Question 1

The way in which race is determined is a universal cultural constant.

Accepted Answer

The way in which race is determined varies across cultures and is socially constructed rather than biologically determined.

Question 2

Prejudice is an action; discrimination is an attitude.

Accepted Answer

Prejudice refers to preconceived opinions or attitudes, but discrimination involves taking action based on those attitudes by treating people unfairly or differently. Therefore, prejudice is an attitude and discrimination is an action.

Question 3

Hatred of Chinese Americans in 1942, and further discrimination against Japanese immigrants, were historical examples of spillover bigotry.

Accepted Answer

During World War II, there was widespread fear and suspicion of Japanese Americans, which led to their forced removal and internment. This fear and suspicion also spilled over onto Chinese Americans, who were discriminated against and faced hostility. This is an example of spillover bigotry.

Question 4

Because the term "Latino" refers to an ethnic group, Latinos may identify themselves as being black, white, or Native American.

Accepted Answer

The term "Latino" generally refers to people of Latin American or Spanish-speaking Caribbean descent, which is an ethnic group rather than a racial category. Therefore, a person who identifies as Latino can have a variety of racial backgrounds, including black, white, Native American, or a combination of these.

Question 5

The term "melting pot" is the most appropriate analogy to classify Americans based on the fascination Americans have with their ethnic roots.

Accepted Answer

The term "melting pot" traditionally refers to the blending of cultures and ethnicities to form a single, homogeneous society, rather than emphasizing the preservation or fascination with distinct ethnic roots.

Question 6

Sociologists find psychological explanations of prejudice to be inadequate.

Accepted Answer

Sociologists argue that prejudice is not just an individual feeling or thought but rather a result of societal structures, norms, and power relations. Therefore, solely relying on psychological explanations of prejudice is considered insufficient by sociologists.

Question 7

While the patterns of immigration change, and group antogonisms shift focus, the future is likely to continue to be riddled with racial tensions.

Accepted Answer

Racial tensions have been a persistent issue throughout history, and while the nature of these tensions may evolve over time, it is unlikely that they will completely disappear.

Question 8

The United States Census Bureau allows respondents to choose as many races as they wish in describing who they consider themselves to be.

Accepted Answer

This is true. The United States Census Bureau uses a "multiple race" option, allowing respondents to select more than one race in describing their racial identity.

Question 9

The process of compartmentalization helps people who engage in genocide to maintain a sense of being good and moral.

Accepted Answer

Compartmentalization allows individuals to separate their actions into distinct mental categories, making it easier to overlook or justify unethical behavior. By compartmentalizing their actions, individuals who engage in genocide can maintain a sense of being good and moral, even as they commit atrocities.

Question 10

Discrimination can occur without the awareness of both those doing the discriminating and those being discriminated against.

Accepted Answer

Discrimination can be subtle and subconscious, leading to an unawareness of its occurrence by both parties involved. This is known as implicit or unconscious bias.

Question 11

Biologists and anthropologists generally agree on a five-member classification system to universally distinguish one race from another.

Accepted Answer

Biologists and anthropologists do not universally agree on a classification system for race, and many consider race to be a socially constructed concept rather than a biological one. There is no universally accepted classification system for race.

Question 12

Research has demonstrated that prejudice can have positive ramifications.

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that prejudice can sometimes lead to increased group cohesion and solidarity among those who share the same biases, although these are generally outweighed by the negative consequences.

Question 13

Jews are most accurately classified as an ethnic group because they share more cultural characteristics than biological ones.

Accepted Answer

While Jews may share some genetic markers, such as the Cohen gene, there is no one specific biological characteristic that all Jews share. However, they do share a common history, language, religion, and cultural traditions, which are more indicative of an ethnic group.

Question 14

Slavery as it was practiced in the pre-Civil War South and apartheid as practiced in South Africa are two examples of internal colonialism.

Accepted Answer

Both slavery and apartheid involved the domination and exploitation of a particular group of people within their own country or region, which is the definition of internal colonialism.

Question 15

The split labor market and reserve labor force are most aligned with the symbolic interactionist perspective.

Accepted Answer

The split labor market and reserve labor force concepts are most aligned with the conflict perspective, which emphasizes the role of economic, social, and political power in creating and maintaining inequalities, rather than the symbolic interactionist perspective, which focuses on individual interactions and meanings.

Question 16

Predatory lending took a particularly hard hit on African Americans increasing monthly payments for their home mortgages, which caused many to lose their homes when the economic crisis hit.

Accepted Answer

Predatory lending targeted African Americans, often charging them higher interest rates and increasing their monthly payments. When the economic crisis hit, many could not afford these increased payments and lost their homes.

Question 17

While President Obama signed an Executive Order allowing work permits to unauthorized immigrants who meet certain qualification, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the states' right to check the immigration status of anyone they stop or arrest.

Accepted Answer

President Obama did sign an Executive Order known as DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) which allowed work permits for certain unauthorized immigrants. However, the Supreme Court's decision in Arizona v. United States in 2012 did uphold the state's right to check the immigration status of individuals stopped or arrested, but with limitations.

Question 18

People who are prejudiced against one racial or ethnic group tend to be prejudiced against other groups.

Accepted Answer

This phenomenon is known as cross-group generalization or intergroup bias, where prejudice towards one group is extended to other groups perceived as similar.

Question 19

To date, no Asian American women have been elected to the U.S. Senate.

Accepted Answer

Mazie Hirono, a Japanese American woman from Hawaii, has been serving as a U.S. Senator since 2013, and Tammy Duckworth, a Thai American woman from Illinois, has been serving since 2017.

Question 20

Everyone who shares a respective ethnic identity expresses that identity through the same ethnic work.

Accepted Answer

Ethnic identity is a complex and multifaceted concept and people express their ethnic identity in different ways. The idea that everyone within a particular ethnic group would express their identity through the same type of ethnic work is overly simplistic and inaccurate.

Quiz 12: Race and Ethnicity