Lesson 11: Race and Ethnicity


Attention

While this video is just an example of one officer's response to a situation, has our fear begun to create changes in our society as to how we deal with race and ethnicity?

What does this video experiment tell us about the status of Muslim Americans in the US. 


Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this lesson's material, students will be able to:

  • Discuss how concepts such as "minority," "stereotypes," and "prejudice" relate to unequal distributions of power.
  • Reflect on the concept of "white privilege"
  • Apply the case of Ferguson, MO as an example of racial issues in the US

Teaching

Ferguson, MO

On August 9, 2014 Officer Darren Wilson shot and killed Michael Brown. Conflicting stories regarding the shooting revealed deep seeded racial issues in Ferguson, MO and engaged the entire country in a heated debate about racial inequality.

  • Predominantly black community saw the death as "racial profiling" on the part of a white police officer.
  • Only three of the 53 member police force were black.
  • Racial sedimentation (practical and legal racism that reduces the ability to accumulate wealth)
  • Redlining (practice of refusing loans for homes and businesses in predominately minority communities)

Minority

It is important at this stage to have a very clear definition of the concept of "minority"

Minority, as it is discussed in Sociology, connotes discrimination and a reduction in true power and control. This has less to do with the use of the term to describe a smaller number of people (though it also refers to that as well.)

Race, Stereotypes, Prejudice, Discrimination, and White Privilege

Race is defined genetically. Race has become more commonly associated with skin color, hair type, eye shape, and various associated ethnic characteristics.

Ethnicity is specifically the CULTURAL aspects of a person.

Stereotypes develop as we automatically categorize individuals into groups and assume shared characteristics among ALL members of this group. Consider these "stereotypes":

  • African Americans make better athletes.
  • Asian Americans are good at math.
  • Blonds have more fun.

Stereotypes can also apply to other categories of people. Consider what assumptions you make about the following categories:

  • Christians
  • Muslims
  • People from the South
  • People from New York City
  • Rednecks

Prejudice is the application of Stereotypes as we meet people. We "pre judge" them.

Discrimination is the application of prejudice in ways that are unfair, create inequality, reduce access, etc.

White Privilege is the notion that there is a certain degree of advantage for being white that whites themselves are rarely aware of. Below is an analysis of a clip from a talk show that illustrates how difficult this concept can be to describe.

 

Check out this website on White Privilege...do the examples of privilege listed on this site make sense:

  • Assume that most of the people you or your children study in history class are of the same race, gender, or sexual orientation as you are.
  • Assume that your failures will not be attributed to your race or your gender.
  • You do not have to think about your race, or your gender, or your sexual orientation, or your disabilty on a daily basis.

Check out this link to White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack


Assessment

Lesson 11 Discussion

A lot of the study of Sociology has been focused on the study of inequality. Discuss how topics such as minority (see the true definition of this in the Teaching section of this lesson), stereotypes, and prejudice still play a role in modern society.

Consider the different categories explored in the chapter: Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Arab Americans.

Lesson 11 Quiz

  1. Consider the story of Ferguson, MO. Reflect on how this exemplifies structural issues in racial inequality in our society.
  2. Examine the discussion of "white privilege" and do some investigating yourself. Comment on your thoughts about this concept.