Deck 2: Explaining Ethnic Relations

Question 1

Is multiculturalism in America a sign of increasing cultural heterogeneity or a sign that ethnic populations are not successful in their efforts at structural assimilation?

Answer 1

Answers will vary

Question 2

Is Robert Park's assimilation theory an adequate explanation for the assimilation of Mexican immigrants in America in the 1990s?

Answer 2

Answers will vary

Question 3

How can subordinate ethnic subpopulations break the cycle of identifiability discrimination?

Answer 3

Answers will vary

Question 4

Are there conditions under which hostility toward a subordinate ethnic subpopulation can be reduced or eliminated?

Question 5

If ethnic subpopulations are relatively powerless in society-politically, economically, and educationally-why does the dominant population perceive them as threats?

Question 6

Let us assume that America decides to accept only wealthy and highly educated immigrants. Do you think that this policy would prevent problems of discrimination and prejudice? Why or why not?

Question 7

Even though some white ethnic subpopulations have maintained elements of their ethnicity (holidays, festivities, religions), why don't these elements distinguish white ethnic subpopulations in a highly visible way?

Question 8

Why are middleman minorities often viewed by their clients as mercenary and exploitive?

Question 9

What does it mean to say that there are splits within each class along ethnic lines? Can you find examples to support your response?

Question 10

How do split-labor market theories differ from ecological theories?

Question 11

What are the reasons for internal colonialism in America?

Question 12

What biological links do persons in the same family structure share?

Question 13

What is the difference between assimilation theories and pluralism theories?

Question 14

What does an ethnic group's assimilation into a host society say about the discrimination faced by the group?

Question 15

Is it possible for a person to assimilate to the culture of a host society but not be incorporated into the host society's major institutions?

Question 16

Why is it easier for American society to maintain negative images for minorities than positive images?

Question 17

Discuss the varying types of assimilation that can occur.

Question 18

Why do pluralism theories take issue with assimilation theories?

Question 19

What are the key ideas behind the new biological theories?

Question 20

In what way is the notion of competition an important element in human ecological theories, split-labor market theories, split-class theories, and middleman minority theories?

Question 21

How do internal colonialism theories borrow from notions of external colonialism in which one nation controls another?

Question 22

What are the essential forces that drive discrimination in the unified theory presented at the end of the chapter?

Question 23

Pluralism theories arose as a reaction to assimilation theories.

Question 24

Structural assimilation is much easier to achieve than cultural assimilation.

Question 25

Unlike ethnics of "color," all white ethnics are fully integrated into the Anglo-Saxon mainstream.

Question 26

"Ethny" is a term developed by ecological theories to explain ethnic discrimination.

Question 27

Ecological theories stress the importance of competition for resources as the force behind ethnic conflict.

Question 28

Caste theories emphasize the economic interests of elites in maintaining a poor and permanently subordinate ethnic labor pool.

Question 29

Internal colonialism theories stress the desire of one population for inexpensive labor and control of land.

Question 30

Split-labor market theories fail to emphasize the importance of power in labor markets.

Question 31

Split-class theories emphasize the differences between and within social classes.

Question 32

Split-class theories emphasize that within every class there are dominant and subordinate segments, and that often the subordinate segment is an ethnic minority.

Question 33

Middleman minority theories concentrate on business activities of the dominant ethnic subpopulation.

Question 34

Middleman minority theories emphasize the mobility of low-class ethnics to the middle classes.

Question 35

The identifiability of an ethnic subpopulation is always based on biological features.

Question 36

The size of an ethnic subpopulation has little impact on the pattern of discrimination it will experience.

Question 37

Only a comparatively small ethnic subpopulation can become a middleman minority.

Question 38

The discrimination and identifiability of an ethnic subpopulation are mutually reinforcing.

Question 39

It is fair to say that ultimately, a sense of threat by a superordinate ethnic subpopulation is the fuel behind its discrimination.

Question 40

Large ethnic subpopulations can easily move into middleman minority niches.

Question 41

Egalitarian values can help break the cycles revolving around discrimination.

Question 42

Discrimination against other ethnics often has the ironic consequence of increasing the sense of threat experienced by discriminators.

Question 43

American's egalitarianism is composed of a contradiction between the core values of "individualism" and "humanitarianism."

Question 44

Superordinate subpopulations target ethnic subordinate subpopulations for discrimination in order for superordinate subpopulations to maintain "their way of life."

Question 45

Cultural assimilation guarantees a subordinate ethnic subpopulation's structural assimilation.

Question 46

Ethnic stereotypes are necessary to maintaining positive images and beliefs for ethnic subpopulations.

Question 47

Subordinate ethnic subpopulations are likely to find themselves at the bottom of the stratification system if they are large.

Question 48

Based on the findings of public opinion polls, Americans are opposed to group preference approaches for ethnic minorities.

Question 49

The fewer resource shares an ethnic subpopulation has, the more discrimination it faces in society.

Question 50

Increased identifiability for an ethnic subpopulation lowers the population's risk of being a target of discrimination.

Question 51

The clients of middleman minorities often view them as mercenary and exploitive.

Question 52

In the split-labor market perspective, the low wages paid to ethnic subpopulations are necessary for securing better working conditions for white workers.

Question 53

The inability of the descendants of early European white immigrants to control the political power of the state prevented the establishment of internal colonialism in America.

Question 54

From the internal colonization perspective, the history of ethnic relations in America has resulted in internal colonies of nonwhites being dominated by descendants of the original Anglo-Saxon Protestant core.

Question 55

According to ecological theories, competition for resources often increases the level of conflict between ethnic subpopulations.

Question 56

From a sociobiological point of view, the individual is a permanent vessel for genes.

Question 57

Ecological and sociobiological theories of ethnicity are virtually the same, with only minor points of divergence.

Question 58

Nathan Glazer and Daniel Moynihan argue that all white ethnic groups are assimilated to the middle-class, Anglo-Saxon Protestant core.

Question 59

According to pluralist theories, the maintenance of an ethnic identity is often a way of coping with discrimination.

Question 60

An ethnic group's degree of assimilation to a host society can provide clues regarding the type of discrimination experienced by the group.

Question 61

The term "melting pot" is most likely to be associated with

A) ecological theories.
B) biological theories.
C) assimilation theories.
D) split-class theories.

Question 62

The internal colonialism model of ethnic relations best fits which group(s) in the United States?

A) Native Americans
B) African Americans
C) Mexican Americans
D) all of the above

Question 63

From which of the following theories is a middleman minority theory least likely to draw inspiration?

A) ecological theories
B) assimilation theories
C) split-class theories
D) split-labor market theories

Question 64

In Milton Gordon's discussion of types of assimilation, which one is the most difficult to achieve?

A) marital assimilation
B) structural assimilation
C) identification assimilation
D) behavioral-receptional assimilation

Question 65

Which is not a stratification theory, as described in the text?

A) split-labor market theories
B) pluralism theories
C) internal colonialism theories
D) split-class theories

Question 66

As the size of ethnic subordinate subpopulations increases, their identifiability increases, which, in turn, results in increased

A) opportunity.
B) assimilation.
C) hostility.
D) inclusion.

Question 67

__________ and __________ most affect the levels of valued resources available to an ethnic subpopulation.

A) Intelligence, hard work
B) Money, religion
C) Prejudice, opportunity
D) Identifiability, discrimination

Question 68

Which factor most increases the risk of an ethnic subpopulation's exposure to discrimination?

A) intermarriage
B) degree of identifiability
C) increased economic opportunity
D) economic success

Question 69

Splits in social classes along ethnic lines

A) increase the economic opportunities of ethnic subpopulations.
B) increase the representation of ethnic subpopulations in desirable jobs.
C) increase job security for ethnic subpopulations.
D) increase the subordination of ethnic subpopulations into low-paying, less desirable and less secure jobs.

Question 70

Split-class theories emphasize

A) the availability of social opportunity for those in lower social classes.
B) the control of capital investment by capitalists.
C) the lower-class ability to own businesses and buy labor.
D) the good will of those in higher social classes.

Question 71

The colonization complex is identified by

A) voluntary entry into a territory and its population.
B) maintenance of the indigenous culture and patterns of social organization.
C) democratic treatment of the indigenous population.
D) domination of the indigenous population by an invading population.

Question 72

Ecological theories emphasize

A) migration patterns of ethnic subpopulations.
B) collaboration between ethnic subpopulations regarding competition for housing and jobs.
C) incorporation of ethnic subpopulations into major political institutions.
D) passive acceptance in the pattern of resource distribution.

Question 73

An ethny is a cluster of kinship circles that

A) is created through exogamy.
B) depends on territorial separation.
C) represents a reproductive strategy.
D) focuses on those "different from oneself."

Question 74

Which of the following is not an assumption in biological theories?

A) Genes rather than the individual are the ultimate unit of natural selection.
B) Individuals are creators of their own genes.
C) Individuals are only temporary vessels for genes.
D) Genes are "selfish."

Question 75

Robert Park saw assimilation as a process that

A) leads to the incorporation of people and groups into a common culture.
B) causes rebellion by persons and groups fighting for their own identity.
C) segregates and isolates persons and groups in society.
D) causes persons and groups to leave the society.

Question 76

Theories are designed to

A) describe events.
B) categorize events.
C) speculate on events.
D) explain events.

Question 77

The distinctiveness of an ethnic subpopulation is least related to which force?

A) discrimination
B) negative stereotypes
C) stratification
D) assimilation

Question 78

Which force is the most important in driving prejudice and discrimination?

A) identifiability
B) sense of threat
C) egalitarian values
D) resource shares

Question 79

Middleman minority theories do not emphasize which of the following?

A) resources of ethnics
B) threats among ethnics
C) assimilation of ethnics
D) petit bourgeois activities

Question 80

Which is least important in split-class theories?

A) divisions between social classes
B) divisions within social classes
C) divisions in the upper class
D) divisions in the lower class