SOCI 302 Midterm Notes
Part A: Notes
Week One Lecture (Thursday, 5 September 2019): Introduction to the Sociology of Ethnic
and Social Inequality
Chapter 1 (S)
Ethnicity → greek root word “people”
Emile Durkheim → collective conscience as primary source of identity formation
- Similarities among members or sameness within the social group lead members to
differentiate themselves and prefer their “own kind” over others
- Boundaries between those who belong in the group (Self) and those who do not (Other)
Monopolistic closure → process and practices often institutionalized where members of the
in-group have access to the scarce valuable resources whereas the out group is excluded
Culture: set of dynamic social processes and practices
- Ethnicity cannot be equated to culture
Collective ethnic identity: existence of a certain consensus within the group about what
constitutes it as such and differentiates from other groups
Individual ethnic identity: the relationship of individuals to their own ethnic collectivity
Diachronic dimensions of ethnicity→ ancestry, homeland, and culture associated with one’s
ethnic groups
Synchronic dimensions of ethnicity → dimensions that refer to the ways in which an individual
or ethnic collectivity is defined, evaluated, and treated by others
Institutional Completeness
Ethnic institutions: sites or social spaces within which ethnic identity is produced and
maintained over time
,Institutional completeness: extent to which an ethnic group in a particular place and time forms
organizations
History of “Race”
Race → historically defined in terms of physical or genetic characteristics (ascriptive
characteristic)
“Race” → socially constructed category for classifying humans with no real biological referent
Race meant lineage or line of descent and then by beginning of 19th century the meaning shifted
due to colonialism and science
- Explain physical, social, moral, and intellectual variation among people
- Became intimately tied to the issue of racism
Racialization
Racialization : process and practices whereby social relations among people are structured by
the signification of human biological characteristics in such a way as to define and construct
differentiated social collectivities
- Race is superimposed onto the social world
New Racism → coded language, subtle form of racism
Canada → democratic racism → value conflicts in Canadian society
- Mainly though discourse of domination
Chapter 1 (U)
Models for managing race, ethnic, and aboriginal relations These governance models differ in
terms of assumptions about diversity, stated objectives, preferred means, and anticipated
outcomes.
Genocide: five classes of action:
(1) the annihilation of group members with the intent of bringing about their disappearance as a
people;
(2) the creation of conditions such as destruction of community life that foster the dispersal of
the group, in the process pushing remnants of the population to an edge from which recovery is
difficult;
, (3) inflicting intense psychological abuse or physical discomfort culminating in the dissolution of
the group;
(4) the transfer of children from one group to another, thus bringing about the demise of the
culture; and
(5) the prevention of births through involuntary sterilization, birth control, or abortion
Ex. extermination of German Jews under Nazi Germany, Rwandan crisis → Tutsi were
slaughtered bu Hutu extremists
Assimilation: referred to as a one-way process of absorption
- Largely mistaken belief that social life could be better understood by drawing upon
simplified analogies
- Complete absorption is difficult to attain so.. dominant-conformity (or anglo-conformity
in areas under British control) requires outward compliance with dominant values and
practices rather than actual absorption into the mainstream,
Segregation/ Separation: segregation into autonomous dominant and subdominant groups who
live apart because of perceived incompatibilities and power relations
Ex. establishing reserve system under the Indian Act 1876
- Usually happens from top- down but could also be generated by below groups →
voluntary separation
- Social closure (Weber) → advantage for one particular group
Integration: opposing segregation.. Involves process whereby individuals interact with each
other at all institutional levels
- Desegregation: dismantling physical or social barriers to formal equality, while
integration is seen as the positive dimension that incorporates disparate parts in a
cooperative whole
- Two variations:
a. dominant and subdominant sectors are brought together in a single comprehensive
lifestyle, without either losing its distinctiveness (multiculturalism)
b. dominant and subdominant groups merge together, like different colours of paint
in a bucket (melting pot)
Pluralism: acceptance of the legitimacy of diversity as a basis for governance within a national
framework, also acknowledges the possibility of constructing a unified society from (or despite)
differences as a desired and valued component of progressive society.
Part A: Notes
Week One Lecture (Thursday, 5 September 2019): Introduction to the Sociology of Ethnic
and Social Inequality
Chapter 1 (S)
Ethnicity → greek root word “people”
Emile Durkheim → collective conscience as primary source of identity formation
- Similarities among members or sameness within the social group lead members to
differentiate themselves and prefer their “own kind” over others
- Boundaries between those who belong in the group (Self) and those who do not (Other)
Monopolistic closure → process and practices often institutionalized where members of the
in-group have access to the scarce valuable resources whereas the out group is excluded
Culture: set of dynamic social processes and practices
- Ethnicity cannot be equated to culture
Collective ethnic identity: existence of a certain consensus within the group about what
constitutes it as such and differentiates from other groups
Individual ethnic identity: the relationship of individuals to their own ethnic collectivity
Diachronic dimensions of ethnicity→ ancestry, homeland, and culture associated with one’s
ethnic groups
Synchronic dimensions of ethnicity → dimensions that refer to the ways in which an individual
or ethnic collectivity is defined, evaluated, and treated by others
Institutional Completeness
Ethnic institutions: sites or social spaces within which ethnic identity is produced and
maintained over time
,Institutional completeness: extent to which an ethnic group in a particular place and time forms
organizations
History of “Race”
Race → historically defined in terms of physical or genetic characteristics (ascriptive
characteristic)
“Race” → socially constructed category for classifying humans with no real biological referent
Race meant lineage or line of descent and then by beginning of 19th century the meaning shifted
due to colonialism and science
- Explain physical, social, moral, and intellectual variation among people
- Became intimately tied to the issue of racism
Racialization
Racialization : process and practices whereby social relations among people are structured by
the signification of human biological characteristics in such a way as to define and construct
differentiated social collectivities
- Race is superimposed onto the social world
New Racism → coded language, subtle form of racism
Canada → democratic racism → value conflicts in Canadian society
- Mainly though discourse of domination
Chapter 1 (U)
Models for managing race, ethnic, and aboriginal relations These governance models differ in
terms of assumptions about diversity, stated objectives, preferred means, and anticipated
outcomes.
Genocide: five classes of action:
(1) the annihilation of group members with the intent of bringing about their disappearance as a
people;
(2) the creation of conditions such as destruction of community life that foster the dispersal of
the group, in the process pushing remnants of the population to an edge from which recovery is
difficult;
, (3) inflicting intense psychological abuse or physical discomfort culminating in the dissolution of
the group;
(4) the transfer of children from one group to another, thus bringing about the demise of the
culture; and
(5) the prevention of births through involuntary sterilization, birth control, or abortion
Ex. extermination of German Jews under Nazi Germany, Rwandan crisis → Tutsi were
slaughtered bu Hutu extremists
Assimilation: referred to as a one-way process of absorption
- Largely mistaken belief that social life could be better understood by drawing upon
simplified analogies
- Complete absorption is difficult to attain so.. dominant-conformity (or anglo-conformity
in areas under British control) requires outward compliance with dominant values and
practices rather than actual absorption into the mainstream,
Segregation/ Separation: segregation into autonomous dominant and subdominant groups who
live apart because of perceived incompatibilities and power relations
Ex. establishing reserve system under the Indian Act 1876
- Usually happens from top- down but could also be generated by below groups →
voluntary separation
- Social closure (Weber) → advantage for one particular group
Integration: opposing segregation.. Involves process whereby individuals interact with each
other at all institutional levels
- Desegregation: dismantling physical or social barriers to formal equality, while
integration is seen as the positive dimension that incorporates disparate parts in a
cooperative whole
- Two variations:
a. dominant and subdominant sectors are brought together in a single comprehensive
lifestyle, without either losing its distinctiveness (multiculturalism)
b. dominant and subdominant groups merge together, like different colours of paint
in a bucket (melting pot)
Pluralism: acceptance of the legitimacy of diversity as a basis for governance within a national
framework, also acknowledges the possibility of constructing a unified society from (or despite)
differences as a desired and valued component of progressive society.
