Question 1

Members of a minority or subordinate group generally marry within their group because ________.

Accepted Answer

Members of the dominant group may have prejudices or societal pressures that make them unwilling to marry members of a minority or subordinate group, leading to endogamy within the minority group.

Question 2

Members of a minority or subordinate group generally tend to ________.

Accepted Answer

Members of a minority or subordinate group often share physical or cultural characteristics that differ from those of the majority group, which can lead to their differential treatment and identification as part of a distinct group.

Question 3

Rhea claims that the concept of race is socially constructed and does not actually contribute to the economic and social success that one attains. Which of the following statements supports her claim?

Accepted Answer

Statement B supports Rhea's claim by highlighting the complexity and intermixing of human populations, which challenges the notion of clear-cut, biologically determined racial categories that would directly influence economic and social success. This suggests that the concept of race is more about social perceptions and constructions than about inherent, biological distinctions that determine individuals' capabilities or outcomes.

Question 4

Which of the following is true of races?

Accepted Answer

Races are not biologically distinct groups but rather classifications based on social, cultural, and political factors. The concept of race as purely biological, based on traits like blood type or other genetic markers, has been widely discredited. Instead, race is understood as a social construct that varies across different societies and historical periods.

Question 5

Emma claims that racial discrimination is beneficial to some groups in a society. Her friend, James, argues that racial behaviors are dysfunctional to all the people of a society. Whose argument is correct and why? Examine the following options and select the correct response.

Accepted Answer

James's argument is correct because discrimination, including racial discrimination, tends to exacerbate social issues like poverty, delinquency, and crime, negatively affecting society as a whole.

Question 6

Robert is a non-Hispanic White American. He is heterosexual, has good educational qualifications, and is a Roman Catholic. Robert also belongs to a minority group. Which of the following is a reason for his minority-group status?

Accepted Answer

Robert's minority-group status could be attributed to his religious affiliation as a Roman Catholic, depending on the context or location. In some areas or countries where Roman Catholicism is not the predominant religion, being a Roman Catholic could place him in a minority group.

Question 7

Which of the following terms refers to a group that is set apart from others primarily because of its national origin or distinctive cultural patterns?

Accepted Answer

An ethnic group is defined by shared cultural practices, perspectives, and distinctions that set apart one group of people from another. That is, ethnicity is a shared cultural heritage, often deriving from a common language, religion, historical experience, or national origin.

Question 8

When belief in the inheritance of behavior patterns and in an association between physical and cultural traits is coupled with the feeling that certain groups are inherently superior to others, it is called ________.

Accepted Answer

Racism involves the belief that certain races are inherently superior or inferior to others, often linking physical traits with cultural and behavioral characteristics.

Question 9

Which of the following is a function that racial beliefs have for dominant groups?

Accepted Answer

They justify existing practices and serve as a rallying point for social movements.

Question 10

The status of being between two cultures at the same time is called ________.

Accepted Answer

Marginality refers to the status of being between two cultures at the same time, often experienced by individuals who do not fully belong to the cultural norms of either their heritage culture or the dominant culture they live in.

Question 11

Neema belongs to a foreign country and has been living in the United States for several years. Despite having adopted the dominant culture, she feels that she is not being completely accepted into the American society. Which of the following terms best describes Neema?

Accepted Answer

Neema's experience of not feeling completely accepted into American society despite adopting its dominant culture is indicative of marginalization. Marginalized individuals often feel sidelined or excluded from mainstream society or its key activities, which aligns with Neema's situation.

Question 12

Studies by researchers Herrnstein and Murray on IQ showed that ________.

Accepted Answer

Herrnstein and Murray, in their controversial work "The Bell Curve," argued that a significant portion of intelligence (IQ) is inheritable, suggesting that genetics play a considerable role in determining an individual's IQ.

Question 13

The country of Izwe consists of various minorities belonging to many racial and ethnic groups. These groups joined together to rebel against the continued suppression of minorities by the dominant groups in Izwe. Due to their collective effort, the minorities were able to reduce the level of discrimination against them. The minorities were able to achieve this result due to the emergence of ________ among them.

Accepted Answer

Panethnicity refers to the solidarity among various ethnic groups, especially in the context of a common cause or against a common enemy, which in this case is the suppression by dominant groups in Izwe.

Question 14

Sociologists consider Jewish Americans as an ethnic group rather than as members of a religious faith because ________.

Accepted Answer

Jewish Americans are considered an ethnic group because their shared culture, traditions, language, and history are key aspects of their identity, beyond just the religious belief system. This cultural aspect is what distinguishes them as an ethnic group.

Question 15

Women differ from other minority groups in that ________.

Accepted Answer

Women differ from other minority groups in that there is little in-group marriage among women, as women typically marry men, making this characteristic unique compared to other minority groups that often have higher rates of in-group marriage.

Question 16

People in the country of Azuri are grouped and ranked according to their income levels. This establishes a system of hierarchy in which groups are allocated resources based on their ranking. Due to this, wealth and power accumulates in the hands of few groups, while others are often deprived of basic necessities. This system followed in Azuri is an example of ________.

Accepted Answer

The system described is an example of stratification, where society is divided into hierarchical layers based on income, leading to unequal distribution of resources and power.

Question 17

Ethnicity, a criterion for classifying minority groups, refers to ________.

Accepted Answer

Ethnicity refers to cultural differences, including language, religion, customs, and traditions, rather than physical or genetic differences.

Question 18

Which of the following terms refers to minorities and the corresponding majorities that are socially set apart because of obvious physical differences?

Accepted Answer

Racial groups are defined by physical characteristics that set them apart from others, which is what the question describes. Ethnic groups, on the other hand, are based more on cultural factors than physical ones. The melting pot and segmented assimilation concepts relate to how different groups integrate or coexist within a society, not specifically to physical differences.

Question 19

Research shows that differences in intelligence scores between Blacks and Whites are almost eliminated when ________.

Accepted Answer

Adjustments for social and economic characteristics significantly reduce the differences in intelligence scores between Blacks and Whites, indicating that these factors play a crucial role in the disparities observed.

Question 20

Racial formation refers to ________.

Accepted Answer

Racial formation is understood as a sociohistorical process, meaning it involves the ways in which societies form and transform the concepts of race over time. This includes how racial categories are created, inhabited, transformed, and destroyed, often as a result of political struggle.

Quiz 1: Exploring Race and Ethnicity