RaceSince ancient times, people have

attempted to group humans in racial categories based on physical characteristics

Historically scholars have placed people into 3 racial groups: Caucasoids, Mongoloids, and Negroids

CaucasoidsCaucasoids

are white

They are characterized by fair skin

Straight or wavy hair

MongoloidsMongoloids are Asian (or

people whose ancestors are thought to have come from Asia, such as American Indians)

Characterized by yellowish or brownish skin

Distinctive folds on the eyelids

NegroidsNegroids are

black

They are characterized by dark skin

Tightly curled hair

Racial Categories

The reality is that people in each category exhibit a wide range of skin colors and hair textures

It is often hard to categorize groups

There are no biologically “pure” races

Definition of Race

Race: a category of people who share inherited physical characteristics and who others see as being a distinct group

EthnicityAmerican society consists of people

from many different cultural backgrounds.

Ethnicity is a set of cultural characteristics that distinguish one group from another

Ethnic GroupsPeople who share a common cultural

background and common sense of identity are known as an ethnic group

Ethnic groups are usually based on national origin, religion, language, customs, and values

Minority Groups

A minority group is a group of people who- because of their physical characteristics (race) or cultural practices (ethnicity) are singled out or treated unequally

Characteristics of Minorities

Minorities view themselves as objects of discrimination

Membership in the group is an ascribed statusGroup members share a strong bond & sense of

group loyaltyMembers tend to practice endogamy- marriage

within the group. The term has nothing to do with group size, but

more so with powerExample: in South Africa while whites made up 15%

of the population, they dominated the loves of other racial groups in the nation.

DiscriminationDiscrimination is a common feature of the

minority group experience. Discrimination is the denial of equal treatment

to individuals based on their group membership.

Discrimination involves behaviors of an individual or society and can range from name calling and rudeness to acts of violence

Example: In America prior to 1970, 1,170 African Americans were lynched by white mobs. Many were lynched for attempting to vote or for desiring equal treatment.

Societal Discrimination

There are two types of societal discrimination:Legal discrimination can change when laws are

changed1. Legal discrimination- discrimination upheld by

the law2. Institutionalized discrimination-

discrimination that is an outgrowth of the structure of a society

Institutionalized

discrimination if far more

resistant to change

PrejudicePrejudice is another common

feature of the minority group experience.

Prejudice is an unsupported generalization about a category of people.

Prejudice refers to attitudes and involve stereotypes

Stereotypes are oversimplified, exaggerated, or unfavorable generalizations about a group of people

White performers would paint their faces black

and entertain crowds in minstrel shows from the

1840s-1920s

Stereotypes

When stereotyping, an individual forms an image of a particular group and applies it to all members of the group

When stereotyping happens long enough, people begin to believe it

When people believe stereotypes, it makes it easier to accept discrimination

RacismPrejudice beliefs

can justify discrimination and racism can occur

Racism is the belief that one’s own race or ethnic group is naturally superior to other races or ethnic groups

Cultural Pluralism

Cultural pluralism is a policy that allows each group within a society to keep its unique

cultural identity

AssimilationAssimilation is the blending together of

culturally distinct groups into a single group with a common culture and identity

Often assimilation occurs voluntarily, but sometimes it is force on an ethnic group

Segregation

Segregation is a policy to physically separate a minority group from the dominate group

1. De jure segregation: segregation based on the law

Example: White-only and Colored-only bathrooms in the 1950s

2. De facto segregation: segregation based on informal norms

Example: All Black churches