Question 1

A set of ideas about a group of people, such as: "All Irishmen are drunks who beat their wives," or "All Arabs are terrorists," can make it seem natural and normal to discriminate against these groups. What is the term for sets of ideas like these?

Accepted Answer

The term for sets of ideas like these is racist ideology.

Question 2

Until 1954, state-supported and sanctioned segregation along racial lines was completely legal, and school administrators often refused to allow black, Hispanic, or Asian American children to enter a school building. This is an example of ________.

Accepted Answer

Institutional racism refers to discriminatory policies and practices of institutions, such as schools, that systematically disadvantage certain individuals or groups based on their race or ethnicity. The legal segregation of schools prior to 1954 was institutionalized racism because it was a policy that explicitly excluded and disadvantaged non-white students.

Question 3

What do we call the British Empire's military, economic, and political control over Malaysia?

Accepted Answer

The British Empire's control over Malaysia is referred to as colonialism, which involves the establishment and maintenance of colonies in one territory by people from another territory.

Question 4

Compare and contrast the concepts of genotype and phenotype. How do you think these concepts help us understand race, and why?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Compare and contrast the concepts of genotype...

Question 5

A primary difference between the early census process and the census of 2010 was the:

Accepted Answer

In the 2010 census, individuals were allowed to self-identify their race, which was a significant change from earlier censuses where racial categories were assigned by enumerators.

Question 6

In Living with Racism: The Black Middle-Class Experience (1994), sociologist Joe Feagin and psychologist Melvin Sikes write about middle-class African Americans who, despite their class status, continue to face racial discrimination. This study is an example of ________.

Accepted Answer

The study of the experiences of middle-class African Americans who face racial discrimination despite their class status is an example of intersectionality. Intersectionality refers to the interconnected nature of social categories like race, gender, class, and sexuality, and the ways in which they interact and intersect to shape individuals' experiences of oppression and privilege. In this case, the middle-class status of the African Americans in the study does not shield them from the effects of racism, highlighting the importance of considering the intersection of race and class.

Question 7

The U.S. involvement in Vietnam and the subsequent war was the result of a long legacy of French and U.S. involvement in Vietnamese economic, military, and political life. Today, this can be understood as ________.

Accepted Answer

The U.S. involvement in Vietnam was influenced by the legacy of French colonialism, as Vietnam was a French colony before the U.S. became involved.

Question 8

Explain how the idea of "white" or "whiteness" changed over time in the United States.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain how the idea of "white" or...

Question 9

Maria Kromidas's work in New York City schools reveals that children are creating a "new" racial category based on the post-September 11 media stories they receive. In this particular category, people are categorized by what factors?

Accepted Answer

Maria Kromidas's research highlights how children, influenced by post-9/11 media narratives, are forming a racial category characterized by perceptions of individuals as foreign, strange, and Muslim. This reflects the impact of media and societal narratives on children's understanding of race and identity.

Question 10

While health, education, decent housing, and employment are something that most of us would agree are fundamental to all people, what is a primary reason that these have historically been denied to many people in the United States?

Accepted Answer

White privilege has historically allowed for unequal distribution of resources such as health, education, decent housing, and employment. This privilege has been systematically denied to people of color and perpetuated through policies and practices that favor white individuals and communities.

Question 11

A person who believes that Italians are somehow inferior and therefore refuses to give an Italian person a job is demonstrating what kind of racist behavior?

Accepted Answer

Individual racism refers to discriminatory beliefs and actions towards individuals based on their race or ethnicity. In this case, the person is specifically targeting Italians, indicating individual rather than institutional racism.

Question 12

In many countries, members of the dominant ethnic or racial group tend to favor other members of their own group, give them the benefit of any doubt, and take what they say more seriously. Minorities are often discounted as less important or even hostile for insisting on being treated fairly. In the United States, what do we call this discrepancy between the experiences of the dominant and the minority groups?

Accepted Answer

This term refers to the advantages and benefits that white people experience in society due to their race, often without being aware of it. This includes the tendency for members of the dominant group to favor and give more credibility to others who share their race or ethnicity, while discounting the experiences of racial minorities.

Question 13

Based on what you read in Chapter 6, how can we understand the killing of Michael Brown and its aftermath from an anthropological perspective? Be sure to employ at least two key concepts from the text in your answer.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Based on what you read in Chapter...

Question 14

What do societies do in order to make discriminatory ideas and behavior seem reasonable and normal?

Accepted Answer

Societies often rely on racial ideology to make discriminatory ideas and behavior seem reasonable and normal by creating and perpetuating beliefs that justify and normalize inequality and discrimination based on race.

Question 15

The right to own a gun is today considered fundamental to many people in the United States. While the Second Amendment to the Constitution is often considered the origin of this ideal, it actually was instituted by elites as one of many special "white rights" to ensure cooperation against rebellions. This is an example of ________.

Accepted Answer

The statement describes how the right to own a gun was established as a special "white right", indicating white privilege.

Question 16

Explain how and why the "one drop of blood rule" was traditionally used to determine race in American culture.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain how and why the "one drop...

Question 17

Identify three reasons why anthropologists feel that the concept of "race" is a flawed system of classification, and give an example to support each reason.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Identify three reasons why anthropologists feel that...

Question 18

During the Civil War, many slaves made the decision to escape their captors and flee to the North in hopes of securing personal freedom. The Underground Railroad is an example of what aspect of racism?

Accepted Answer

The Underground Railroad was a means of resisting and countering the effects of racism and slavery, as enslaved individuals sought to escape the system and attain personal freedom.

Question 19

People from the Middle East have been considered "white" in the United States for some time, but since September 11, anyone with brown skin who seems foreign is now considered "different" and possibly an enemy. This is an example of ________.

Accepted Answer

Racialization is the process of categorizing people into racial groups based on physical characteristics such as skin color, hair type, and facial features. The shift in how people from the Middle East have been perceived in the United States after September 11 demonstrates how racialization can change over time and how it can be influenced by political events and media portrayals. Discrimination and individual racism can also play a role in this process, but racialization is a broader concept that encompasses both of these phenomena. Segregation refers to the physical separation of different racial groups, which may be a consequence of racialization but is not necessarily part of the process itself.

Question 20

The story of Shellcracker Haven and how the local white residents were gradually disenfranchised from their lives and work because of their class status is a strong reflection of the tendency to do what?

Accepted Answer

The answer of The story of Shellcracker Haven and how...

Quiz 6: Race and Racism