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MINORITIES IN SOCIETY

MINORITIES IN SOCIETY. An introduction. WHAT IS A MINORITY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjHjNDJc2j8&safe=active. A group of people with different physical or cultural traits different from those of the dominant group in society Key features

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MINORITIES IN SOCIETY

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  1. MINORITIESIN SOCIETY An introduction

  2. WHAT IS A MINORITYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjHjNDJc2j8&safe=active • A group of people with different physical or cultural traits different from those of the dominant group in society • Key features • Have distinctive physical or cultural traits that can be used to separate it from the majority • The minority can be dominated by the majority • Minority traits are often viewed by the majority to be inferior • Members of the minority have a common sense of identity and strong group loyalty • The majority determines who belongs in the minority through ascribed status

  3. DEFINING RACE • People sharing certain inherited physical characteristics that are considered important with a society • Most scientists consider racial classifications arbitrary and misleading • For sociologists social attitudes and characteristics that relate to race are more important than physical characteristics • Physical characteristics are superior only in a sense they provide certain advantages for living in a certain environment

  4. DEFINING RACEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aaTAUAEyho&safe=active • Geneticists claim there may be more difference between a tall person and a short person, than between people of different races who are the same height • There is no scientific evidence that connects any racial characteristic with innate superiority or inferiority • There is no evidence of innate differences in athleticism or intelligence among the various races

  5. DEFINING ETHNICITYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7XRpr_x1bE&safe=active • A group identified by cultural, religious, or national characteristics • Typically an ethnic minority is defined by • Language • Religion • Values • Beliefs • Norms • Customs

  6. DEFINING ETHNICITY • Ethincminorites work in the majority economy, send their children through the host educational system, and are subject to the laws of the land • Sometimes ethnic minorities wish to remain separate from the larger culture due to a desire to maintain its culture or religious autonomy ex: Hutterites or Mennonites in Canada • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9xBSTT6bq8&safe=active

  7. METHODS AND APPROACHES TO FITTING IN • Historically both acceptance and rejection have been realties of the minority experience • Assimilation • The blending of fusing of minority groups into the dominant culture • Mosaic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXLkDdgQAMU&safe=active • based on our belief that Canada as a whole becomes stronger by having immigrants bring with them their cultural diversity for all Canadians to learn from.

  8. METHODS AND APPROACHES TO FITTING IN http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eq0mRjv4DdA&safe=active • Melting Pot • The cultural melting pot, as adopted in the United States, tells immigrants that no matter who they have been in the past, upon landing on American shores, they are Americans and are expected to adopt and follow the American way.

  9. METHODS AND APPROACHES TO FITTING IN http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eq0mRjv4DdA&safe=active • Salad Bowl • An updated view of American approach, in which tradition and culture exist side by side • Cultural Pluralism • The desire of a group to maintain some sense of identity separation from the dominant group

  10. PATTERNS OF CONFLICT • Sociologists look at historical records and current events • Three basic patterns have emerged in the rejection of minority groups • These are • genocide • population transfer • subjugation

  11. GENOCIDEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iu8yNiGYiw8&safe=activeGENOCIDEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iu8yNiGYiw8&safe=active • The systematic efforts to destroy an entire population • The most severe example is the Holocaust by the Nazi regime during the 1930s and 1940s • More recent examples include • Rwanda in 1994 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85RlFabYw5g&safe=active • Bosnia Herzegovina in 1992-1995 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8NBbyTzB9Q&safe=active • Cambodia 1975-79 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dF41UXcrzMY&safe=active

  12. POPULATION TRANSFER • A minority is forced to move to a remote location or to leave entirely the territory controlled by the majority • This was the policy used in both Canada and the United States that created the reservation system for our aboriginal peoples http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJ50c0UkYSo&safe=active • In Canada it was also the approach used for the deportations of the Acadians • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z38KrfRlqQo&safe=active

  13. SUBJUGATIONhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AiuuWdKxyE&safe=activeSUBJUGATIONhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AiuuWdKxyE&safe=active • Process by which a minority group is denied equal access to the benefits of society • There are two different types of subjugation • de jure subjugation • Denial of equal access based on the law • de facto subjugation • Denial of equal access based on everyday practice

  14. METHODS OF UNEQUAL TREATMENT http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VNlZezkrWI&safe=active • Prejudice, racism and discrimination are three realties of unequal treatment in all societies • Prejudice • Widely held negative attitudes towards a group and its individual members • Racism • An extreme from of prejudice that assumes the superiority of one group over another • Discrimination • Treating people differently based on ethnicity, race, religion or culture

  15. STEREOTYPEShttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rAT5oeLlyA&safe=activeSTEREOTYPEShttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rAT5oeLlyA&safe=active • A distorted, exaggerated or oversimplified image applied to certain category of people • Problems associated with stereotyping • it makes us ignore differences between individuals • The use of stereotypes is a major way in which we simplify our social world • we infer that a person has a whole range of characteristics and abilities that we assume all members of that group have. • Most stereotypes probably tend to convey a negative impression

  16. HATE CRIMEShttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSU_svSZuB8&safe=active • Hate Crimes • A criminal act motivated by prejudice • Actually occur in relatively small numbers, but the frequency is increasing • Victims typically include • Racial/Ethnic minorities • Gays • Lesbians • People with disabilities

  17. According to the latest Statistics Canada figures, police reported 1,401 hate crimes in 2010, or 4.1 hate crimes per 100,000 Canadians. Over half (53 per cent) were motivated by race or ethnicity, while 29.5 per cent were religiously motivated, and 16 per cent were motivated by sexual orientation.

  18. HATE CRIMES IN CANADA • According to information from the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics • About 4% of all self-reported criminal victimization incidents were believed to be motivated by hate • Of the 928 hate crimes recorded by the 12 major police forces the majority were motivated by race/ethnicity 57%, religion 43%, sexual orientation 10% • The majority of these offences were offences against the person 52%, property offences 31%, other offences such as hate propaganda 17% • Weapons were used in one of five hate crimes • 83% of victims did not know their perpetrator. 15% identified a causal relationship or business acquaintance • There was a short lived increase in hate crimes in Canada following Sept 11th

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