Questions on Ethnicity

What is ethnicity and how is it transmitted?

Ethnicity is a sense of people hood or nationhood that is culturally transmitted.

What is race and how has it been used by societies?

A race is a population that shares visible physical characteristics from inbreeding and that thinks of itself or is thought of by outsiders as distinct. It has been used by societies to justify poor treatment of minority groups.

What is a minority group?

A minority group is one that has less power and influence than the dominant group.

What is prejudice?

Prejudice is a judgment based on group membership or social status.

What is discrimination?

Discrimination involves treating someone differently because of his or her group membership or social status.

What is the relationship between prejudice and discrimination?

Prejudice and discrimination can exist separately but are most often mutually reinforcing.

What are the basic patterns of race and ethnic group relations?

The basic patterns of race and ethnic relations are amalgamation (blending two or more groups into a society that reflects the cultural and biological traits of the group), assimilation, pluralism, structured inequality, population relocation and extermination.

How do conflict theorists define inter group conflict and what are the five major factors that might contribute to it?

When conflict exists between two groups the group that gains the most power, wealth and prestige becomes the majority regardless of its size. The five major factors that contribute to such conflict are visible differences between groups, competition for resources, racist ideology, potential for exploitation and the minority -group response to the majority definition of the situation.

What are some of the possible sources of prejudice and discrimination?

Prejudice may be formed through both individual and group influences including socialization, rationalizing through stereotypes, the scapegoating process, reinforcement of a self-fulfilling prophecy ramification of an authoritarian personality and degree of contact with minority groups.