Race

1

Understanding Race and Ethnicity

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CHAPTER OUTLINE

What Is a Subordinate Group? Types of Subordinate Groups
■LISTEN TO OUR VOICES

Problem of the Color Line
by W. E. B. Du Bois

Race Sociology and the Study of Race and Ethnicity The Creation of Subordinate-Group Status The Consequences of Subordinate-Group Status Who am I?
■RESEARCH FOCUS

Measuring Multiculturalism

Resistance and Change Conclusion
Key Terms/Review Questions/Critical Thinking/Internet Connections—Research Navigator™
ISBN: 0-536-12071-4

Racial and Ethnic Groups, Tenth Edition, by Richard T. Schaefer. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.

HIGHLIGHTS

and privilege to the majority, or dominant, group. A minority is defined not by being outnumbered but by five characteristics: unequal treatment, distinguishing physical or cultural traits, involuntary membership, awareness of subordination and in-group marriage. Subordinate groups are classified in terms of race, ethnicity, religion, and gender. The social importance of race is derived from a process of racial formation; its biological significance is uncertain. The theoretical perspectives of functionalism, conflict theory, and labeling offer insights into the sociology of intergroup relations. Immigration, annexation, and colonialism are processes that may create subordinate groups. Other processes such as expulsion may remove the presence of a subordinate group. Significant for racial and ethnic oppression in the United States today is the distinction between assimilation and pluralism. Assimilation demands subordinate-group conformity to the dominant group, and pluralism implies mutual respect between diverse groups.... [continues]

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