Racial and Ethnic Group Stratification

theory that society is characterized by conflict between social groups. Groups with unequal power and competing interests compete for scarce resources.

action or behavior that results in the unequal treatment of individuals because of their membership in a certain racial, ethnic, or minority group

identity based on a shared culture

theory that views society as a system of parts working together to maintain a social equilibrium

racism that pervades a society's basic institutions in a systematic manner

framework for examining how factors of social stratification, such as gender, age, race, class, and sexual orientation, are not separate, but intertwined

social environment in which multiple sources of oppression—based on factors such as race, ethnicity, class, sex, and gender—intersect to affect individuals' lives

group of people who, because of their physical or cultural characteristics, are singled out from others for differential and unequal treatment

social and legal principle in the United States that proclaimed that anyone with even one drop of so-called "black blood"—any known African ancestry—was considered black

preconceived, negative, inflexible attitude about a particular group of people

concept based on physical characteristics. There are no biological or genetic definitions of race.

impact that people's race or ethnic group has on their position in the social hierarchy

process of imposing racial distinctions on individuals or groups

ideology or set of beliefs that claims one racial or ethnic group is superior or inferior to another

misuse of science to support racist assumptions

idea that has been created and accepted by a society

late-19th century social theory in which Darwinian laws of natural selection are misunderstood and used to support the theory that some individuals or groups possess genetic superiority over others

oversimplified and overgeneralized belief about a group of people

theory of social behavior that emphasizes subjective understanding and interaction of the individual and society