Race and Ethnicity Theories

What is the primary focus of Critical Race Theory?

What is the term coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989 to describe the intersection of multiple forms of oppression?

What is the term used to describe discrimination based on skin tone, particularly within communities of color?

What is the primary goal of decolonization in postcolonialism?

What is the term used to describe the ways in which race is constructed, represented, and contested in racial formation?

What is the term used to describe the blending of cultures and identities in postcolonial contexts?

Which race paradigm views race as a biological fact, determined by genetic differences between groups?

What does the Social Constructivist Race Paradigm emphasize?

Which paradigm focuses on the ways in which race is used to maintain and perpetuate systems of oppression and power?

What is the main criticism of the Post-Racial Race Paradigm?

Which race paradigm recognizes the intersection of multiple social categories, such as gender, class, and sexuality, to produce unique experiences of oppression and marginalization?

What is a key assumption of the Post-Racial Race Paradigm?

Race Paradigms

Critical Race Theory (CRT)

Emerged in the 1980s as a response to critical legal studies
Challenges traditional notions of race, racism, and power
Key concepts:
- Intersectionality: race is intertwined with other forms of oppression (gender, class, etc.)
- Interest convergence: racial advances are often tied to interests of dominant group
- Voicelessness: marginalized groups' experiences are often silenced or ignored
- Microaggressions: subtle, everyday forms of racism and bias

Intersectionality

Coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989
Examines how multiple forms of oppression (race, gender, class, sexuality, etc.) intersect and compound
Challenges single-axis frameworks that focus on one form of oppression
Key concepts:
- Intersectional invisibility: experiences of marginalized groups are often erased
- Intersectional erasure: ignoring the specific experiences of marginalized groups

Colorism

Refers to discrimination based on skin tone, particularly within communities of color
Lighter skin tone is often associated with privilege and social status
Key concepts:
- Color hierarchy: social stratification based on skin tone
- Internalized oppression: internalizing negative messages about darker skin tone
- Skin tone bias: prejudice and discrimination based on skin tone

Postcolonialism

Emerged in the 1950s and 1960s as a response to colonialism and imperialism
Challenges dominant Western narratives and power structures
Key concepts:
- Decolonization: dismantling colonial power structures and ideologies
- Hybridity: blending of cultures and identities in postcolonial contexts
- Subalternity: marginalized groups' experiences and voices are often silenced

Racial Formation

Coined by Omi and Winant in 1986
Examines how race is socially constructed and transformed over time
Key concepts:
- Racial projects: ways in which race is constructed, represented, and contested
- Racial hegemony: dominant racial ideologies and power structures
- Racial commonsense: taken-for-granted assumptions about race and racism

Explore key concepts in critical race theory, intersectionality, colorism, postcolonialism, and racial formation. Learn about the social construction of race, power dynamics, and the experiences of marginalized groups.