Question 1

This refers to using science to prove the innate inferiority of some racial groups and the innate superiority of others.

Accepted Answer

Scientific racism is the use of scientific theories, methods, and data to justify the belief in the innate inferiority of certain racial groups and the innate superiority of others. It has been used to justify colonialism, slavery, segregation, and genocide, among other forms of oppression and discrimination. While some early proponents of scientific racism claimed that race was determined by physical characteristics like skin color or skull shape, more recent forms of scientific racism focus on genetics and other biological factors.

Question 2

This term refers to a now defunct branch of science that compared the skull sizes of various racial groups and used that data to try to determine group intelligence, social and cultural characteristics, and the presumed innate group differences between races.

Accepted Answer

Phrenology is the study of the shape and size of the human skull, and was once used as a means of determining personality, intelligence, and other traits. It has since been discredited as a pseudoscience. Eugenics (A) refers to the selective breeding of humans to improve the genetic quality of the population, while scientific racism (C) is the use of scientific methods to justify or promote racist beliefs. Genome geography (D) is a real scientific field that studies how genetic variation is distributed across different populations.

Question 3

Which of the following sociological perspectives emphasizes social order and the value of consensus, harmony, and stability for a society, as well as the interdependence of social systems.

Accepted Answer

Functionalism emphasizes on social order, consensus, harmony and stability for a society, as well as the interdependence of social systems. It sees society as a complex system with different parts (institutions) that work together to maintain and promote social stability and order.

Question 4

Which of the following African American sociologists was accused by the FBI of being communist due to their research on racial inequality?

Accepted Answer

W.E.B. DuBois and E. Franklin Frazier, both prominent African American sociologists who extensively researched and wrote about racial inequality, faced accusations of communism by the FBI, particularly during the era of McCarthyism when the U.S. government was actively seeking out and prosecuting alleged communists.

Question 5

Which of the following African American sociologists was an activist and one of the founders of the NAACP?

Accepted Answer

W.E.B. DuBois was an African American sociologist who was also an activist and one of the founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). He was known for his research on race relations and his writings on the experiences of African Americans in the early 20th century.

Question 6

Robert Ezra Parks' "race relations cycle," his theory for the incorporation of immigrants into American society, culminated with

Accepted Answer

Robert Ezra Parks' "race relations cycle" culminates with assimilation, which refers to the process by which immigrants and their descendants gradually adopt American customs and values, ultimately becoming fully integrated into American society. Parks believed that assimilation was the natural outcome of sustained contact between ethnic groups, which would eventually lead to the disappearance of distinctions between them. This theory has been critiqued by some as ignoring the ways in which discrimination and structural inequalities can limit the ability of immigrants to fully assimilate.

Question 7

___________ explains that some consumers choose which aspects of genetic ancestry testing to embrace and which to disregard, based on their own identity preferences and whether or not others are likely to accept their identity claims.

Accepted Answer

The statement is referring to the Genetic Options Theory, which suggests that consumers selectively embrace or disregard aspects of genetic ancestry testing based on their own identity preferences and societal acceptance of their claims.

Question 8

Which of the following is a Marxist explanation for racial/ethnic inequality?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following is a Marxist...

Question 9

This theory emphasizes the distinction between voluntary immigrants, known as immigrant minorities, and involuntary immigrants, known as colonized minorities.

Accepted Answer

Internal colonialism theory emphasizes the distinction between voluntary immigrants and involuntary immigrants. It suggests that involuntary immigrants, or colonized minorities, continue to experience exploitation, oppression, and marginalization even after being incorporated into the dominant society. This theory critiques the assimilationist perspective that assumes equality and full integration for all immigrants.

Question 10

Which sociological perspective on race/ethnic relations is concerned with racial/ethnic identity development?

Accepted Answer

Symbolic Interactionism is the sociological perspective that focuses on the subjective meanings that people give to their experiences and how they use symbols in interactions with others. Within this perspective, theorists are concerned with how individuals develop their sense of racial or ethnic identity, how they negotiate their identity in social interactions, and how these processes contribute to larger patterns of societal inequality.

Question 11

Sociologists Howard Winant and Michael Omi introduced a new theoretical perspective on race called___________, which emphasizes the ways racial categories are created, inhabited, transformed, and destroyed over time, and the ways race plays out structurally in our everyday, lived experience, becoming "common sense" or a way of making sense of our world.

Accepted Answer

The theoretical perspective on race introduced by Howard Winant and Michael Omi is called the Racial Formation Perspective. This perspective looks at how racial categories are created and transformed over time and how they play out in our everyday experiences. The Racial Formation Perspective also acknowledges the structural aspects of race and how it becomes "common sense" in our society.

Question 12

This focuses on the interactions between different systems of oppression, as all individuals hold positions in multiple status hierarchies (such as gender, race, class, sexuality, nationality, and/or age).

Accepted Answer

The concept of intersectionality acknowledges that individuals hold positions in multiple status hierarchies and that these systems of oppression interact in complex ways. This framework has been influential in various fields including feminist theory, Critical Race Theory, and social justice activism.

Question 13

Which of the following groups of people is referred to as a model minority, a minority group that has succeeded in American society, specifically evidenced by success in educational institutions and the economic sphere?

Accepted Answer

Asian Americans are often referred to as the model minority due to their high levels of success in education and income. This stereotype is problematic as it overlooks the diversity and challenges faced by members of the Asian American community, and it also unfairly places unrealistic expectations on individuals within the community.

Question 14

Which of the following theoretical perspectives on race embraces an activist agenda instead of objectivity and emphasizes narrative and storytelling as a method of knowledge production?

Accepted Answer

Critical race theory emphasizes the importance of activism and social justice in the analysis of race and racism. It is based on the idea that racism is a structural problem embedded in society, and therefore requires action to address rather than simply objective analysis. The approach emphasizes narrative and storytelling as an important method of understanding the experiences of people of color and the impact of racism on their lives.

Question 15

Sociologist Joe Feagin identified the theoretical perspective known as ____________, a worldview that includes racial beliefs, racially loaded terms, racialized images, verbal connotations, racialized emotions and interpretations as well as discriminatory actions that help justify ongoing racism.

Accepted Answer

Joe Feagin's theoretical perspective is known as the "White racial frame." It refers to how society has been constructed in a way that privileges White people while oppressing people of color. This includes racially loaded terms, connotations, emotions, and actions that help justify ongoing racism and perpetuate White supremacy. It is a critical perspective that calls attention to the ways in which racism is perpetuated at a systemic level.

Question 16

Which of the following groups would NOT be considered a colonized or involuntary minority according to Blauner's theory of internal colonialism?

Accepted Answer

Blauner's theory of internal colonialism applies to groups who were brought under the control of a dominant group through conquest or colonization, and who are subjected to exploitation and discrimination. While Irish Americans did face discrimination and prejudice upon arriving in America, they were not brought under the control of a dominant group through conquest or colonization in the same way that African Americans, Native Americans, and Latinos were.

Question 17

This popular American ideology is an extension of the assimilationist paradigm. It is the idea that diverse streams of immigrants come to America and eventually merge into another distinct group, that of the "American."

Accepted Answer

The "melting pot" ideology suggests that immigrants will eventually blend together and form a new, distinct American identity. It is often criticized for its emphasis on assimilation and erasure of cultural diversity.

Question 18

This sociologist thought that ethnicity was more influential in people's life experiences than race.

Accepted Answer

Robert Ezra Park is known for his work on race relations and urban sociology, and he believed that ethnicity, which refers to cultural and social practices and traditions, was more significant than race, which is based on physical and biological characteristics, in shaping people's life experiences. Park argued that ethnic groups maintain their cultural identity and traditions even as they assimilate into American society, and this leads to complex patterns of social interaction and integration.

Question 19

In 1927, this sociologist published an article equating racial prejudice with insanity.

Accepted Answer

E. Franklin Frazier published an article in 1927 that equated racial prejudice with insanity, highlighting the irrational nature of racial discrimination.

Question 20

This refers to evidence of human migration patterns found in the human genome; these genetic mutations are evolutionary responses to the environment.

Accepted Answer

Genome geography refers to the study of how genetic mutations in human populations are influenced by historical migration patterns and environmental factors.

Quiz 3: Science and the Sociology of Race