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April 1 st. Sign in Pass out Response Paper #4 Lecture 5: Racial Diversity & Inequality Homework: Readings: Savage Inequalities: Children in America’s Schools The Hispanic Dropout Mystery. Quick Writing:. Why do we have racial inequality today?
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April 1st • Sign in • Pass out Response Paper #4 • Lecture 5: Racial Diversity & Inequality • Homework: • Readings: • Savage Inequalities: Children in America’s Schools • The Hispanic Dropout Mystery
Quick Writing: • Why do we have racial inequality today? • How does race/ethnicity play a role in the social problems/issues that your work/agency addresses? • Interpersonal • Institutional/systematic • Internalized
Lecture 5 Racial Stratification
Racial Stratification Today • Three areas of informal segregation exist today that perpetuate racial/ethnic stratification • Residential • Educational • Occupational • All of these are tied to wealth, which is the engine of social mobility
Need to understand our ‘racial’ roots • Racial and ethnic groups that were forced into American society have historically been disadvantaged in the opportunity structure and experience segregation today • Black, Latino, and Native American • Racial and ethnic groups that have voluntarily come to the US have seen higher levels of integration • European, Asian
Racial Triangle: American Race Relations in History 1st Class Citizens: Whites 3rd Class Citizens: Native Americans 2nd Class Citizens: Blacks
Cultural Differentiation • The greater and more visible the cultural distinctions, the more likely there is to be conflict • Ethnocentrism & Individual Racism • White Privilege: one’s culture and social advantage in society is seen as “normal” and objective • “Others” must assimilate • “As a white person, I realized I had been taught about racism as something that puts others at a disadvantage, but had been taught not to see one of its corollary aspects, white privilege, which puts me at an advantage.”
Understanding Privilege • Structures of privilege are often invisible to us • “I was taught to see racism only in individual acts of meanness, not in invisible systems conferring dominance on my group” • Individuals with privilege are not responsible for the circumstances that brought them privilege, but they are responsible for how they respond to it
Structural Differentiation • Institutional Racism: unchallenged and customary way of doing things in society that keep minority groups in subordinate or disadvantaged positions • Unequal Opportunity Structure • Social structure can encourage or reduce inequalityamong racial and ethnic groups
Historical Race Relations: When Race Mattered • Race caste oppression in the Ante-bellum South (pre-1865) • Slavery economic system based on race • Class conflict and racial oppression (1865- 1964) • Split-labor market – racial conflict over jobs • De Jure Segregation: separation of racial and ethnic groups in daily activities • Civil service, housing, education, marriage
What is the Racial Legacy? • According to William J. Wilson, class position now matters more than race in defining life chances (Wilson) • Political changes broke down racial barriers, but economic inequalities exist • De Facto Segregation: Formal segregation replaced with informal segregation today • Underclass: segment of the population with limited social mobility due to economic subordination • Perpetuated by residential, occupation, and education segregation
Residential Segregation • New Deal Polices and GI Bill created a legacy of residential segregation • Between 1934 and 1962, the federal government backed $120 billion of home loans & more than 98% went to whites • Created segregated white suburbs • Since 1970, residential segregation declined for Hispanics and Asians
Diversity in Bay Area • Index of Diversity • Most Diverse - Alameda County • Least Diverse – Marin County • Largest Percentage of: • Black Americans – Alameda and Solano (14%) • Latino/Latina – Santa Clara (11%) • Asian Americans – San Francisco (30%)
Do We Live Together? • Residential segregation is highest for: • Blacks (32-57%) • Latinos (23-46%) • Asians (!5-28%) • Santa Clara County: • Black – White: 59% • Latino- White: 52% • Asian – White: 34%