groups
No particular skin color, physical feature, or
ethnic background is superior or inferior by
nature. However, many sociologists
recognize that those who hold power in a
society may place an arbitrary value on
specific characteristics. By establishing the
values and norms of society, dominantgroup members consciously and
unconsciously create a social structure
that operate in their favor.
Speaking the language
most common in a
society is one position
of power held by the
dominant group. Using
a conflict theory
perspective, many
sociologists have
concluded that a
dominant group’s
position of power
allows them to enjoy
certain privileges, such
as better housing,
better schools, and
higher incomes.
The resources and rewards found in society
are limited. Consequently, the privileged
position of the dominant group is often
gained at the expense of minority groups
within the society. Sociologist Louis Wirth
identified a minority group as a group of
people who-because of their physical
characteristics or cultural practices-are
singled out and unequally treated. As a
result, group members view themselves as
objects of collective discrimination. You
should be aware that the term minority has
nothing to do with group size.
For example, in South Africa
white people made up
about 15 percent of the
population during the
second half of the 1900s.
Yet, for much of that time,
they dominated the lives
of the other racial groups
in the country. Minority
status, then, is not related
to group size but to the
group’s unequal standing
in their society.
Certain characteristics distinguish minority groups
from other groups in society.
• The group possesses identifiable physical or
cultural characteristics that differ from those of
the dominant group.
• Group members are the victims of unequal
treatment at the hands of the dominant group.
• Membership in the group is an ascribed status.
• Group members share a strong bond and a
sense of group loyalty.
• Members tend to practice endogamy-marriage
within the group.
To be considered a minority group, a group must
exhibit all of the above characteristics. Exhibiting
only one or two of the characteristics is not
enough. For example, blue eyes are an
identifiable physical characteristic, and having
blue eyes is an ascribed status. However, blueeyed people do not face challenges because of
their eye color. Consequently, they are not
considered a minority group. Haitians in the US
or Aborigines in Australia, on the other hand, are
often treated differently because of their ethnic
and racial backgrounds. Therefore, they are
considered to be minority groups.