Race and Ethnicity in the United States 8th Edition By Schaefer -Test Bank

Chapter 6 – The Nation as a Kaleidoscope

Multiple Choice Questions

1. The analogy that best describes the United States society today is the ________.
2. salad bowl
3. puppet state
4. melting pot
5. kaleidoscope

Answer: d

Question Title: TB_06_01_The Glass Half Empty_Remember_LO 6.1

Learning Objective: 6.1: Characterize the amount or lack of progress that has been made by racial and ethnic minorities.

Topic: The Glass Half Empty

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

Difficulty: 1 – Easy

2. The metaphor of the glass half empty refers to ________.
3. the progress made to date by subordinate groups
4. the progress still to be achieved for all minorities
5. the paradox of income and education change
6. civil rights for gays and lesbians

Answer: b

Question Title: TB_06_02_The Glass Half Empty_Remember_LO 6.1

Learning Objective: 6.1: Characterize the amount or lack of progress that has been made by racial and ethnic minorities.

Topic: The Glass Half Empty

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

Difficulty: 1 – Easy

3. Studies on the present status of Hispanics and African Americans show that they have ________ when compared to the past few decades.
4. more schooling
5. lower household income
6. higher poverty rates
7. shorter life expectancy

Answer: a

Question Title: TB_06_03_The Glass Half Empty_Remember_LO 6.1

Learning Objective: 6.1: Characterize the amount or lack of progress that has been made by racial and ethnic minorities.

Topic: The Glass Half Empty

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

Difficulty: 1 – Easy

4. Porter, an immigrant to the United States, opined that immigrants like him do not feel alienated because of their harmonious relationship with the dominant community. Porter attributes this to the integration of the immigrant communities into the dominant culture and the eventual development of a new, unique culture. This is an example of ________.
5. color-blind racism
6. a bamboo ceiling
7. a melting pot
8. racial profiling

Answer: c

Question Title: TB_06_04_The Glass Half Empty_Apply_LO 6.1

Learning Objective: 6.1: Characterize the amount or lack of progress that has been made by racial and ethnic minorities.

Topic: The Glass Half Empty

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

Difficulty: 3 – Difficult

5. Irene, a sociologist, is of the opinion that the United States has a population that is multiracial and multi-ethnic that cannot be defined in concrete terms. This is because of the constant change in the cultural makeup of the American society. According to Irene, the United States resembles a ________.
6. kaleidoscope
7. melting pot
8. colony
9. bamboo ceiling

Answer: a

Question Title: TB_06_05_The Glass Half Empty_Apply_LO 6.1

Learning Objective: 6.1: Characterize the amount or lack of progress that has been made by racial and ethnic minorities.

Topic: The Glass Half Empty

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

Difficulty: 3 – Difficult

6. Eugene, a student belonging to a majority community, is of the view that the minority students at his university have fared well in recent years in terms of academic performance and enrolment rates. Joshua, a minority student in the same university, feels that more needs to be done to improve the performance and enrolment rates of students belonging to his community. Which of the following statements reflects Eugene’s viewpoint?
7. The university faces the yellow peril.
8. The glass is half empty.
9. The university resembles a kaleidoscope.
10. The glass is half full.

Answer: d

Question Title: TB_06_06_The Glass Half Empty_Apply_LO 6.1

Learning Objective: 6.1: Characterize the amount or lack of progress that has been made by racial and ethnic minorities.

Topic: The Glass Half Empty

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

Difficulty: 3 – Difficult

7. Which of the following is true of the changes in the status of minority communities in the United States over the years?
8. Black Americans today exceed the life expectancy that Whites had a generation earlier.
9. Asian Americans have become the largest minority group in the United States in recent years.
10. The household incomes of African Americans and Hispanics have increased over the years.
11. Almost every Asian American group has a lower poverty rate than non-Hispanic Whites.

Answer: c

Question Title: TB_06_07_The Glass Half Empty_Understand_LO 6.1

Learning Objective: 6.1: Characterize the amount or lack of progress that has been made by racial and ethnic minorities.

Topic: The Glass Half Empty

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

Difficulty: 2 – Moderate

8. Matthew, a manager of foreign origin at a multinational company in the United States, is considered highly successful in his professional and social life by his fellow managers. Several people from Matthew’s community are successful in various fields despite the difficulties faced by them. Therefore, Matthew’s community can be categorized as a(n) ________.
9. model minority
10. marginalized group
11. ethnocentric cluster
12. pure race

Answer: a

Question Title: TB_06_08_Is There a Model Minority?_Apply_LO 6.2

Learning Objective: 6.2: Explain the model minority image.

Topic: Is There a Model Minority?

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

Difficulty: 3 – Difficult

9. Labeling Asian Americans as a model-minority is considered a variation of ________.
10. acting White
11. blaming the victim
12. racial profiling
13. ethnocentrism

Answer: b

Question Title: TB_06_09_Is There a Model Minority?_Remember_LO 6.2

Learning Objective: 6.2: Explain the model minority image.

Topic: Is There a Model Minority?

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

Difficulty: 1 – Easy

10. ________ have ceased to be subordinates and are no longer disadvantaged according to the proponents of the model-minority view in the United States.
11. Hispanics
12. African Americans
13. Asian Americans
14. Latinos

Answer: c

Question Title: TB_06_10_Is There a Model Minority?_Remember_LO 6.2

Learning Objective: 6.2: Explain the model minority image.

Topic: Is There a Model Minority?

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

Difficulty: 1 – Easy

11. People supporting the model minority view are likely to ________.
12. hold the education system responsible for the poor achievement levels of some minority groups
13. consider racism to be a peripheral issue
14. agree with the fact that Asian Americans should receive all the benefits available to other minority groups
15. attribute the excellence achieved by Asian Americans to their families

Answer: d

Question Title: TB_06_11_Is There a Model Minority?_Analyze_LO 6.2

Learning Objective: 6.2: Explain the model minority image.

Topic: Is There a Model Minority?

Skill Level: Analyze It

Difficulty: 3 – Difficult

12. Allen, a scientist, was stopped and frisked repeatedly at an airport because of his ethnicity. This action by airport officials is an example of ________.
13. racial profiling
14. acting White
15. ethnocentrism
16. color-blind racism

Answer: a

Question Title: TB_06_12_Is There a Model Minority?_Apply_LO 6.2

Learning Objective: 6.2: Explain the model minority image.

Topic: Is There a Model Minority?

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

Difficulty: 2 – Moderate

13. Which of the following results because of the existence of the bamboo ceiling in the United States?
14. It causes people to blame African American parents for their children’s failures.
15. It results in the absence of cultural capital in Asian communities.
16. It causes people to make negative judgments about Asian Americans.
17. It makes people classify all immigrants as heathen and morally inferior.

Answer: c

Question Title: TB_06_13_Is There a Model Minority?_Understand_LO 6.2

Learning Objective: 6.2: Explain the model minority image.

Topic: Is There a Model Minority?

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

Difficulty: 2 – Moderate

14. Hate crimes against Asian Americans is a consequence of the phenomenon known as ________.
15. yellow peril
16. acting White
17. color-blind racism
18. racial profiling

Answer: a

Question Title: TB_06_14_Is There a Model Minority?_Remember_LO 6.2

Learning Objective: 6.2: Explain the model minority image.

Topic: Is There a Model Minority?

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

Difficulty: 1 – Easy

15. The model minority image is frequently applied to ________.
16. Asian Americans
17. Hispanic Americans
18. Italian Americans
19. American Indians

Answer: a

Question Title: TB_06_15_Is There a Model Minority?_Remember_LO 6.2

Learning Objective: 6.2: Explain the model minority image.

Topic: Is There a Model Minority?

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

Difficulty: 1 – Easy

16. When a group experiences prejudice and discrimination, yet seems to have succeeded economically, socially, and educationally without resorting to political or violent confrontations with Whites, it is said to be a ________.
17. model minority
18. passive minority
19. dominant group
20. melting pot

Answer: a

Question Title: TB_06_16_Is There a Model Minority?_Remember_LO 6.2

Learning Objective: 6.2: Explain the model minority image.

Topic: Is There a Model Minority?

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

Difficulty: 1 – Easy

17. The ________ caused Asian immigrants to be characterized as heathen, morally inferior, drug addicted, savage, or lustful.
18. bamboo ceiling
19. yellow peril
20. model minority image
21. melting pot analogy

Answer: b

Question Title: TB_06_17_Is There a Model Minority?_Remember_LO 6.2

Learning Objective: 6.2: Explain the model minority image.

Topic: Is There a Model Minority?

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

Difficulty: 1 – Easy

18. Which of the following is true of the differences between Asian Americans and Whites in terms of their economic status?
19. Asian Americans as a group have significantly more formal schooling but have lower household family income when compared to Whites.
20. Whites earn less than their Asian American counterparts aged 45 and older.
21. Whites earn less for each additional year of schooling than Asian Americans do.
22. Asian American family incomes approach parity with that of Whites because of their greater achievement than Whites in entrepreneurial activities.

Answer: a

Question Title: TB_06_18_Is There a Model Minority?_Analyze_LO 6.2

Learning Objective: 6.2: Explain the model minority image.

Topic: Is There a Model Minority?

Skill Level: Analyze It

Difficulty: 3 – Difficult

19. In the context of the model minority image of Asian Americans, which of the following statements is true about the study of California’s state university system and Asian Americans?
20. Asian Americans often are viewed as poor performers at college.
21. A number of Asian American students appear to be experiencing intense stress and alienation.
22. Asian American faculty and staff members form a majority in most of the top universities in the United States.
23. Most Asian American students do not experience racial harassment in universities.

Answer: b

Question Title: TB_06_19_Is There a Model Minority?_Understand_LO 6.2

Learning Objective: 6.2: Explain the model minority image.

Topic: Is There a Model Minority?

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

Difficulty: 2 – Moderate

20. The model minority stereotype of Asian Americans contains an implicit critique of Blacks, Hispanics, and others for failing to succeed as well as the model minority has. This could be viewed as an instance of ________.
21. color-blind racism
22. blaming the victim
23. discrimination
24. brain drain

Answer: b

Question Title: TB_06_20_Is There a Model Minority?_Remember_LO 6.2

Learning Objective: 6.2: Explain the model minority image.

Topic: Is There a Model Minority?

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

Difficulty: 1 – Easy

21. The term used to describe the barriers that women and minority group men encounter in the workplace is ________.
22. racial profiling
23. yellow peril
24. social capital
25. glass ceiling

Answer: d

Question Title: TB_06_21_Is There a Model Minority?_Remember_LO 6.2

Learning Objective: 6.2: Explain the model minority image.

Topic: Is There a Model Minority?

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

Difficulty: 1 – Easy

22. In the context of race, schooling, and income, which of the following statements is true of the various groups making up the American society?
23. Whites earn more than their Asian counterparts of the same age.
24. Asian Americans’ average earnings increase for each additional year of schooling.
25. Whites have significantly more formal schooling than Asian Americans.
26. Asian Americans as a group have significantly more household family income than Whites.

Answer: a

Question Title: TB_06_22_Is There a Model Minority?_Understand_LO 6.2

Learning Objective: 6.2: Explain the model minority image.

Topic: Is There a Model Minority?

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

Difficulty: 2 – Moderate

23. The ________ reflects the cultural values and social norms that impact Asian professionals’ interactions with others.
24. bamboo ceiling
25. yellow peril
26. model minority image
27. tendency to act White

Answer: a

Question Title: TB_06_23_Is There a Model Minority?_Remember_LO 6.2

Learning Objective: 6.2: Explain the model minority image.

Topic: Is There a Model Minority?

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

Difficulty: 1 – Easy

24. Which of the following locates the source of Black miseducation in the African American household?
25. racial profiling
26. color-blind racism
27. the yellow peril
28. the acting-White thesis

Answer: d

Question Title: TB_06_24_Acting White, Acting Black, or Neither_Remember_LO 6.3

Learning Objective: 6.3: What “acting White” means.

Topic: Acting White, Acting Black, or Neither

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

Difficulty: 1 – Easy

25. Hernandez, a student from a minority group, refrains from speaking proper English and scoring good grades despite being intelligent. Hernandez’s behavior shows that ________.
26. he believes in the metaphor that the glass is half empty
27. he is not capable of competing with his classmates
28. he firmly believes in color-blind racism
29. he does not want to be caught acting White

Answer: d

Question Title: TB_06_25_Acting White, Acting Black, or Neither_Apply_LO 6.3

Learning Objective: 6.3: What “acting White” means.

Topic: Acting White, Acting Black, or Neither

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

Difficulty: 3 – Difficult

26. Studies comparing attitudes and performance among Black and White students show that ________.
27. Black slackers giving a hard time to the advanced placement kids are considered normal
28. Black students have the same attitudes about achievement as do White students
29. Black students are more likely than White students to have bad attitudes about achievement
30. Black students face difficulties in school because of their opposition to act White

Answer: b

Question Title: TB_06_26_Acting White, Acting Black, or Neither_Understand_LO 6.3

Learning Objective: 6.3: What “acting White” means.

Topic: Acting White, Acting Black, or Neither

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

Difficulty: 2 – Moderate

27. The acting White thesis emphasizes ________ over other factors responsible for Black miseducation.
28. personal responsibility
29. quality of schools
30. curriculum standards
31. teachers

Answer: a

Question Title: TB_06_27_Acting White, Acting Black, or Neither_Remember_LO 6.3

Learning Objective: 6.3: What “acting White” means.

Topic: Acting White, Acting Black, or Neither

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

Difficulty: 1 – Easy

28. Martha, a professor, is an advocate of the use of color-blind policies for defending the racial unequal status quo in educational institutions. Therefore, she is likely to ________.
29. ensure that disciplinary actions are initiated whenever necessary against all students
30. blame the Black culture for the difficulties faced by Black students in school
31. accept the fact that educational institutions in the United States are underperforming
32. relegate Asian American students to less demanding curricular programs

Answer: b

Question Title: TB_06_28_Acting White, Acting Black, or Neither_Analyze_LO 6.3

Learning Objective: 6.3: What “acting White” means.

Topic: Acting White, Acting Black, or Neither

Skill Level: Analyze It

Difficulty: 3 – Difficult

29. The concepts of social and cultural capital were popularized by sociologist ________.
30. Max Weber
31. Karl Marx
32. Pierre Bourdieu
33. Robert Park

Answer: c

Question Title: TB_06_ 29_Persistence of Inequality_Remember_LO 6.4

Learning Objective: 6.4: Discuss how inequality has persisted.

Topic: Persistence of Inequality

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

Difficulty: 1 – Easy

30. Cultural capital refers to ________.
31. the collective benefit of durable social networks and their patterns of reciprocal trust
32. noneconomic forces such as family background and past investments in education
33. the monies that immigrants return to their countries of origin
34. rights and immunities that exist as a benefit or favor for being White

Answer: b

Question Title: TB_06_30_ Persistence of Inequality_Remember_LO 6.4

Learning Objective: 6.4: Discuss how inequality has persisted.

Topic: Persistence of Inequality

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

Difficulty: 1 – Easy

31. Which of the following is a component of cultural capital?
32. acres of land under cultivation
33. family background
34. investments in stocks
35. past investments in government bonds

Answer: b

Question Title: TB_06_31_Persistence of Inequality_Remember_LO 6.4

Learning Objective: 6.4: Discuss how inequality has persisted.

Topic: Persistence of Inequality

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

Difficulty: 1 – Easy

32. Rachel belongs to a family that places a high emphasis on education and art. Rachel attends the best educational institutions in the country and also a well-known artist. Therefore, Rachel’s family has high levels of ________.
33. social capital
34. cultural capital
35. ethnocentrism
36. pluralism

Answer: b

Question Title: TB_06_32_Persistence of Inequality_Apply_LO 6.4

Learning Objective: 6.4: Discuss how inequality has persisted.

Topic: Persistence of Inequality

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

Difficulty: 2 – Moderate

33. The collective benefit of durable social networks and their patterns of reciprocal trust is referred to as ________.
34. cultural capital
35. pluralism
36. social capital
37. ethnocentrism

Answer: c

Question Title: TB_06_33_Persistence of Inequality_Remember_LO 6.4

Learning Objective: 6.4: Discuss how inequality has persisted.

Topic: Persistence of Inequality

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

Difficulty: 1 – Easy

34. Which of the following makes developing social capital more difficult?
35. residential segregation
36. friendly relationships between different ethnic communities
37. bilingualism
38. a pluralistic society

Answer: a

Question Title: TB_06_34_Persistence of Inequality_Remember_LO 6.4

Learning Objective: 6.4: Discuss how inequality has persisted.

Topic: Persistence of Inequality

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

Difficulty: 1 – Easy

35. African Americans have in the past faced significant restrictions in receiving quality education. It is likely that African Americans ________.
36. find it necessary to develop informal social ties with their White coworkers and neighbors
37. pass on less cultural capital from one generation to the next
38. do not treasure their rich heritage
39. have developed strong social capital that facilitates professional success

Answer: b

Question Title: TB_06_35_Persistence of Inequality_Analyze_LO 6.4

Learning Objective: 6.4: Discuss how inequality has persisted.

Topic: Persistence of Inequality

Skill Level: Analyze It

Difficulty: 3 – Difficult

36. Kevin belongs to a community that has a rich history. In his community, family reunions are regarded as a major event. Therefore, it can be concluded that ________.
37. Kevin is more likely to be subjected to racial profiling
38. Kevin is an ethnocentric person
39. Kevin’s community has low levels of cultural capital
40. Kevin’s family has a strong social capital

Answer: d

Question Title: TB_06_36_Persistence of Inequality_Apply_LO 6.4

Learning Objective: 6.4: Discuss how inequality has persisted.

Topic: Persistence of Inequality

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

Difficulty: 3 – Difficult

37. Researchers at Smith College found that White students were much more likely to voice antiracist sentiments when they see ________.
38. another White student express strongly antiracist opinions
39. another White student express opinions justifying racism
40. an African American student express strongly antiracist opinions
41. an African American student express opinions justifying racism

Answer: a

Question Title: TB_06_37_Talking Past One Another_Understand_LO 6.5

Learning Objective: 6.5: Consider how intergroup communication occurs without truly communicating.

Topic: Persistence of Inequality

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

Difficulty: 2 – Moderate

38. In the context of the perceptions of racism among different groups, Whites are likely to ________.
39. apply the label of racist to only one or a few individuals who were actually responsible for the act
40. see racism as central to society
41. see racism as an institutional problem
42. call most members of a college racist for allowing racist practices to persist despite making such practices unlawful

Answer: a

Question Title: TB_06_38_Talking Past One Another_Analyze_LO 6.5

Learning Objective: 6.5: Consider how intergroup communication occurs without truly communicating.

Topic: Talking Past One Another

Skill Level: Analyze It

Difficulty: 3 – Difficult

39. Whites differ from minority groups in their perception of racism in that Whites ________.
40. assume that all the problems faced by minorities are a result of their incompetence
41. attribute all acts of institutional discrimination against minorities to racism
42. accept a racism charge if there are explicit acts of discrimination against minorities
43. see racism as central to society

Answer: c

Question Title: TB_06_39_Talking Past One Another_Analyze_LO 6.5

Learning Objective: 6.5: Consider how intergroup communication occurs without truly communicating.

Topic: Talking Past One Another

Skill Level: Analyze It

Difficulty: 3 – Difficult

40. People often state that racism is couched in a “backstage” manner. Which of the following statements supports this argument?
41. Minority groups that succeed are excluded from social programs meant for minority groups.
42. Black students are often relegated to less demanding curricular programs.
43. Racism results in the creation of a bamboo ceiling that prevents professional growth.
44. Affirmative action and profiling for national security constitute racism.

Answer: d

Question Title: TB_06_40_Talking Past One Another_Analyze_LO 6.5

Learning Objective: 6.5: Consider how intergroup communication occurs without truly communicating.

Topic: Talking Past One Another

Skill Level: Analyze It

Difficulty: 3 – Difficult

Essay Questions

41. Suggest a metaphor for the racial and ethnic diversity and history of the United States to replace the melting pot and salad bowl analogies. Explain how it represents the racial and ethnic story of the United States.

Answer: The kaleidoscope offers a familiar, yet more useful, analogy. Patented in 1817 by Scottish scientist Sir David Brewster, the kaleidoscope is both a toy and increasingly a table artifact of upscale living rooms. Users of this optical device are aware that when they turn a set of mirrors, the colors and patterns reflected off pieces of glass, tinsel, or beads seem to be endless. The growing popularity of the phrase “people of color” seems made for the kaleidoscope that is the United States. The changing images correspond to the often-bewildering array of groups found in the country.

Question Title: TB_06_41_The Glass Half Empty_Remember_LO 6.1

Learning Objective: 6.1: Characterize the amount or lack of progress that has been made by racial and ethnic minorities.

Topic: The Glass Half Empty

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

Difficulty: 2 – Moderate

42. Studies indicate that African Americans and Hispanics are better off today than they were in the 1970s using education, income, percent below poverty, and life expectancy as indicators. Given this, provide an explanation for the conclusion that the inequality between minorities and Whites remains, and in some cases has increased.

Answer: The nation’s largest minority groups, African Americans and Hispanics, have higher household income, complete more schooling, and enjoy longer life expectancy today than in 1975. White Americans have made similar strides in all three areas. The greatest strides have been made in educational attainment. However, in other areas, the gap remains and, if one analyzes it closely, has actually increased in some instances. Black household median incomes in 2012 have yet to match the levels that Whites had in 1975. Hispanics are not doing much better in this area. Latinos and African Americans still have triple the poverty rates of their White counterparts. Also, Black Americans today have barely matched the life expectancy that Whites had a generation earlier. Similarly, many minority Americans remain entrenched in poverty: nearly one out of four Hispanics and African Americans.

Question Title: TB_06_42_The Glass Half Empty_Understand_LO 6.1

Learning Objective: 6.1: Characterize the amount or lack of progress that has been made by racial and ethnic minorities.

Topic: The Glass Half Empty

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

Difficulty: 2 – Moderate

43. Define the model minority image.

Answer: Asian Americans as a group constitute a model minority because, although they have experienced prejudice and discrimination, they seem to have succeeded economically, socially, and educationally without resorting to political or violent confrontations with Whites.

Question Title: TB_06_43_Is There a Model Minority?_Remember_LO 6.2

Learning Objective: 6.2: Explain the model minority image.

Topic: Is There a Model Minority?

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

Difficulty: 1 – Easy

44. Discuss the effect of the bamboo ceiling.

Answer: Even with all the “tools” to succeed—supportive family, high achievement, and often attending prestigious schools—Asian Americans often hit what has been termed a bamboo ceiling. The bamboo ceiling refers to the barrier that talented Asian Americans face because of resentment and intolerance directed toward Asian Americans. The bamboo ceiling is clearly a nod to the term glass ceiling, a term that has historically been used to address barriers that women and minority group men have faced in the workplace. The presence of the bamboo ceiling reflects the cultural values and social norms that impact Asian professionals’ interactions with others and cause others to make negative judgments about them.

Question Title: TB_06_44_Is There a Model Minority?_Understand_LO 6.2

Learning Objective: 6.2: Explain the model minority image.

Topic: Is There a Model Minority?

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

Difficulty: 2 – Moderate

45. Explain the concept of acting White.

Answer: A common view advanced by some educators is that African Americans, especially males, do not succeed in school because they do not want to be caught acting White. That is, they avoid at all costs taking school seriously and do not accept the authority of teachers and administrators. Whatever the accuracy of such a generalization, acting White clearly shifts the responsibility of low school attainment from the school to the individual and, therefore, can be seen as yet another example of blaming the victim. Acting White is also associated with speaking proper English or with cultural preferences like listening to rock music rather than hip-hop. This characterization is also sometimes referred to as oppositional culture.

Question Title: TB_06_45_Acting White, Acting Black, or Neither_Understand_LO 6.3

Learning Objective: 6.3: What “acting White” means.

Topic: Acting White, Acting Black, or Neither

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

Difficulty: 2 – Moderate

46. Define cultural and social capital. How do these assets impact the economic status of one’s family and future?

Answer: Social capital refers to the collective benefit of durable social networks and their patterns of reciprocal trust. Cultural capital refers to noneconomic forces such as family background and past investments in education that are then reflected in knowledge about the arts and language.

In trying to comprehend the persistence of inequality among racial and ethnic groups, sociologists and other social scientists have found it useful to think in terms of the role played by social and cultural capital. Popularized by French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, these concepts refer to assets that are not necessarily economic but do impact economic capital for one’s family and future. Less cultural and social capital may be passed on from one generation to the next, especially when prejudice and discrimination make it difficult to overcome deficits. Racial and ethnic minorities reproduce disadvantage while Whites are more likely to reproduce privilege.

Question Title: TB_06_46_Persistence of Inequality_Understand_LO 6.4

Learning Objective: 6.4: Discuss how inequality has persisted.

Topic: Persistence of Inequality

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

Difficulty: 2 – Moderate

47. Explain cultural capital.

Answer: Cultural capital refers to noneconomic forces such as family background and past investments in education that are then reflected in knowledge about the arts and language. It is not necessarily book knowledge but the kind of education valued by the elites. African Americans and Native Americans have in the past faced significant restrictions in receiving a quality education. Immigrants have faced challenges due to English not being spoken at home. Muslim immigrants face an immediate challenge in functioning in a culture that advantages a different form of spirituality and lifestyle. The general historical pattern has been for immigrants, especially those who came in large numbers and settled in ethnic enclaves, to take two or three generations to reach educational parity. Knowledge of hip-hop and familiarity with Polish cuisine is culture, but it is not the culture that is valued and prestigious. Society privileges or values some lifestyles over others. This is not good, but it is social reality. Differentiating between perogies will not get one to the top of corporate America as fast as will differentiating among wines. This is, of course, not unique to the United States. Someone settling in Japan would have to deal with cultural capital that includes knowledge of Noh Theatre and tea ceremonies.

Question Title: TB_06_47_Persistence of Inequality_Understand_LO 6.4

Learning Objective: 6.4: Discuss how inequality has persisted.

Topic: Persistence of Inequality

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

Difficulty: 2 – Moderate

48. Discuss social capital.

Answer: Social capital refers to the collective benefit of durable social networks and their patterns of reciprocal trust. Much has been written about the strength of family and friendship networks among all racial and ethnic minorities. Family reunions are major events. Family history and storytelling are rich and full. Kinfolk are not merely acquaintances but truly living assets upon which one depends or, at the very least, feels comfortable to call upon repeatedly. Networks outside the family are critical to coping in a society that often seems to be determined to keep anyone who looks like a particular person down. But given past as well as current discrimination and prejudice, these social networks may help one become a construction worker, but they are less likely to get one into a boardroom. Residential and school segregation make developing social capital more difficult. Immigrant professionals find that their skills or advanced degrees are devalued, and they are shut out of networks of the educated and influential. Working-class Latino and Black workers have begun to develop informal social ties with their White coworkers and neighbors. Professional immigrants, in time, become accepted as equals, but racial and ethnic minority communities continue to resist institutional marginalization.

Question Title: TB_06_48_Persistence of Inequality_Understand_LO 6.4

Learning Objective: 6.4: Discuss how inequality has persisted.

Topic: Persistence of Inequality

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

Difficulty: 2 – Moderate

49. College campuses have been the scenes of racial tension and violence. How do problems in communication contribute to racial discord?

Answer: African Americans, Italian Americans, Korean Americans, Puerto Ricans, Native Americans, Mexican Americans, and many others live in the United States and interact daily, sometimes face-to-face and constantly through the media. But communication does not mean people listen to, much less understand, one another. Sometimes they assume that, as they become an educated nation, they will set aside their prejudices. Yet, in recent years, college campuses have been the scenes of tension, insults, and even violence. Fletcher Blanchard, Teri Lilly, and Leigh Ann Vaughn (1991) conducted an experiment at Smith College and found that even overheard statements can influence expressions of opinion on the issue of racism.

Question Title: TB_06_49_Talking Past One Another_Understand_LO 6.5

Learning Objective: 6.5: Consider how intergroup communication occurs without truly communicating.

Topic: Talking Past One Another

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

Difficulty: 2 – Moderate

50. Explain how different ethnic and racial groups have different perceptions about various issues.

Answer: Surveys regularly show that different ethnic and racial groups have different perceptions, whether on immigration policies or racial profiling, or on whether discrimination occurs in the labor force. Sociologist Robert Blauner contends that Blacks and Whites see racism differently. Minorities see racism as central to society, as ever present, whereas Whites regard it as a peripheral concern and a national concern only when accompanied by violence or involving a celebrity. African Americans and other minorities consider racist acts in a broader context: “It is racist if my college fails to have Blacks significantly present as advisers, teachers, and administrators.” Whites would generally accept a racism charge if there had been an explicit denial of a job to an appropriately qualified minority member. Furthermore, Whites would apply the label “racist” only to the person or the few people who were actually responsible for the act. Members of minority groups would be more willing to call most of the college’s members racist for allowing racist practices to persist. For many Whites, the word racism is a red flag, and they are reluctant to give it the wide use typically employed by minorities, that is, those who have been oppressed by racism.

Question Title: TB_06_50_Talking Past One Another_Understand_LO 6.5

Learning Objective: 6.5: Consider how intergroup communication occurs without truly communicating.

Topic: Talking Past One Another

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

Difficulty: 2 – Moderate