Sociology

Sociology Study Guide

structural reason for poverty include: • Limited access to decent paying jobs • Racism/persistent discrimination • Exploiting the poor 4.4 Race and Ethnic Relations Though racial and ethnic diversity is widespread in almost every industrial society on the globe, discrimination and inequalities still wreak havoc on social structures. Most discrimination is along racial and ethnic lines. Minority groups are those who share a biological, social, or cultural trait different from those of the majority group. The two types of traits that distinguish minority groups are: • Culturally determined traits: dress, language, and hairstyle • Biologically determined traits: skin color and hair texture Ethnic groups usually share cultural traits that are passed down generationally ( ethnicity) and racial groups share physical traits that are genetically different ( race). While race is a social fact, sociologists explore the significance people place on that fact. Some of today’s anthropologists consider race to be a cultural trait, rather than a strictly biological one. Sociologists view ethnic groups as easily distinguishable from the larger culture. Racial differences are passed down genetically while ethnic differences are learned culturally. Minority groups consist of people who share physical attributes or cultural practices that are different than the main culture and this difference makes them susceptible to unusual orunequal treatment. Minority groups can be based on either race or ethnicity. There are five properties of every minority group. They are: • Exploited by (or suffer damages from) the dominant group. • Identified by at least one socially visible characteristic. • Share a common identity and share a strong sense of solidarity. • Born into the group (ie. They are members due to an ascribed status). • Marry within the group (usually). Patterns The relationship between races and ethnicities can follow many patterns. There are three patterns of acceptance that illustrate how minorities are brought into the dominant society. And there are four patterns of rejection that explain howminorities are excluded or not accepted as part of the dominant group.

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