Sociology

Sociology Study Guide

access to educational and employment opportunities. These measures are highly controversial, however, because some feel they are actually a means of “reverse discrimination.” The dominant society is influenced by actions of its minority groups. • Passive acceptance: Minorities accept the current situation. • Aggression: Expressions of dissatisfaction, verbal, written, or physically violent. • Collective protest: Minorities band together to express dissatisfaction. • Self-segregation: Voluntary separation from the dominant society. • Voluntary assimilation: Attempting to blend into the dominant society by learning the culture. Prejudice is a rigid, irrational attitude toward a group of people based on racial orethnic differences. Differences among group members are ignored while generalized negative feelings are present. Sources of prejudice include: • Stereotype: An exaggerated, and usually unfavorable, belief about a group of people. Every member of the group is assumed to have those traits. • Authoritarian personality: Traits of a prejudiced thinker (conformity, intolerant, and insecure). • Irrationality: Illogical, irrational, or inconsistent beliefs about groups of people. • Scapegoating: Projecting blame onto another person or group who is powerless to stop the threat. • Social environment: Either encourages or discourages prejudicial behavior. Social environments that encourage prejudice include competitions, inequality, and minimal contact betweenmembers. Discrimination is an unequal treatment, usually negative or limiting, of individuals based ontheir race, ethnicity, or other group membership. Prejudice does not always lead to discriminatoryactions. Legal discrimination is unequal treatment that is legal. For example, workplaces hire only certain kinds of employees if hiring otherwise would hurt their image or the safety of their customers. Institutionalized discrimination refers to unequal treatment based on social custom orroutine. For example, organizations exclude certain groups of individuals based on long-standing traditions and customs. Race Relations in the United States The relationship of different races into United States culture has historically been determined by how closely they resemble or relate to the dominant WASP (White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant) society. For those who were similar either racially or ethnically, the inclusion into American society was smoother. For those, however, who shared less similarity, it was a rougher amalgamation. For those even more different, both racially and ethnically, it was nearly impossible, especially at first to get a foothold into thedominant society. The size and skill level of minority groups entering the dominant

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