UNIT V STUDY GUIDE
The Social Melting Pot
Learning Objectives
Reading
Assignment
Chapter 11:
Race and Ethnicity
Chapter 13:
Family and Religion
Learning Activities
(Non-Graded)
See information below.
Key Terms
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Animism
Assimilation
Charisma
Church
Cohabitation
Cult
Denomination
Discrimination
Endogamy
Ethnicity
Exogamy
Extended family
Faith
Family
Family violence
Genocide
Marriage
Minority
Monogamy
Nuclear family
Pluralism
Polygamy
Prejudice
Profane
Race
Racism
Religion
SOC 1010, Introduction to Sociology
Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:
1. Examine the concepts of race and ethnicity and describe their impact on
society and the institution of marriage.
2. Explain the relationship between prejudice, stereotypes, and racism and
its impact on majority-minority interaction.
3. Distinguish between the various races/ethnicities in the United States
and describe their relationship with each other.
4. Examine the different patterns of marriage and describe how they relate
to the different theories on family structure.
5. Describe the relationship between the various stages of family life.
6. Differentiate between the types of religious organizations and their
relationships within the United States.
7. Compare and contrast the basic concepts of religion and the various
theoretical analyses.
Written Lecture
Race and Ethnicity
What is the first thing you think about when you hear the word race? When you
hear ethnicity? Almost everyone has different thoughts when they hear these
words. Some even use the two words interchangeably. However, they have very
different meanings. Your textbook refers to race as a socially constructed
category of people who share biologically transmitted traits that members of a
society consider important. Ethnicity, on the other hand, is a shared cultural
heritage.
Does race matter? To many people, it does. But, what are they referring to when
they speak of race? “It is true that human beings differ in any number of ways
involving physical traits, but a „race‟ comes into being only when the members of
a society decide that some particular physical trait (such as skin color or eye
shape) actually matters” (Macionis, 2011, p. 300).
Since the early days of the United States, Native Americans, African Americans,
and European-Americans have been classified as belonging to different races,
but the criteria for membership in these races has been radically different. For
African Americans, the government has considered anyone with African
appearance to be purely African. Native Americans, on the other hand, have
been classified based on a certain percentage of Native American blood. Finally,
European-Americans have had to have purely white ancestry. The differing
criteria for assigning membership to particular races has had relatively little to do
with biology; it has had far more to do with maintaining a group's defined roles
and position.
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Religiosity
Sacred
Sect
Segregation
State church
Stereotype
So, why does race matter? Almost every form or application we complete asks
for information like race, age, gender, etc. Why is this important? Basically, race
is self-identified because there is not an accurate system to determine race.
However, identifying race is very important in the United States. It seems that
race came to the forefront in discussions when President Obama announced his
candidacy for President of the United States. The continued focus on race during
his candidacy and subsequent presidency demonstrates that race really does
matter.
Now that President Obama has been elected, some are suggesting that the
United States has become a post-racial society. However, others argue that this
interpretation would suggest the President‟s election has put an end to
discrimination and prejudice. One election does not erase or resolve all of the
problems of discrimination.
The documentary True Colors, filmed by ABC News in 1992, compared how two
28-year-old males (matched in education, income, and marital status) are
treated across various walks in life. The camera crew followed two professional
"testers"—a black man named Glenn and a white man named John—around
St. Louis for 22 weeks. During this time, the camera crew found instances of
discrimination on a daily basis.
Race and ethnicity influence all aspects of our lives, including health, education,
work, family, and even interactions with the criminal justice system. Society‟s
history of discrimination and racism and continued disparities in access and
quality of resources make these particularly sensitive issues.
Healthcare is an area in which we find a prevalence of disparity between racial
and ethnic groups. Medical researchers are paying increasing attention to
findings of racial or ethnic differences in quality and access to care, health
outcomes, risk factors, genetic markers, and therapeutic response. However,
this attention has been met with growing controversy and debate. Inequality in
access to healthcare may help to explain the life expectancy rates for men and
women of different races.
Research has shown that the highest high school dropout rates in U.S.
education are associated with those from economically disadvantaged and nonEnglish-speaking backgrounds. According to the National Center for Education
Statistics, “The percentage of Hispanics ages 16-24 who were dropouts was
consistently higher than that of Blacks and Whites throughout the 36-year period
of 1972-2007” (2009, para. 7). However, this is not to say the dropout rate is
increasing; rather, it has fallen by over half since 1972. Meaning students are
staying in school and finishing at a higher rate than before, contrary to popular
belief.
Inequality can also be seen in the workplace and in income distribution. Nonwhites, who are less likely to achieve high levels of education, are more likely to
have lower-paying jobs. According to the Economic Policy Institute,
“Unemployment and poverty rates in the U.S. have consistently been higher
among people of color, while levels of income and wealth among these groups
have trailed the general population” (2011, para. 1). While this trend seems
disturbing, the overall percentage has been consistently declining (albeit slower
at times than others), and the outlook is more optimistic than it was 30-40 years
ago.
Finally, non-whites are more likely to interact with law enforcement. According to
the website Defending Justice, “Of the nearly 2.1 million adult men and women
SOC 1010, Introduction to Sociology
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imprisoned in the United States, roughly 70% are persons of color” (2005,
para. 1). The rate at which crimes are committed between whites and non-whites
remains fairly the same; however, there seems to be a disproportionate amount
of unequal targeting within the justice system, from arresting to sentencing, that
results in a higher rate of imprisonment for minorities. This concern about racial
profiling has been gaining momentum throughout the nation. Many governmental
bodies have decided to study racial profiling and how race and ethnicity play a
role in detainment by law enforcement within their jurisdictions (Cleary, 2000).
While the traditional sentiment leans towards 1776 as the year the United States
became a union, it actually did not occur until 1788, with all governmental bodies
taking office in 1789. As such, the United States has only existed, as a nation,
for a little over 200 years. Within those 200 years, it has only been within the
past 40 to 50 years that there has been a significant push to desegregate and
propagate equal rights for minorities. Time will tell if the U.S. continues the push
to effectively become a true color-blind society.
Family and Religion
Over the past decade, considerable research has emerged that demonstrates
the benefits of religious practice within society. Religious practice promotes the
well-being of individuals, families, and the community (Fagan, 2006).
We have seen drastic changes in the configuration of the family unit as well. At
one time, family life simply revolved around having family dinners, playing in the
streets, family outings, and walking the dog. Family structure usually consisted
of a mother, a father, and their children, but this structure has been replaced by
a vast array of family configurations, such as single parent families, blended
families, unmarried couples with children, stepfamilies, never married with
children, and many more. Children are shuffled between families in co-parenting
or joint custody arrangements. Blended families can consist of two, three, or
even more families combined in one.
As a result, many sociologists of religion are engaged in studying the place and
role of religion in the family. The connection of religion and family life is important
to families and to our society. We find that many of the controversial issues
today, both political and social, are grounded in religious arguments or attitudes.
Among the developed countries, the United States is one in which the majority of
the population considers religion to be very important, or rather important.
Compared to the majority of the developed world, this is considered an
exception.
According to Patrick Fagan,
Regular attendance at religious services is linked to healthy, stable family life,
strong marriages, and well-behaved children. The practice of Religion also leads
to a reduction in the incidence of domestic abuse, crime, substance abuse, and
addiction. In addition, religious practice leads to an increase in physical and
mental health, longevity, and education attainment. Moreover, these effects are
intergenerational, as grandparents and parents pass on the benefits to the next
generations. (2006, para. 2)
The Founding Fathers of the United States had a firm grasp on the role that
religion plays in free society. Rather than shield the people from religious
influence, the Founding Fathers promoted the freedom of religion. They
recognized the benefits that religion brought not only to the new country, but to
the people as a whole. George Washington communicated this in his farewell
address to the nation after his second term:
SOC 1010, Introduction to Sociology
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Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion and
Morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of
Patriotism who should labor to subvert these great Pillars of human happiness—
these firmest props of the duties of Men and citizens. The mere Politician,
equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume
could not trace all their connections with private and public felicity. Let it simply
be asked, Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense
of religious obligation desert the oaths, which are the instruments of investigation
in Courts of Justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality
can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence
of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both
forbid us to expect that National morality can prevail in exclusion of religious
principle.
References
Cleary, J. (2000). Racial profiling studies in law enforcement: Issues and
Methodology [Information Brief]. Retrieved from http://www.house.leg.state.
mn.us/hrd/pubs/raceprof.pdf
Defending Justice (2005). Defending Justice: An Activist Resource Kit. Retrieved
from http://www.defendingjustice.org/pdfs/factsheets/10-Fact%20Sheet%20-%
20System%20as%20Racist.pdf
Economic Policy Institute [EPI] (2011). Race and ethnicity. Retrieved from
http://www.epi.org/issue/race/
Fagan P. (2006). Why religion matters even more: The impact of religious
practice on social stability. Retrieved from http://www.heritage.org/research/
reports/2006/12/why-religion-matters-even-more-the-impact-of-religiouspractice-on-social-stability
Macionis, J. J. (2011). Society: The basics (11th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Prentice Hall.
National Center for Educational Statistics [NCES] (2009). Dropout and
completion rates in the United States: 2007. Retrieved from
http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2009/dropout07/findings3.asp
Shea, D., Green, J., Smith, C., Gibson, L., & Robison, C. (2009). Living
democracy, brief Texas edition (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Longman.
Learning Activities (Non-Graded)
Go to your favorite search engine, and search for a video of Martin Luther King,
Jr.‟s “I Have a Dream” speech. Look for the different symbolisms within the video
and what it meant to the Civil Rights Movement as a whole. Do you believe we
would be where we are today without Dr. King?
SOC 1010, Introduction to Sociology
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