Chapter 1: Race and Ethnicity

Subordinate group whose members have significantly less control or power over their
own lives than do the members of the dominant/majority group
Characteristics (5): unequal treatment, distinguishing physical or cultural traits,
involuntary membership, awareness of subordination, in-group marriage

Group that is socially set apart because of obvious physical differences

Group set apart from others because of its national origin or distinctive cultural patterns Differences: language, attitudes towards marriage/parenting, food habits

Mistaken notion of a genetically isolated (perfect/pure) human group

A doctrine that one race is superior

Sociohistorical process by which racial categroies are created, inhibited, transformed, and destryed

Systematic study of social behavior and human groups

Structured ranking of entire groupd of people that perpetuates unequal rewards and power in a society Indentifies class (social ranking) of people due to wealth

Sociological approach emphaizing how parts of a society are structured to maintain its Stability

Sociological approach that assumes that the social structure is best understood in terms of conflict or tension between competing groups

An element of a society that may distupt a social system or decreases its stability

Portraying the problems of racial and ethnic minorities as their fault rather than recognizing society's responsibilites

Sociological approach, by Howard Becher, attempts to explain why certain people are viewed as deviants and others engaging in the same behaviors are not people who do bad do it because from "wrong of family"

Unreliable, exaggerated generalizations about all members of a group that do not take into account individual differences

In certain situations, people may respond to negative stereotypes and act on them, resulting with the false definition becoming accurate A person or group described as having particular characteristics begins to display very traits attributed to them Can create viscous circle