Deck 10: Race and Ethnicity

Question 1

Define stereotype threat and explore its impact in perpetuating inequality.

Answer 1

Stereotype threat refers to the fear of confirming a negative stereotype about one's social group, which can lead to underperformance in situations where that stereotype is relevant. For example, women may underperform in math tests if they are reminded of the stereotype that women are not as good at math as men.

The impact of stereotype threat in perpetuating inequality is significant. When individuals are affected by stereotype threat, it can lead to lower performance, decreased motivation, and disengagement from certain activities or fields. This can then perpetuate the stereotype, as the underperformance of the targeted group is seen as evidence of the stereotype's accuracy.

In educational settings, stereotype threat can lead to lower academic achievement for marginalized groups, contributing to the achievement gap. In the workplace, it can lead to fewer opportunities for advancement and lower representation in leadership positions for these groups. Additionally, stereotype threat can also affect mental health and well-being, as individuals may internalize the negative stereotypes and experience feelings of inadequacy or imposter syndrome.

Addressing stereotype threat is crucial in combating inequality. Creating environments that reduce the salience of stereotypes, providing positive role models, and promoting a growth mindset can help mitigate the impact of stereotype threat. Additionally, raising awareness about stereotype threat and its effects can help individuals recognize and counteract its influence on their performance. By addressing stereotype threat, we can work towards creating more equitable and inclusive environments for all individuals.

Question 2

Which of the following statements is true about race?

A) Definitions of races are not culturally specific.
B) Definitions of races are constant over time.
C) Definitions of race differ in various societies.
D) Definitions of race are fundamentally biological.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Because of _____, the negative stereotypes of groups that occupy the lowest status of a given society tend to be consistent over time.

A) cultural relativism
B) stereotype interchangeability
C) ethnic inferiority
D) retrospective determinism

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Discuss the groups included in categories like Latino/Latina and Hispanic. Why is use of a single ethnicity to represent these groups problematic?

Question 5

Discuss the circumstances of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. What preceded it and stimulated its passage? What were its provisions, and what was it intended to do?

Question 6

Define stereotype interchangeability. Illustrate it by comparing the stereotypes of women and of Blacks.

Question 7

The _____ principle states that people categorize others on the basis of what appears initially prominent and obvious about them.

A) stereotypic
B) salience
C) prejudice
D) perception

Question 8

Every time Mark sees the slogan "Black Lives Matter" in social media, he comments "All Lives Matter." What type of racism is Mark demonstrating? Why is this type of racism so problematic?

Question 9

Contrast the concepts of gender, cultural, class, and racial stereotypes, providing examples of each.

Question 10

From a sociological perspective, is it possible for someone who sincerely believes he or she does not notice other people's race to still be racist? Explain your reasoning.

Question 11

What is the origin and importance of the phrase "separate but equal"? 

Question 12

Which of the following is not a characteristic of a racial or ethnic minority group?

A) Group members possess characteristics considered different from those of the dominant group.
B) Group members suffer prejudice and discrimination within the society by the dominant group.
C) Group members share a sense of solidarity and identity.
D) Group members share common beliefs.

Question 13

Which of these statements regarding the judgments people make about others is false?

A) People make quick assessments and judgments about others in order to save time.
B) The judgments people make enable them to process a great deal of information very quickly.
C) Quickly categorizing the people one meets is a very common and widespread practice.
D) Most of the time the quick judgments that people make are remarkably comprehensive and accurate.

Question 14

In order for a group to be considered an ethnic group, they must share a common culture and

A) look different than the members of other ethnic groups.
B) speak the same language as other members of the group.
C) define themselves as having a collective identity.
D) have a shared system of norms and values.

Question 15

The growth in the number of people who identify as multiracial shows that the concept of race can be

A) biological.
B) fluid.
C) invariant.
D) transgenerational.

Question 16

Define colorblind racism and demonstrate how it perpetuates racism. Illustrate with an example from current events.

Question 17

Your text quotes Congressman Paul Ryan as making a culture-based argument regarding the urban underclass: "We have got this tailspin of culture, in our inner cities in particular, of men not working and just generations of men not even thinking about working or learning the value and the culture of work, and so there is a real culture problem here that has to be dealt with." Respond to his argument by illustrating how structural factors have contributed to the development of the urban underclass.

Question 18

Discuss the assimilation perspective as it was originally formulated. How is assimilation now understood?

Question 19

What is the salience principle, and how does it apply to racial categorization?

Question 20

A traditional stereotype of African Americans is that they are inherently lazy. This stereotype has also been applied to Hispanics, Polish, and Irish groups. This is an example of

A) cultural relativism.
B) stereotype interchangeability.
C) ethnic inferiority.
D) retrospective determinism.

Question 21

According to sociologists, racism

A) is the perception and treatment of members of a racial group as inferior.
B) is limited to individual behavior.
C) involves actions, not attitudes.
D) has practically disappeared in the United States since Barack Obama was elected president.

Question 22

Which of the following is not an element of laissez-faire racism?

A) Subtle and persistent negative stereotyping
B) A tendency to blame blacks for the gap in economic standing
C) Resistance to policy efforts to alleviate racially oppressive practices
D) An inability to understand nonracist viewpoints

Question 23

Which of these statements regarding race is true?

A) Race is a socially constructed category.
B) Racial categories in a society reflect differences in the biological makeup of individuals.
C) Race is assigned based on scientific investigation.
D) Racial categories are the same in countries throughout the world.

Question 24

Prejudice involves

A) prejudgment but not misjudgment.
B) misjudgment but not prejudgment.
C) both prejudgment and misjudgment.
D) neither prejudgment nor misjudgment.

Question 25

Because it involves change both by the immigrant group and by the host society and depends on the structural and historical conditions that particular groups encounter,  _____ theory conceptualizes social change as a slow and gradual process.

A) assimilation
B) culture-structure
C) class-race
D) intersectional theory

Question 26

The experiences that women have with sexism may be different, depending on their social class. This understanding is most associated with _____ theory.

A) intersectional
B) functionalist
C) assimilation
D) exchange

Question 27

The term prejudice can include positive or negative bias, but as it pertains to race, it is

A) always positive.
B) usually negative.
C) neither positive nor negative.
D) equally positive and negative.

Question 28

How do strongly prejudiced people typically acquire their attitudes?

A) Some people seem to naturally have negative feelings about others who are not like them.
B) Children are rarely prejudiced until they enter school and are influenced into prejudice by their peers.
C) Socialization leading to prejudiced attitudes occurs in the family as well as through the media and peers.
D) Deviant individuals are more likely to be prejudiced than conforming individuals.

Question 29

Research on socialization leading to prejudiced attitudes indicates that

A) children tend to be free of prejudice until around 9 to 10 years of age.
B) there is a close correlation between the racial and ethnic attitudes of parents and those of their children.
C) children and young adults who believe they can think for themselves are able to avoid taking on their parents' racial or other prejudices.
D) most people today are unaffected by parental prejudices since the media have become so important.

Question 30

The assimilation perspective argues that in order to be full members of society, members of minority groups must adopt as many aspects of the dominant culture as possible. This perspective is aligned with which type of sociological theory?

A) Conflict theory
B) Functionalist theory
C) Symbolic interaction theory
D) Authoritarian personality theory

Question 31

Which of these statements regarding the variability of a group's ethnic identity is true?

A) A group's ethnic identity is constant; it does not change over time.
B) Ethnic identity may form or is strengthened when a group is excluded from participation by more powerful social groups.
C) Ethnic identity can only change when an individual changes their place of residence or marries someone of another ethnicity.
D) Ethnic identity is always imposed involuntarily.

Question 32

In the debate as to whether class or race is more important as the source of inequality, sociologist William Julius Wilson argues that

A) the disadvantaged status of minority groups is more a matter of race than class.
B) ignoring skin color and cultural differences is the only way to solve the country's problems of racism.
C) being seriously disadvantaged is more a matter of class than of race per se, although race still matters.
D) the social construction of race is a myth.

Question 33

Because colorblind racism is characterized by the insistence that the individual espousing it sees no differences among races, colorblind racism may hide

A) stereotype interchangeability
B) White privilege
C) pluralist frustration
D) institutional racism

Question 34

Which of the following is best described as institutional racism?

A) Airport security procedures that specify people who appear to be Middle Eastern should be scrutinized more closely than others
B) A waiter refusing to serve a Black man who sits in his section
C) Dr. Jones, a professor, claiming she doesn't even notice the color of her students' skin
D) A landlord who will never rent to anyone who has dark skin

Question 35

As it is now understood to play out, assimilation involves changes in

A) the immigrant group but not the host society.
B) the host society but not the immigrant group.
C) both the host society and the immigrant group.
D) either the host society or the immigrant group but not both.

Question 36

Life chances stem not simply from race or gender or social class but also from the ways in which those characteristics act together. Society regards a poor Black woman differently from a poor White woman and differently from a rich Black woman. This illustrates the premise of _____theory.

A) functionalist
B) intersectional
C) assimilation
D) structuralist

Question 37

Despite the way they were regarded by newly arriving Europeans and continue to be regarded today, Native Americans had

A) a common language.
B) heterogeneous cultures.
C) common beliefs.
D) shared values.

Question 38

The term _____ refers to the formation of collective identity by multiple ethnic groups in order to address a common purpose.

A) panethnicity
B) cohesion
C) reformulation
D) multi-identification

Question 39

Which approach asserts that social change is the result of coalition as groups mobilize together to resist oppression?

A) Assimilation theory
B) Intersectional theory
C) Class-race theory
D) Culture-structure theory

Question 40

Which of these statements about economic inequality is true?

A) The gap between the income of Whites and the income of Blacks and Hispanics has persisted over time.
B) The median income of Blacks and Hispanics has remained very flat since the 1950s.
C) Although still unequal, per capita income for Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics has been growing at the same rate since 1967.
D) There are few data on the relative incomes of Whites and members of minority groups.

Question 41

Which of these statements is true about the status of Puerto Rico relative to the United States?

A) Puerto Rico is a state in the United States.
B) Puerto Rico is a colony of the United States.
C) Puerto Rico is a commonwealth with its own constitution.
D) Puerto Rico has no formal relationship with the United States,

Question 42

A problem with the assimilation model is that it

A) takes no account of societal conditions at the time of immigration.
B) places too much emphasis on the different histories of Black and White immigrants to this country.
C) places too much emphasis on the salience of skin color as a factor affecting the assimilation process.
D) focuses too much attention on the social class of the immigrants.

Question 43

Operation Bootstrap was launched after the Second World War to attract U.S. corporations to Puerto Rico. What was the overall outcome of Operation Bootstrap?

A) Rapid overall growth in the Puerto Rican economy although unemployment remained high and wages stayed low
B) Reduced unemployment in Puerto Rico and increased wages despite the fact that few new corporations were attracted.
C) Significantly higher wages for workers but at the cost of significantly increased unemployment
D) Decreased wages for both Puerto Ricans and U.S. workers as corporations sought bases in other countries

Question 44

Historically, the earliest large-scale entry of Mexicans into lands that would eventually become the United States was associated with

A) colonization and the formation of missions and settlements.
B) treaty terms negotiated at the end of the Spanish-American War.
C) flight from a repressive political regime.
D) illegal migrations across the border.

Question 45

The largest concentration of Koreans in the United States today is located in

A) San Francisco.
B) Los Angeles.
C) Washington, D.C.
D) New York.

Question 46

The group collectively referred to as White Anglo-Saxon Protestants (WASPs) who settled in the "New World" did not include the

A) English.
B) Irish.
C) Scots.
D) Welsh.

Question 47

The Jones Act of 1917

A) banned further immigration to the United States from Puerto Rico.
B) extended U.S. citizenship to Puerto Ricans.
C) closed the U.S. border with Mexico.
D) permitted Cubans to enter the United States following the Cuban Revolution.

Question 48

The Alien Land Law of California stipulated that _____ aliens could lease land for only three years and that lands already owned or leased by them could not be bequeathed to heirs.

A) Mexican
B) Japanese
C) Chinese
D) Irish

Question 49

Which of these statements regarding the slavery system and the position of African Americans in the United States is true?

A) Enslaved Africans passively accepted their positions as slaves.
B) The Emancipation Proclamation marked the end of the economic exploitation of enslaved Blacks in southern agriculture.
C) The northern migration of Blacks from the South to the North in the United States served only to worsen conditions due to the creation of urban ghettos.
D) Remnants of the slavery caste system remain in the United States today.

Question 50

Which of these countries was made a commonwealth of the United States in 1934?

A) Mexico
B) The Philippines
C) South Korea
D) Vietnam

Question 51

How does the concept of race compare between Brazil and the United States?

A) In the United States, a person with any amount of Black ancestry has historically been designated as Black; in Brazil, other factors, including appearance and social status, play roles.
B) In Brazil, a person with any amount of Black ancestry has historically been designated as Black; in the United States, other factors, including appearance and social status, play roles.
C) In the United States and in Brazil, one's racial categorization is strongly influenced by one's social class status.
D) In Brazil, race is determined by religious standards, but in the United States, religion does not typically play a role in racial categories.

Question 52

The 125,000 Cubans who entered the United States in 1980 during the "Mariel boat lift" were largely

A) professionals.
B) skilled workers.
C) labeled "undesirable" by the Cuban government.
D) middle class and college educated.

Question 53

Which of these statements regarding the position of Native Americans in this country is false?

A) Native American populations were devastated by European diseases from which they had no immunity.
B) Only about one-fourth of American Indians and Alaska Natives live on or near reservations today.
C) Historical accounts have underrepresented the vast cultural and social heterogeneity of tribes prior to European conquest.
D) Today, Native Americans have the highest poverty rate of any group in the United States.

Question 54

As originally stated, the _____ perspective asserted that, to overcome adversity and oppression, individual immigrants must imitate the dominant White culture as much as possible.

A) assimilation
B) acculturalist
C) cultural pluralism
D) blending

Question 55

Which of these statements regarding the racial system in Brazil is false?

A) In Brazil, a person is typically considered Black only if they have no discernible White ancestry.
B) A person who might be considered Black in the United States might be considered White in Brazil if they had high socioeconomic status.
C) Brazil has successfully created a nation in which there is no social inequality based on race.
D) The racial system in Brazil is different from that of the United States.

Question 56

Like other immigrant groups, Middle Eastern immigrants

A) spoke primarily English on their arrival.
B) formed ethnic enclaves.
C) have very high poverty rates.
D) were wealthier than most Americans.

Question 57

How does the original assimilation model address social structure?

A) Culture and structure have a dialectical relationship.
B) Social structure reflects the most salient demographic characteristics in that society.
C) Race, class, gender, and other qualities form a matrix of oppression.
D) Social stability will exist when minority group members assimilate into society.

Question 58

In order to limit the number of immigrants, the U.S. government did all of the following except

A) create ethnic quotas that limited the number of immigrants from places other than western and northern Europe.
B) subject potential immigrants to literacy tests.
C) apply IQ tests in English to immigrants who were not English speaking.
D) literally close all ports of entry to keep all immigrants out of the United States.

Question 59

As of 2017, about _____ of the world's Jewish population lives in the United States.

A) 15 percent
B) 25 percent
C) 40 percent
D) 50 percent

Question 60

During the Golden Age of the Ranchos, _____ created a class system within the Chicano community.

A) capitalism
B) concentration of land in the hands of a few
C) slavery
D) a social structure of exclusion

Question 61

William Julius Wilson rejected the _____ explanation in favor of a social/economic explanation of racial differences.

A) Moynihan
B) culture of poverty
C) cultural deficiencies
D) inner-city

Question 62

Some individuals are labeled as "mixed race" and may, for example, have an African American parent and an Asian parent. In terms of racial categorization, such individuals

A) prove that racial categories are valid.
B) are largely irrelevant since having mixed racial ancestry is rare.
C) cannot be categorized in terms of race.
D) defy the biological categories typically used to define race.

Question 63

Members of the dominant group must be intentionally prejudiced and actively discriminating in order to have power over members of a minority group.

Question 64

The U.S. Census allows individuals to identify their own race.

Question 65

Race and ethnicity are distinct, and individuals of the same race may have different ethnic identities. For example, a White person can be Hispanic or non-Hispanic.

Question 66

Ethnic identification tends to grow stronger when groups face prejudice or hostility from other groups as, for example, when politicians demonize asylum seekers from Central America.

Question 67

What are the two characteristics of affirmative action programs?

A) Taking race into account as one factor among others that can be used in such things as hiring decisions or college admissions and imposing strict quotas on the admission/hiring of Whites
B) Establishing minimum quotas for the inclusion of minority groups and giving preference solely on the basis of race or ethnicity
C) Recruiting minorities from a wide base to ensure consideration of groups that have been traditionally overlooked and taking race into account as one factor among others that can be used in such things as hiring decisions or college admissions
D) Recruiting minorities from a wide base to ensure consideration of groups that have been traditionally overlooked and placing decision making in the hands of oppressed minorities

Question 68

Which term refers to the process by which a group comes to be defined as a race?

A) Racialization
B) Racial formation
C) Ethnogeneration
D) Ethnicity identification

Question 69

Brazil and the United States have very different approaches to defining race, illustrating that different cultures can and do use different criteria for defining membership in racial groups.

Question 70

From a sociological perspective, someone who says that they do not notice other people's race may still be considered racist.

Question 71

The civil rights movement

A) was influenced by the philosophy of Mahatma Mohandas Gandhi.
B) was the first movement working for the rights of African Americans in the United States.
C) was motivated originally by the establishment of affirmative action legislation.
D) was large but ineffective.

Question 72

The Black Power movement of the late 1960s

A) rejected assimilation.
B) recognized the institutional power that Whites had over Blacks.
C) advocated separatism under the leadership of Malcolm X.
D) All of these are correct.

Question 73

The income gap between Black and Hispanic families and White families has remained virtually unchanged since 1970.

Question 74

The culture-structure account of racial inequality emphasizes that less successful minority groups have values that differ from the more successful majority.

Question 75

Racial formation is a process undertaken by the most powerful groups in any particular society.

Question 76

Ethnic and racial groups are always considered minority groups.

Question 77

The creation of racial categories reflects biological differences.

Question 78

The subtle but persistent negative stereotyping of minorities, particularly Black Americans and especially in the media, contributes to laissez-faire racism.

Question 79

Thanks to their economic growth over the last 30 years, Native Americans have a low poverty rate in the United States.

Question 80

The primary cause of racial inequality in the United States is prejudice.