CONSTRUCTING CATEGORIES OF DIFFERENCE
This sociological perspective argues that race, gender, and social class are not fixed categories but are shaped by historical, social, and political processes.
What is constructionism?
This term describes the process by which immigrants gradually adopt the customs and attitudes of the dominant culture, often leading to the loss of their original cultural identity.
What is assimilation?
This landmark Supreme Court case ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, overturning Plessy v. Ferguson.
What is Brown v. Board of Education?
This type of subtle, often unintentional comment or action can make marginalized individuals feel like they don’t belong.
What is a microaggression?
his 1992 event, sparked by the acquittal of police officers in the beating of Rodney King, highlighted ongoing racial tensions and systemic inequalities in the United States.
What are the Los Angeles riots?
This legal principle, used historically in the U.S., classified individuals with any Black ancestry as Black, reinforcing racial segregation.
What is the "one-drop rule"?
This personal account by Sarah Faragalla describes how hair became a symbolic battleground for cultural identity and assimilation.
What is "Hair"?
This sociological term refers to the unequal distribution of resources, opportunities, and privileges among different racial and ethnic groups.
What is racial inequality?
White allies can help bridge racial divides by doing this when they witness racist remarks or actions.
What is "speaking up and challenging racism"?
This term refers to the process by which racial and ethnic groups are ranked in society, often leading to systemic discrimination and inequality.
What is racial stratification?
This term refers to the hierarchical classification of Latinos in the U.S. racial structure, often leading to complex and shifting racial identities.
What is the U.S. race structure for Latinos?
A common stereotype about Asian American students that paints them as academically superior, often used to downplay systemic discrimination.
What is the Model Minority Myth?
Rather than dismissing it, Paul Kivel argues that this emotion expressed by people of color should be recognized as a call for change.
What is anger?
This concept refers to the belief that racial categories have a biological basis, even though race is socially constructed.
What is racial essentialism?
John Tehranian discusses how this group has historically shifted from being seen as “friendly foreigners” to being racialized as an “enemy race.”
Who are Middle Eastern Americans?
This concept refers to the practice of excluding racial minorities from certain neighborhoods through policies like redlining.
What is housing segregation?
This 1968 government report warned that systemic racial inequities were leading to unrest and called for urgent change.
What is the Kerner Commission Report?
This term describes the societal advantage that comes with being considered part of the dominant racial group, often making privilege invisible to those who have it.
What is white privilege?
This sociological concept describes a status so dominant that it overshadows all other aspects of a person's identity, affecting how they are perceived and treated.
What is master status?
This term describes laws and social systems that enforced racial segregation in the United States, particularly in the South, until the Civil Rights Movement.
What are Jim Crow laws?
When faced with a racist joke, Paul Kivel suggests using this type of personal statement to express discomfort and challenge the remark.
What is an "I statement"?