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Structural Barriers to Disaster Resilience: Race and Ethnicity I

Structural Barriers to Disaster Resilience: Race and Ethnicity I. Session 9. Session Objectives. To conceptualize race as a socially constructed attribute To understand why race is considered a master status in the United States

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Structural Barriers to Disaster Resilience: Race and Ethnicity I

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  1. Structural Barriers to Disaster Resilience: Race and Ethnicity I Session 9

  2. Session Objectives • To conceptualize race as a socially constructed attribute • To understand why race is considered a master status in the United States • To analyze how ethnicity differs from race in ways that affect social discrimination

  3. What do we mean when we refer to race? • Biological attributes that are hereditary • Easily distinguished features serve as visual markers • Assumption that races of biologically different • Trait generalizations often made based upon groupings

  4. What genetic traits to use? Hair type? Fingerprint type? Nose type and size? Body shape? Skin color? Hemoglobin? Each results in a different grouping – and not as expected More genetic difference within common groupings than between them!

  5. There are no distinctive races • All humans share common origin • African ancestors • Common DNA • Same species • Physical differences evolved

  6. Differences evolved through: • Environmental adaptation • Sexual selection • Random selection

  7. Common racial groupings: • Three major ones come from European culture • Describe people at ends of early trade lines • Other groups added more recently

  8. Why do we pay so much attention to race? • Differentiates “us” from “them” • Convenient system to segregate, discriminate • Most important where a cultural history of extensive inequality such as slavery

  9. In 1990 Americans claimed membership in: 300 races or ethnic groups 600 American Indian tribes 70 Hispanic categories! Land use patterns Community organizations/leadership? Political power?

  10. Race is a master status • What people “see” first • Takes precedence over other attributes of person • Based on acquired, not achieved, traits • Overshadows achieved statuses • Sometimes compounded • Black woman • Black elder

  11. Why are Americans so race conscious? How can our history help explain prejudice against: • Blacks? • Native Americans? • Latinos?

  12. Ethnicity refers to: • Culture, not appearance • Usually associated with a region • Learned through socialization • Can be changed with resocialization • Can be assimilated • Assimilation easiest for those lacking racial distinction from majority

  13. How much should minority cultures assimilate? • Controversial topic • “Melting pot” or cultural pluralism? • Greater acceptance of diversity if: • Similar in appearance and culture to majority culture • Small in number • Good economy, less competition for job • Educated • Always some cross-effects

  14. How much - prejudice - discrimination exist in U.S. today? Land use patterns Community organizations/leadership? Political power?

  15. Which is most likely to be the basis for prejudice and discrimination - Race? - Ethnicity? Distinct differences such as skin color make it easier to keep track – and to stereotype

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