chap 34.docx

Race and Ethnicity: (no marginality and creativity on the final) Social construction: -sociology on race and ethnicity is important b.c we look at how race and ethnicity shape power and resources -race and ethnicity often focus on inequality -some people think race and ethnicity is proscribedborn w/ it and so unchangeable -traits that you’re born w/ -sociology says race and ethnicity are socially constructed -consider greater importance for sociology than in biology -racial distinctions aren’t biological given -some scientists believe we all belong to one race and this is in Africa -some people think we all come from one mother named Lucy who is from Africa Race: -is misused -some people think iof race in connection w/ skin colour -the Caucassion race-->white people or people of European backround -some people label Jes as a race but they are an ethnic group -another misuse is nationality -the English racewrong -the human racewrong -not the way sociologists or biologists use the term race -Canteburry people who have been singled out as inferior or inferior on the basis physical of genetic characteristics -term racism is also misusedmeans to be prejudiced against a socially defined group of ppl and to discriminate them based on genetic inferiority of that group of individuals -often find today that when people see prejudice or discrimination, they think that it is based on racism but it’s not always true -can discriminate against people not just for race but can also discriminate based on religion, colour of hair, etc. -should be aware of the fact that racism is the discrimination against people who show genetic inferiority Race biology of society: -race is a social construct -race matters historically b/c it has been associated w/ inequality -the group defined as genetically inferior experiences prejudice -scapegoating is when a group of people blame and inferior group of people for their problems that they themselves have created -problems w/ race -this system of classification, white and non-white took hold in western Europe during the era of colonialism -this system is now outdated b/c many ppl don’t fit in this either/or classification -Asians, Africans, etc don’t fit this type of scheme -another problem is fiction of pure race -sociologists use race b/c the perception of race affects the lives of people profoundly -it remains a social category -but it lacks a biological foundation -racial purity is thought to exist but this is fiction -most of us are genetically mixed -we have more biological similarity in places like Japan which has been isolated from the rest of the world for a long period of time and today it still doesn’t have immigration -there is a small Chinese and Korean population but are isolated from the larger society -even so, they are not a race biologically speaking -why are pe