Ethnicity and Race

1
Ethnicity and Race
2
Ethnicity

• A social category based upon certain cultural
  traits or characteristics
• Humans have the capacity to learn any cultural
  behavior through socialization

3
Race

• See AAA Statement on Race (1998)
• http//www.aaanet.org/stmts/racepp.htm

4
Biological Race

• A geographically-isolated species left alone long
  enough to evolve into a new species
• Humans havent been around long enough for this
  to happen

5
DNA Evidence

• Almost all (about 94) of physical variation lies
  within so-called racial groups.
• Only 6 of our genes are race-related.
• So, people of different racial groups differ from
  one another by only about 6 of their genes.

6
Skin color

• Melanin
• particles in skin that give it its color and
  protect it from dangerous UV rays.

7
So, race is a myth.

• There is no such thing as race as most of us
  see it.
• Race in terms of inherently inferior and
  superior groups of people with different mental
  and physical capacities is completely false.

8
Social Race

• Group assumed to have a biological basis, but
  actually created and defined by society (Social
  Construction)

9
Social Construction

• A label imposed upon us.
• Appears natural, but actually made-up.
• Definition and understanding change with time,
  place, and culture.
• VERY REAL in its consequences

10
4-Step Process

• Step 1 Lump people together by skin color.

11
Step 2 Attach meanings to racial group.

• Race was never merely about creating categories,
  but about creating a hierarchy.
• Economic, political, social power
• Based on, and justified by
• Stereotypes simplified, rigid mental images of
  what certain groups are like.

12
Step 3 Differences are exaggerated.

• Otherness is always emphasized and highlighted.
  
• - Us vs. Them

13
(No Transcript)
14
More Racist Cartoons

• "Equal Burdens

15

• "Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips"

• "Jungle Jitters (1930s)

16
Step 4 Society is Stratified

• Societal resources and rewards are distributed
  unevenly, according to racial classification.
• This is done through systematic institutionalized
  discrimination.

17
Discrimination

• the unequal treatment of certain people on the
  basis of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, and
  other ascribed factors. (justified by
  stereotypes)

18
What can we do about this?
19

• Since race is socially constructed, we can
  deconstruct it to work towards justice and
  equality in society.

20

• Make the implicit explicit.
• Implied ideas and taken-for-granted assumptions
  need to be uncovered and questioned.
• Look for hidden norms.
• Whose perspective are we getting?
• We Need to Ask, Who benefits from race?

21
In Conclusion

• Inequalities between so-called racial groups
  are not due to biological inheritance, but are
  products of historical and contemporary social,
  economic, educational, and political
  circumstances.

22
Recommended Readings

• 1. A History The Construction of Race and
  Racism. from the Dismantling Racism Project
  (www.westernstatescenter.org)
• 2. Mans Most Dangerous Myth That Fallacy of
  Race. by Ashley Montagu
• 3. Credit to Our Race. by Tim Wise
• 4. Racial Formation in the United States.
• by Michael Omi and Howard Winant
• 5. Dr. Rice (his research and thoughts)