biologically transmitted

Race – a category of people who share biologically transmitted traits that members of a society deem socially significant. • Ethnicity – refers to the characteristics of a group based on shared cultural identity and derived from a common language, nationality, religion, or ancestry. • Minority Group – a group that is singled out for unequal treatment and who regard themselves as objects of collective discrimination. • Dominant Group – the group with the most power, the greatest privileges, and the highest social status. Shared Characteristics of Minority Groups • Membership in a minority group is an ascribed status • Physical or cultural traits that distinguish minorities are held in low esteem by the dominant group • Minorities are unequally treated by the dominant group • Minorities tend to marry within their own group • Minorities possess a strong sense of solidarity Prejudice and Discrimination • Prejudice – an attitude, or prejudgment, applied to an entire category of people, such as the poor, women, and racial minorities. Prejudices can be positive or negative, but are usually negative. • Discrimination – an act of unfair or unequal treatment directed against an individual or a group. 1) Individual Discrimination – negative treatment of one person by another on the basis of perceived characteristics. 2) Institutional/Systemic Discrimination – negative treatment of a minority group that is built into society’s institutions. • Stereotypes – prejudicial, exaggerated descriptions of some category of people. Patterns of Racial-Ethnic Group Relations Dominant Group Actions: Forms of Acceptance • Amalgamation is the process by which subcultures of various groups are blended together, forming a new culture; this is the highest level of minority group integration (e.g., Interracial mar