01:920:108 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Microsoft Powerpoint, Ethnocentrism, Demographic Transition
10 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Historical Perspectives
Conquest
a.
Annexation (when a society is incorporated into another society--> it can be peaceful [ex: Louisiana Purchase] or violent [ex: War--> Mexican-American War]
b.
Voluntary immigration
c.
Involuntary immigration (people brought by force)--> ex: slavery
d.
Forms of Contact
1.
The means by which the society satisfies basic needs such as food and shelter
i.
Subsistence technology shapes and affects every aspect of social structure
ii.
In Industrial society: capital is subsistence tech
1)
In Post-industrial society: information, tech and knowledge is subsistence tech (decline in blue-collar occupations)
2)
Ex: Agrarian society: land and labor are subsistence technology
iii.
Dominant-minority group relations is largely a function of a society's subsistence technology (proposed by sociologist)
a.
Subsistence Technology
2.
Defines racial or ethnic stratification, levels of racism and prejudice, possibilities for assimilation and pluralism, and other aspects of dominant-minority
relationships.
i.
Condition under which groups come together for the first time
a.
Contact Situation
3.
1st Africans were probably indentured servants
i.
By 1660s- 1st slave laws enacted
ii.
By 1750s, slavery had been clearly defined in law and custom (idea of owning another person was institutionalized)
iii.
1619-Dutch ship introduced slavery to colonial Jamestown, VA
a.
Origins of slavery in U.S.
4.
Agricultural work was labor intensive
a.
Plantation system developed--> based on cultivating and exporting crops such as sugar, tobacco and rice.
b.
On large tracts of land
c.
Used large, cheap labor since profits were low
d.
Dwindling supply of white indentured servants--> attempt to enslave Native Americans failed
e.
Slaves imported from African became the most cost-effective way to solve labor needs
f.
Labor Supply problem
5.
Need all 3 characteristics for dominant-minority stratification to occur
i.
Who to dominate
1)
Ethnocentrism: judge other people by standards of one's own culture.
ii.
Why dominate? (motivation to establish superiority)
1)
Competition: struggle over a scarce commodity
iii.
Can achieve your goals with power--> opposition from other groups.
a)
Power: ability for group to influence another group
1)
How to dominate (dominate group imposes will on minority group--> ethnic or racial stratification)
2)
Differential in power: allows dominant group to succeed in establishing a superior position.
iv.
Noel Hypothesis--> sociologist--> if 2 or more groups come in contact characterized by ethnocentrism, competition, and a differential in power, then some form of
racial or ethnic stratification results
a.
Contact solution
6.
Colonization and immigration (2 initial relationships)
i.
Minority groups created by colonization will experience more intense prejudice, racism and discrimination than those created by immigration
ii.
Disadvantaged status of colonized groups will persist longer and be more difficult to overcome than disadvantaged status faced by groups created by
immigration.
iii.
Blauner hypothesis
7.
Forced into minority status by dominant group
a.
Subjective to massive inequalities and attacks on their culture
b.
Assigned to positions from which assimilation is extremely difficult and perhaps even forbidden, and identified by highly visible racial or physical characteristics.
c.
Colonized minority groups
8.
Mostly voluntary participants
a.
Don't occupy such markedly inferior positions and retain enough internal organization to pursue self-interests,
b.
Commonly experience easier movement to equality as groups are racially similar.
c.
Immigrant minority groups
9.
As you move up in class/status, your skin color is considered "lighter" (doesn't work for African Americans though) but happens to other groups
a.
Looks at explanations for why this isn't working for African-Americans (1st: racist motive--> author concludes reasonable explanation might go back to slavery-->
continued effect of slavery)--> in colonized minority group they face massive inequalities and discrimination.
b.
Article (Race as Class--> found on Sakai)
10.
White indentured servants: were preferred over black indentured servants--> had bargaining power (ethno: yes, competition: yes, differential in power: no)
a.
American Indians: (ethnocentrism: yes, competition: yes, differential in power: no)
b.
Black indentured servants: ethnocentrism: yes, competition: yes, differential in power: yes.--> became indentured servants by force and had no bargaining power (a
reason they were enslaved while white indentured servants and American Indians weren't).
c.
Creation of American Society
11.
After slavery ended--> sharecroppers (tenants, who were often black, worked in the land and split profit with landowner--> after the harvest, profit was split but it
was not always honest, so the tenants couldn't pay their debts and were forced to keep working), farm laborers, servants.
a.
1910--> more than 50% Blacks worked in Agriculture
b.
25% worked in domestic occupations (maid, janitor)
c.
Contact Situation
12.
Northern industrialists couldn't bring labor from South so they had poor immigrants from Europe brought over for labor and Bl acks remained working at the farm,
and were excluded from better paying jobs.
a.
Industrialization
13.
Lecture: Day 2
Friday, January 12, 2018
4:06 PM
Minority Groups in American Society Page 1
Document Summary
Annexation (when a society is incorporated into another society--> it can be peaceful [ex: louisiana purchase] or violent [ex: war--> mexican-american war] Involuntary immigration (people brought by force)--> ex: slavery. Dominant-minority group relations is largely a function of a society"s subsistence technology (proposed by sociologist) i. ii. iii. The means by which the society satisfies basic needs such as food and shelter. Subsistence technology shapes and affects every aspect of social structure. Ex: agrarian society: land and labor are subsistence technology. In post-industrial society: information, tech and knowledge is subsistence tech (decline in blue-collar occupations) a. Condition under which groups come together for the first time i. Defines racial or ethnic stratification, levels of racism and prejudice, possibilities for assimilation and pluralism, and other aspects of dominant-minority relationships. 1619-dutch ship introduced slavery to colonial jamestown, va i. ii. iii. By 1750s, slavery had been clearly defined in law and custom (idea of owning another person was institutionalized)
