Poverty and Ethnicity PDF Psychology 144

Poverty and Ethnicity Psychology 144 Ethnicity as both Social and Psychological  Ethnicity relies on sociocultural symbols, e.g. language, rituals and symbols.  Intergroup differences could lead to hierarchies (Ethnocentrism)  These intergroup differences leads to the creat...

Poverty and Ethnicity Psychology 144 Ethnicity as both Social and Psychological  Ethnicity relies on sociocultural symbols, e.g. language, rituals and symbols.  Intergroup differences could lead to hierarchies (Ethnocentrism)  These intergroup differences leads to the creation of the Self and Other. Which in turn may lead to conflict through social psychological processes:  The expression of attitudes  The use of stereotypes  The presence of prejudice  Discriminatory acts Ethnicity as both Social and Psychological  Ethnicity is contested  The expression of ethnicity is not fixed or consistent.  One social group may simultaneously subscribe to different forms, expressions and interpretations of ethnicity.​  Ethnicity can sustain social inequality  Where social conflict is heightened between social groups, ethnicity and its associated identities can be more formalised, overgeneralised, internalised and imposed.  Can result in more rigid in-group/out-group boundaries and relationships.  Ethnicity is then politicised and linked to unequal social relations through Ideology.  Ideology can then lead to structural hierarchies within the social system.  Ideology  All forms of identity expression, including ethnicity, are influenced and shaped by the societies we live in.  Occurs through Ideology. Core elements include:  It is a system of beliefs that is reflected in all social practices.​  Such as laws and the way people interact and communicate.  It often becomes widely accepted in any society.  People accept the beliefs as their own.  Behave and speak in ways that support and perpetuate this ideology  Humans have the capacity to act as active agents in the development of alternative and opposing ideologies.​  Ideology  Ideologies such as racism and nationalism contribute to particular forms of ethnicity in specific societies.​  Influence and determine important social features around which ethnic identities are formed.  Racism – identities are formed around physical features  Nationalism – identities are structured around citizenship  These ideologies help to create and maintain unequal social relationships.  One group having more access to power and resources at the expense of the other.  Ideologies influence the forms and expressions of attitudes, stereotypes and prejudices. Lead to discriminatory practices.  Racism  The racialisation of ethnicity involves using the notion of inherently different and unequal biological races to define ethnic in-groups and out-groups.​  Race is a disputed construct. Validity of using physiological characteristics to define groups of people is often contested.  The use of race in research has also been contested.  Racism is a system of beliefs about the superiority of some races over others.  Racism  Racism as an ideology originated from the changing economic systems that reach back to European expansion, colonialism and slavery.  It has been used to justify continued social oppression and economic exploitation of one social group by another.​  Also attempts to minimise the potential conflict that could arise from uneven social relations.  Provides the oppressed and oppressor with frameworks through which to understand the racist social order.  Forms of racism has changed  Social norms dictate that it is no longer acceptable.  Subtle racism – not openly expressed or only expressed amongst likeminded individuals  Racism  Racism influences the expression of ethnicity in several ways: ​  It informs the definition of ethnic groups.​  Racial categories are used to distinguish ethnic categories  What is perceived as ethnic difference is then based on racism  The concepts of race and ethnicity are being used interchangeably.​  Ethnic labels are used to refer to groups which have racial differences imposed on them, rather than for groups who have shared sociocultural elements  Ethnic groups start to take on the same meanings that are attributed to racial groups.  Ethnic hierarchies and oppression are racial hierarchies and oppression.​  Ethnicity in Summary  Ethnicity is not a set of natural features and characteristics  They are socially determined  Become more pronounced under certain social conditions  They are used to identify, differentiate and unevenly structure groups in relation to each other  The social expression of ethnicity relies on social psychological processes such as attitudes, stereotypes and prejudice.  Meanings attached to ethnicity are determined by the ideologies operating within the social context.  Ethnicity can act as a unifying force, but history has shown that ethnic identities can recreate unequal social relations and result in further social divisions