Question 1

Racial stratification provides Whites with a number of things, including __________.

Accepted Answer

Racial stratification often leads to systemic advantages for Whites, including better access to jobs and opportunities, due to historical and ongoing inequalities in societal structures.

Question 2

Racial problems have __________ foundations.

Accepted Answer

Racial problems often stem from structural issues, such as systemic inequalities and institutional biases, rather than being purely interpersonal, religious, or scientifically based.

Question 3

Malik is from Syria and has lived in the United States for over three decades. During that time, in a process known as __________, he has seen his racial category change from "Middle Easterner" to "Arab."

Accepted Answer

Racial formation is the sociohistorical process by which racial categories are created, inhabited, transformed, and destroyed. Malik's experience of his racial category changing over time is an example of how societal perceptions and classifications of race can evolve, which is precisely what racial formation theory examines.

Question 4

Ethnic groups are distinctive partially on the basis of their __________.

Accepted Answer

Culture is a major factor that distinguishes ethnic groups. It encompasses shared beliefs, values, customs, traditions, and practices that are passed down from generation to generation.

Question 5

A subordinate group in society is called a __________ group.

Accepted Answer

A subordinate group in society, often with less power or privilege, is referred to as a minority group. This term does not necessarily refer to a group's numerical representation but rather its social standing and access to resources compared to the dominant or majority group.

Question 6

__________ is a system of inequality in which race is the major criterion for rank and rewards.

Accepted Answer

Racial stratification is the correct term for a system of inequality where race is the primary factor determining one's position in the social hierarchy, affecting access to resources and opportunities.

Question 7

Overt acts by individuals that harm members of another race are called __________.

Accepted Answer

Individual racism refers to the personal beliefs, attitudes, and actions of individuals that support or perpetuate racism. This can include overt acts of racial discrimination or violence against members of another race.

Question 8

Asian Americans are __________, giving rise to the term "Pan-Asian."

Accepted Answer

Asian Americans are a highly diverse group, encompassing individuals from various countries, cultures, languages, and religious backgrounds across Asia. This diversity is why the term "Pan-Asian" is used, to collectively refer to this wide-ranging group without specifying any particular nationality or ethnic background.

Question 9

By the middle of the twenty-first century, minority groups will comprise about __________ percent of the U.S. population.

Accepted Answer

By the middle of the twenty-first century, it is projected that minority groups will comprise about 50 percent of the U.S. population, reflecting significant demographic shifts.

Question 10

Which of the following minority groups has the lowest life expectancy in the United States today?

Accepted Answer

Native Americans have the lowest life expectancy among the listed groups, largely due to factors such as limited access to healthcare, higher rates of poverty, and other systemic issues.

Question 11

The U.S. census started to allow people to identify as members of more than one race in __________.

Accepted Answer

The U.S. census started to allow people to identify as members of more than one race in the year 2000. This change was made to better reflect the increasing diversity of the nation's population.

Question 12

A group labeled as a "race" by the wider society and bound together by common social and economic conditions is a __________ group.

Accepted Answer

A racial-ethnic group is defined by both racial and ethnic characteristics, often shaped by social and economic conditions imposed by the wider society.

Question 13

"Biological deficiency" theories posit that __________.

Accepted Answer

"Biological deficiency" theories suggest that inherent genetic differences, such as those affecting intelligence, are responsible for the varying levels of success among different racial groups.

Question 14

Martin was a British officer in India in the early 1900s. The British in India made up a tiny fraction of the overall population but held nearly all of the power. Thus, Martin was a part of the __________ group.

Accepted Answer

Martin was a part of the dominant group because the British in India held nearly all of the power, even though they made up a tiny fraction of the overall population.

Question 15

__________ refers to discrimination that is built into the operation of social institutions, including the economy, schools, and the legal system.

Accepted Answer

Institutional racism refers to the patterns of discrimination that are embedded in the structures, policies, and practices of societal institutions like the economy, schools, and the legal system, affecting the opportunities and treatment of individuals based on race.

Question 16

"Hispanic," "Arab," and "Asian American" are all examples of __________.

Accepted Answer

Racial formations refer to the sociohistorical process by which racial categories are created, inhabited, transformed, and destroyed. "Hispanic," "Arab," and "Asian American" are examples of such categories, reflecting how society constructs racial identities.

Question 17

Which present-day group is descended from involuntary migrants to the United States?

Accepted Answer

African Americans are descended from involuntary migrants to the United States, as they were brought to the country as slaves.

Question 18

"Cultural deficiency" theories explain racial subordination by positing that __________.

Accepted Answer

"Cultural deficiency" theories suggest that certain cultural groups do not succeed due to their own internal lifestyles and value systems, which purportedly do not align with those needed to achieve success in a given society.

Question 19

__________ is the socio-historical process by which races are continually being shaped and transformed.

Accepted Answer

Racial formation is the process by which social, economic, and political forces determine the content and importance of racial categories, and by which they are in turn shaped by racial meanings. This concept emphasizes the dynamic and fluid nature of race and racial identities over time.

Question 20

Those who hold great power in our society are known as the __________ group.

Accepted Answer

The term "dominant group" is used to describe those who hold the most power in a society, often in terms of political, economic, or social influence.

Quiz 8: Racial and Ethnic Inequality