The Sociological Imagination, continued

1
The Sociological Imagination, continued

• Concepts and Perspectives

2
What is race?

• At one time, a group that had more physical and
  moral characteristics in common with one another
  than with other races.
• Now, a socially constructed category of
  individuals seen by society as biologically and
  inherently distinct from other races.

3
The Biology of Race

• Harris How did our skins get their color?
• Graves (2002) as few as six genes out of the
  total of 30-40 thousand genes could account for
  skin color differences.
• Brown and Armelagos (2001) no longer makes sense
  to adhere to arbitrary racial categories.

4
But, outcomes are associated with race

• A higher percentage of black infants than white
  infants die before reaching their first birthday.
• The average number of years that an African
  American can expect to live is lower than that
  for a white American.
• Race A socially constructed categoryreal in
  its consequences.

5
What is ethnicity?

• A group characterized by cultural practices and
  beliefs that distinguish them from other groups
  in society?
• Are they real?
• Socially constructed from within and without
  Latina and Puerto Rican (J-Lo)

6
What is a minority group?

• A group of people afforded less favorable
  treatment than others because of their membership
  in the group.
• Not all minority groups are racial and ethnic
  groups.
• Not all minority groups are numerically smaller
  than the majority group.

7
Range of attitudes about racial and ethnic groups
other than ones own

• Relativism (extreme)
• E.G. female genital mutilation
• Dietary prohibitions (pork, alcohol, caffeine)
• Ethnocentrism
• Racism (different from prejudice)
• Where do you fit?

8
Attitudes about incorporating racial and ethnic
minorities

• Xenophobia
• Melting Pot
• Multiculturalism
• (U.S. Constitution no official language, no
  official religion, now no racial criteria for
  citizenship)

9
White Privilege

• What is it?
• Advantages accruing to white people in American
  society by virtue of socially constructed
  identities? Examples?
• Racial profiling, service in stores, real estate
  agents, landlords
• Non-discriminators can benefit from white
  privilege

10
Discrimination

• What is it?
• Denial of opportunities to members of a group
  because of their group membership.
• Types (Jencks, 1992)
• Principled (ethnic solidarity) Is it ok for
  black businessmen to favor black suppliers but
  not for white businessmen to favor white
  suppliers?

11
Discrimination, continued

• Myopic (rooted in stereotypes)
• Statistical
• Institutional

12
The History of Sociological Perspectives

• 18th Century Ethnocentrismrecognition but
  disapproval of cultural differences
• 19th-20th Centuries Imperialism, Colonialism,
  Social Darwinism, Scientific Racism
• 20th Century Cultural Diversity, Cultural
  Pluralism, and Cultural Relativism

13
Developing Our Sociological Imagination Taking
Stock

• Social and political acceptance of African
  Americans is much greater than in the middle of
  the 20th Century.
• Immigration has significantly changed the racial
  composition of many areas, especially large
  cities.

14
Taking Stock, continued

• The Civil Rights Movement and its aftermath led
  other racial and ethnic groups to focus on their
  own political and economic issues.
• Gender relations have changed significantly
  during the past 50 years.
• (Women have more choices, but many barriers
  remain)
• 5. Globalization

15
A Model for Understanding Contemporary Racial and
Ethnic Relations

• Important to recognize consensus and conflict
• Ignoring conflict or glossing it over is
  dangerous a false or imposed consensus
• Conflict carried out in the political arena is
  good for our society

16
A Model,continued

• Americans can be Americans and also be,
• African, Mexican, Chickasaw, Jewish, Arab
• Maintain an interest and tie with their actual or
  emotional homeland (Africa, Israel, Palestine,
  Mexico)

17
American Indians as a Model for How to be an
American

• The Pow Wow
• A particularly Indian event
• But, American flags, flag songs, veterans groups,
  veterans songs
• Royalty modeled after beauty contests
• The fact that American Indians are Indians and
  Americans simultaneously reflects the major
  themes of this course.

18
Progress, Problems, and Possible Solutions
Progress

• Discarding race as a biological concept and the
  explicit recognition that race and ethnicity are
  socially constructed categories
• Using the scientific method to study race and
  ethnicity
• Moving beyond an exclusive focus on blacks and
  whites.

19
Current Problems

• Preoccupation with the black/white divide
• Insufficient attention to the impact of
  globalization
• Insufficient attention to the roles of gender and
  class

20
Potential Solutions

• More research on Asians, Latinos, and smaller
  understudied groups
• Explicit attention to the international context
• Including gender and class in examining race and
  ethnic relations

21
Historical Images

• Noble Savage
• Destructive Heathen
• Broken, Destitute Indian
• Gaming Enriched Indian

22
Contemporary Uses of These Images

• A Critique of American Society
• Dances with Wolves
• Thunderheart
• An Affirmation of American Society
• Weapons
• Mascots
• Advertising

23
Why are these images so popular?

• Extent of Popularity
• Part of common American images
• Fascinating
• Safe
• Resistance to Change Symbolic Politics

24
Are these images harmful?

• Do they perpetuate stereotypes?
• Do they impede understanding?
• Good clean fun v. respectable bigotry?

25
What Should be Done?

• Arguments Against the Continued Use of American
  Indian Images
• stereotypes, demeaning
• Arguments in Favor of the Continued Use of
  American Indian Images
• free speech, honor Indians, Indians do it
• Important to Move Beyond These Images