SOC 105 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Ernest Gellner, Ethnic Nationalism, Human Taxonomy

• School: Ryerson University
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC 105
• Professor: Mustafa Koc

Document Summary

Difference among human societies is normal and natural. Inequalities are social and often attributed to these differences. These differences present themselves in biological and cultural patterns. They are often the product of geographical proximity, historical, social and economic relations of conflict and cooperation. Though it may be the products of normal processes of socialization, ethnocentrism and prejudice hinder human cooperation. Race reflects a social rather than a biological reality. Ethnic group: refers to a group that is socially defined on the basis of its cultural characteristics. Ethnocentrism: refers to the tendency to view all the peoples and cultures of the world from the viewpoint of one"s own ethnic group and consequently to evaluate and rank all outsiders in terms of. Ethnic chauvanism: hostility directed towards people on the basis of their membership in a particular ethnic group. A majority (or dominant) group is one that is advantaged and has superior resources & rights in a society.