.png){kind=icon}
Click on each question to check your answer.
1. How do we know that race and ethnicity are socially constructed?
Answer: Sociologists have contributed to the multidisciplinary effort to show that race and ethnicity are social constructs, knowledge as Berger and Luckmann might suggest, that are constructed in our interactions with each other. They are created within society. Biologists have even shown that all humanity is derived from a common ancestor and that our DNA is 99.9 genetically similar, so divisions based on different biology do not make sense. We also know that definitions of race and ethnicity have changed over time and across cultures. Review how any census in any country has measured race and ethnicity over time to get an idea of this change. Research in multiple fields has demonstrated that race and ethnicity are not natural and permanent, but socially constructed within human societies by human minds.
2. What is symbolic ethnicity?
Answer: Symbolic ethnicity is a theory developed by Dr. Mary C. Waters to explain how white people in the United States choose to embrace an ethnic label or disregard it entirely. When they do it embrace it, Waters suggests it is done symbolically, as a feeling of pride. She refers to this as symbolic ethnicity, or a low risk adoption of an individualistic label. Waters contrasted this with how what she refers to as “visible minorities” do not have the same control over their own ethnic identity. Presumably, due to racism, they often have no control over the ethnic labels that others assign to them.
3. What role do privileges and sanctions play in the definition of racism used by sociologists?
Answer: Sociologists believe that racism is an organized system that is held together by a sophisticated ideology based on the idea of racial supremacy. Ideas of racial supremacy have been used to justify the sanctions and privileges that are inherent to a racism that is systemic in nature. These privileges include the increased likelihood of freedom from police violence because you are white, and the sanctions refer to any restrictions and limitations placed on people based on their race. The definition of racism used by sociologists includes these and other kinds of privileges and sanctions evident in human societies struggling to overcome racism.
4. What is the connection between prejudice and discrimination?
Answer: Both are noted consequences of a world in which racial and ethnic distinctions exist, but they have two different, yet connected meanings. Prejudice is a negative attitude an individual has towards another person because the other person belongs to some sort of group. Discrimination, on the other hand, is also rooted in membership in some sort of group only in this case, discrimination refers to the positive and negative actions taken by an individual against another individual who belongs to some group in question. While both concepts are based on the idea of group membership, prejudice is mental in nature whereas discrimination is material.
5. What are different categories of immigrants in Canada?
Answer: Immigration generally refers to the movement or migration of people to permanently settle elsewhere. In Canada there are three types of possible immigrants to the country according to this definition. (1) Economic immigrants: Most economic immigrants are skilled workers but some under the Business Immigration Program might be investors or entrepreneurs capable of investing $800,000 into the Canadian economy. (2) Family class: Canadian citizens and permanent residents can sponsor their family members’ immigration to Canada. (3) Refugees: Refugees are a special class of immigrant because they are fearful of persecution in their home countries because of their gender, sexuality, political beliefs, ethnic identity, or religion. These are the main categories that comprise Canada’s immigration classification system.