Deck 8: Racial and Ethnic Inequality

Question 1

Genocide is an example of:

A) acculturation.
B) social integration.
C) conflict.
D) accommodation.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

The United States has:

A) not made any progress toward pluralism.
B) achieved true pluralism.
C) no interest in pluralism.
D) done better than most other countries in terms of achieving pluralism.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

A __________ group is a group that is culturally,economically,and politically subordinate.

A) majority
B) minority
C) ethnic
D) racial

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which of these statements about genocide is true?

A) Genocides have occurred throughout history in various places in the world.
B) Genocide often just seems to happen; groups that get along suddenly turn on each other.
C) Genocide was frequent in the past, but is rare in today's world.
D) All of these statements about genocide are true.

Question 5

A race is a category of people:

A) who are genetically very different from the rest of the population.
B) classified on the basis of social characteristics.
C) with shared physical traits that are given social importance.
D) who have the same national heritage.

Question 6

The first step in a society moving toward committing genocide is:

A) dehumanization of members of a minority group.
B) mass killing and destruction.
C) declaring war.
D) the classifying of people into different groups.

Question 7

The sociological concept of the social construction of race means that:

A) race is more of a social idea than a biological fact.
B) race really means the same thing as ethnicity.
C) ethnicity is biological; race is social.
D) race is always defined in the same way, regardless of time and place.

Question 8

Many Jewish Americans give Christmas gifts and put up a Christmas tree.This is an example of:

A) assimilation.
B) domination.
C) pluralism.
D) affiliation.

Question 9

When sociologists refer to a majority group,they are referring to the:

A) numerically largest group in a society.
B) group that is culturally, economically, and politically dominant.
C) numerically smallest group in a society.
D) group that is culturally, economically, and politically subordinate.

Question 10

Which theory is concerned with who is classified as white?

A) structural-functionalism
B) symbolic interactionism
C) conflict theory
D) feminist theory

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT a cultural characteristic that distinguishes ethnic groups?

A) language
B) race
C) national identification
D) religion

Question 12

Which of the following statements is true?

A) Race is a biological fact, not a social concept.
B) Race and ethnicity are socially constructed categories.
C) Ethnicity and race are interchangeable terms.
D) Ethnicity is a biological fact, not a social concept.

Question 13

When groups exist as separate but equal cultures within a society,this is termed:

A) assimilation.
B) a melting pot.
C) pluralism.
D) acculturation.

Question 14

The type of theory most often used to explain how relations between majority and minority groups are developed and maintained is:

A) structural-functionalism.
B) symbolic interactionism.
C) conflict theory.
D) feminist theory

Question 15

Which of these statements about changing ethnic identities is FALSE?

A) Sicilians, Milanese, and Napolitanos only began sharing an identity as Italians in the twentieth century.
B) The breakup of the Soviet Union resulted in the reconstruction of identities that were abandoned earlier.
C) Changing borders create new ethnic identities.
D) An individual's ethnic and racial identities are fixed throughout his or her life.

Question 16

Members of an ethnic group:

A) are always from the same race.
B) share a common origin and elements of culture.
C) are always members of a minority group.
D) would not be considered "white."

Question 17

A child of immigrants from Mexico joins a gang.This is an example of:

A) domination
B) downward assimilation
C) conflict
D) pluralism

Question 18

Females in the United States could be regarded as a minority group because they:

A) are culturally, economically, and politically subordinate to males.
B) are smaller than males.
C) participate less than males in politics.
D) make up less than 50% of the population.

Question 19

?In the United States,definitions of race have:

A) always included "white" as a category.
B) always included Mexican American as a race.
C) changed over time.
D) included Hispanic.

Question 20

When members of minority groups lose their defining features and adopt those of the majority culture,this is termed:

A) assimilation.
B) a melting pot.
C) pluralism.
D) acculturation.

Question 21

Which of the following is a true statement?

A) Prejudice always causes discrimination.
B) Discrimination always causes prejudice.
C) Prejudice and discrimination do not always occur together.
D) Prejudice and discrimination are unrelated.

Question 22

In the experiment conducted by Pager,Western,and Bonikowski,which of the following was true?

A) White and black testers with criminal records received the same number of callbacks for jobs.
B) Black testers received more callbacks for jobs than Hispanic testers.
C) White testers with criminal records received the same number of callbacks for jobs as black testers with no criminal records.
D) Criminal records did not negatively impact white testers' callback rates.

Question 23

When acting on the belief that a situation exists results in it becoming real,this is called:

A) institutionalized racism.
B) a self?fulfilling prophecy.
C) discrimination.
D) scapegoating.

Question 24

Which of the following is an example of scapegoating?

A) Joe believes that African Americans are all criminals.
B) Penny thinks that all ethnic groups should have the same opportunities to get a job.
C) Bob lost his job and blames immigrants in the U.S. for working for lower wages and causing him to get fired.
D) Tom believes that the welfare system encourages people not to work.

Question 25

Prejudice is:

A) the belief that people who belong to the same category share common characteristics.
B) an irrationally based negative attitude toward categories of people.
C) the belief that inherited physical characteristics determine the presence or absence of socially relevant abilities and characteristics.
D) the unequal treatment of individuals based on their membership in a category.

Question 26

It is assumed that Jewish students are clannish.Therefore,no one who is not Jewish invites any Jewish students to socialize with them.Consequently,the Jewish students socialize with one another.This is an example of:

A) institutionalized racism.
B) a self-fulfilling prophecy.
C) authoritarianism.
D) scapegoating.

Question 27

The belief that inherited physical characteristics associated with racial groups determine individual abilities and are a legitimate basis for unequal treatment is called:

A) stereotyping.
B) racism.
C) discrimination.
D) conflict.

Question 28

When people believe that racism is no longer a problem and therefore oppose any programs designed to combat racism,this has been termed:

A) color-blind racism.
B) assimilationist racism.
C) stereotyping.
D) conservative racism.

Question 29

An irrational negative attitude held about a category of people is known as:

A) authoritarianism.
B) prejudice.
C) discrimination.
D) scapegoating.

Question 30

Stereotyping is:

A) always negative.
B) a belief that people who belong to the same category share common characteristics.
C) a belief that people who belong to different groups share common characteristics.
D) comparison shopping for home audio equipment.

Question 31

Mindy believes that African Americans are simply not as intelligent as whites.She says that grades on things like the SAT are an example of this.She believes it is only fair that African Americans,therefore,make less money than whites.This is an example of:

A) scapegoating.
B) authoritarianism.
C) racism.
D) institutionalized discrimination.

Question 32

James,an unemployed construction worker,can't find a job.He blames cheaper immigrant labor for his unemployment,and is hostile toward anyone who appears of a different race than he is.This is an example of:

A) targeting.
B) discrimination.
C) subversion.
D) scapegoating.

Question 33

How does inequality within any particular racial-ethnic group compare with the inequality between groups?

A) All racial and ethnic groups have very different patterns of internal inequality.
B) The inequality between groups is much greater than the inequality within any particular group.
C) Within each different racial-ethnic group, the top 20% of the population receives about half of the income.
D) There is very little inequality within the population of African Americans.

Question 34

Segregation continues because of:

A) laws preventing integration.
B) preferences by minorities.
C) economic differences and continuing prejudice.
D) None of these; segregation has virtually disappeared.

Question 35

"Slavery ended a long time ago.If you're black and poor now,you have only yourself to blame." This statement is an example of:

A) color-blind racism.
B) assimilationist racism.
C) stereotyping.
D) conservative racism.

Question 36

Which is NOT true about prejudice?

A) It is always negative.
B) It is irrational.
C) It is a barrier to interaction.
D) It easily gives way to facts.

Question 37

Discrimination is:

A) the unequal treatment of individuals on the basis of their membership in categories.
B) the tendency to be submissive to those in authority.
C) the process of blaming other groups for your group's failures.
D) an irrational, negative attitude toward a category of people.

Question 38

________ is an attitude; _________ is behavior.

A) Discrimination; prejudice
B) Prejudice; discrimination
C) Racism; prejudice
D) Segregation; racism

Question 39

Racial and ethnic hostilities are most pronounced when economic resources are __________ and majority group advantage is __________.

A) scarce; secure
B) scarce; threatened
C) abundant; secure
D) abundant; threatened

Question 40

The following are all factors causing prejudice discussed in your text EXCEPT:

A) socialization
B) scapegoating
C) competition for scarce resources
D) biological inheritance.

Question 41

The white racial identity is characterized by:

A) self-awareness as a white person.
B) Considerable-if unacknowledged-privilege.
C) the same barriers as all other ethnicities.
D) a lack of any culture.

Question 42

On average,adult white men live ______ longer than black men.

A) 2 years
B) 4 years
C) 6 years
D) 8 years

Question 43

__________ occurs when the normal operation of apparently neutral processes systematically produces unequal results for majority and minority groups.

A) Triple jeopardy
B) Double jeopardy
C) Institutionalized racism
D) Individual racism

Question 44

Black infants are __________ white infants to die before their first birthday.

A) more than two times as likely as
B) less likely than
C) as equally likely as
D) four times as likely as

Question 45

Whites receive often unacknowledged benefits and opportunities simply by virtue of being white.Collectively,these are referred to as:

A) reverse affirmative action.
B) white privilege.
C) equal opportunity.
D) majority advantages.

Question 46

Gypsy children in the Czech Republic score lower than others on standardized tests.Based on these scores,they are placed in schools for the mentally handicapped.Because they are in these schools,they are not able to catch up with other Czech children and remain further behind.This is an example of:

A) laissez-faire racism.
B) institutionalized racism.
C) reverse discrimination.
D) culture of poverty.

Question 47

When situations in everyday life appear to be fair but in reality reproduce racial or ethnic inequality,this is termed:

A) laissez-faire racism.
B) institutionalized racism.
C) reverse discrimination.
D) a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Question 48

By 1700,the __________ culture was dominant on the entire Eastern seaboard.

A) Dutch
B) German
C) Spanish
D) English

Question 49

According to the data presented in the text,the median income of white non-Hispanic families is about _________ that of Hispanic and African American families.

A) half as much as
B) one and a half times
C) twenty times
D) equal to

Question 50

As of 2010,_____ of the United States population is African American.

A) 9.5%
B) 10.1%
C) 12.6%
D) 18.2%

Question 51

Two groups of children are randomly labeled either "gifted" or "slow" and are treated accordingly.Although there are no real differences,the children labeled gifted perform better than those labeled slow.This is known as:

A) institutional racism.
B) reverse discrimination.
C) a self-fulfilling prophecy.
D) prejudice.

Question 52

Black workers earn __________ than white workers and black families are __________ likely to have two earners.

A) more; less
B) more; more
C) less; more
D) less; less

Question 53

The physical separation of minority and majority group members is called:

A) segregation.
B) discrimination.
C) prejudiced ideology.
D) acculturation.

Question 54

Which of the following is an example of institutionalized discrimination?

A) Colleges base the acceptance of students on standardized tests that may be culturally biased.
B) A police officer targets minorities for traffic ticketing.
C) A human resources manager does not hire minorities because she is prejudiced.
D) None of the above is an example of institutionalized discrimination.

Question 55

Racial differences in __________ are primarily responsible for the continuing racial divide in the United States.

A) income
B) cultural norms
C) political representation
D) wealth

Question 56

The wage gap between blacks and whites can be attributed to all of the following EXCEPT:

A) different levels of work experience.
B) discrimination.
C) differences in willingness to work.
D) different levels of education.

Question 57

According the date presented in the text,the median net worth of white non-Hispanic families is about ________ that of Hispanic and African American families.

A) half as much as
B) one and a half times
C) twenty times
D) equal to

Question 58

How did race/ethnicity factor into the foreclosure crisis?

A) Minorities were more likely to present fraudulent proof of income to get mortgages.
B) Banks were more likely to give minorities subprime loans.
C) Minorities were less likely than whites to know what price housing they could afford.
D) It had no factor-the foreclosure crisis hit all races equally.

Question 59

Which of these statements accurately describes racial segregation in the United States?

A) As segregation was made illegal, it slowly disappeared.
B) Lower-income members of minority groups are more likely to live in ethnically-segregated neighborhoods than are wealthier members of the same groups.
C) Economic differences are almost exclusively the reason for segregated neighborhoods in the United States.
D) Segregation of all racial minority groups has been increasing since the 1970s.

Question 60

The term "the melting pot" implies:

A) Anglo-conformity.
B) cultural pluralism.
C) authoritarianism.
D) the idea of the emergence of a new culture.

Question 61

Hispanic Americans make up _____ of the U.S.population.

A) 12.2%
B) 16.3%
C) 18.9%
D) 23.4%

Question 62

Approximately what percentage of African American families is headed by an unmarried woman?

A) 7%
B) 10%
C) 22%
D) 46%

Question 63

Your text asserts that __________ were more readily accepted by Americans and are acculturated more quickly.

A) Mexican Americans
B) early immigrants from Cuba
C) Chicanos
D) South Americans

Question 64

Since 1980,the Asian population in the U.S.has more than doubled.Today,Asian Americans are ________ of the U.S.population.

A) 1%
B) about 3.6%
C) 8%
D) almost 12%

Question 65

The largest group of Hispanics in the U.S.are the:

A) Puerto Ricans.
B) Cubans Americans.
C) Mexican Americans.
D) Central and South Americans.

Question 66

A major concern affecting the Hispanic population today is:

A) lack of assistance learning English.
B) extreme residential segregation at all income levels.
C) concern about immigration on the part of many Americans.
D) lack of anything thing resembling Latino culture in the U.S.

Question 67

Hispanic Americans are:

A) a racial group.
B) an ethnic group.
C) the majority group in the United States.
D) the most rapidly declining group in the United States in terms of population.

Question 68

Which ethnic group is most likely to live in poverty?

A) Puerto Ricans
B) Cuban Americans
C) Japanese Americans
D) Anglo-Americans

Question 69

Between 1990 and 2010,the Hispanic population grew _____times as fast as the rest of the population.

A) 2
B) 3
C) 4
D) 5

Question 70

What impact does Hispanic immigration have on the economic lives of the typical American?

A) It depresses the wages of all Americans.
B) It depresses the wages of those who lack a high school degree.
C) It improves the lives of the affluent by making a pool of cheap labor possible.
D) The impact is not clear; each of the above is true according to different researchers.

Question 71

Which of the following racial and ethnic groups in the United States has the highest percentage of female-headed families?

A) White (non-Hispanic)
B) Cuban American
C) African American
D) Native American

Question 72

Because so many more black than white households are headed by females,some commentators have concluded that black poverty is a result of bad decision making by African American men and women.Empirical evidence:

A) suggests this is simply not true.
B) suggests this is probably the case.
C) has not been conducted to support or refute this.
D) suggests this is definitely the case.

Question 73

The fastest growing segment of the U.S.population is:

A) African Americans.
B) Hispanics.
C) whites.
D) Asians.

Question 74

More recent Asian immigrants to the U.S.have come predominantly from:

A) China.
B) Japan.
C) the Philippines.
D) southeast Asia.

Question 75

About half the gap between black and white family income is due to the fact that black families:

A) are more likely to have a female head of household and female heads of household earn less than male heads of household.
B) don't spend their money as wisely as white families.
C) have more children than white families.
D) have less access to quality investments than white families.

Question 76

The largest racial/ethnic minority in the U.S.today is __________ Americans.

A) Hispanic
B) Japanese
C) African
D) Native

Question 77

The most poorly educated racial or ethnic group in the U.S.is:

A) African Americans.
B) Mexican Americans.
C) Puerto Ricans.
D) Korean Americans.

Question 78

Which of the following statements is true?

A) Poverty among African Americans results mostly from the poor marital decisions men and women make.
B) African American female-headed families result in poverty.
C) Intact African American families have average annual earnings equal to those of intact white families.
D) African Americans on average earn more than whites.

Question 79

Chinese Americans were not allowed to become naturalized U.S.citizens until:

A) 1865.
B) the Great Depression.
C) World War II.
D) 1965.

Question 80

Compared with African Americans:

A) Hispanics experience greater segregation and discrimination.
B) Hispanics experience less segregation and discrimination.
C) the Hispanic population is growing much more slowly.
D) All of these are true when comparing Hispanics to African Americans.