Sociology: Minority Groups and Social Dynamics

Minority Groups

• Defined by patterns of disadvantage or inequality in society.
• Characteristics include lower access to valued resources, historical exploitation, slavery, and genocide.
• Result of actions by dominant groups.

Visible Traits and Characteristics

• Members are distinguished by features that are socially valued differently across groups.
• Differences arise from race and ethnicity, shaped by historical and social processes.

Social Cohesion

• Minority groups form self-conscious social units.
• Shared social statuses lead to strong intragroup bonds and unique worldviews.

Ascribed Status

• Typically determined at birth and linked to visible traits.
• Status is often involuntary and permanent, while ethnic characteristics can be more adaptable.

Intimate Relationships

• Members of minority groups often develop close personal relationships within their group, choosing friends and partners based on shared experiences.

Race

• Concept of race is socially constructed, associated with perceived biologically inherited physical traits.
• Racial classifications vary based on diverse physical characteristics.

Ethnic Groups

• Membership based on shared cultural heritage, often tied to national or geographical identity.
• Intersection of racial and ethnic classifications, with federal government involvement in defining ethnic groups.

Racial Formation (Omi and Winant)

• Races and concepts of race evolve through sociohistorical processes, shaped by societal perceptions and debates.

Prejudice

• Defined as a baseless negative attitude towards a group, encompassing negative feelings and stereotypes.
• Can manifest across various societal contexts and issues.

Negative Feelings

• Typically evoke discomfort or disdain, influenced by personal and collective experiences.

Stereotyped Beliefs

• Represent simplified and fixed ideas about people, perpetuated through socialization.
• Often embraced by the targeted groups, leading to internalized stereotypes.

Discrimination

• Refers to unfair treatment based on group membership, occurring at both individual and institutional levels.
• Various forms include individual, institutional, past-present, side-effect, de jure, and de facto discrimination.

Racism

• Concept that race primarily determines human traits and qualities, leading to claims of superiority.
• Has roots in pseudo-scientific beliefs, such as phrenology and skeletal studies.

Social Norms

• Folkway: Minor breaches of social norms; generally do not result in severe consequences.
• More: Serious breaches potentially leading to significant social sanctions; usually codified into laws.
• Taboo: Severe breaches with serious consequences, including social exclusion or death.

Reverse Racism

• Concept regarded as fallacious; discussions of differing theories on racism numerous and complex.

Sexism

• Defined as prejudice and discrimination, particularly against women, based on sex.
• Analyzed in the context of gender differences and historical roots in societal structures.