Sociology Unit 2 Chapter 14 – Flashcards

Refers to socially constructed categories based on biological traits a society defines as important. A socially constructed category of people who share biologically transmitted traits that members of a society consider important.

Refers to socially constructed categories based on cultural traits a society defines as important. Also a shared cultural heritage.

Any category of people distinguished by physical or cultural difference that a society sets apart and subordinates.

A rigid and unfair generalization about an entire category of people.

A simplified description applied to every person in some category.

The belief that one racial category is innately superior or inferior to another.

A person or category of people, typically with little power, whom people unfairly blame for their own troubles.

Unequal treatment of various categories of people.

Bias built into the operation of society's institutions.

A state in which people of all races and ethnicities are distinct but have equal social standing.

The process by which minorities gradually adopt patterns of the dominant culture.

Biological reproduction by partners of different racial categories.

The physical and social separation of categories of people.

The systematic killing of one category of people by another.

Scapegoat Theory holds that prejudice springs from frustration among people who are themselves disadvantaged. People who are being disadvantaged blame others who are of weaker social standing (scapegoats).

(Aderno) Claims that prejudice is a personality trait of certain individuals, especially those with little education and those raised by cold and demanding parents.

Prejudice refers to ATTITUDES; discrimination involves ACTIONS.

(Bogardus) Claims that prejudice is rooted in culture; we learn to feel greater social distance from some categories of people.

Claims that prejudice is a tool used by powerful people to divide and control the population.

A measure of prejudice.

Segregation by law

Describes settings that contain only people of one category.

Having little social contact with people beyond the local community.

While race refers to BIOLOGICAL TRAITS considered important by a society, ethnicity refers to CULTURAL TRAITS.