Question 1

During the 1930s, this country engaged in "behavioral whitening" campaigns which were directed at their black and indigenous populations.

Accepted Answer

Brazil implemented a campaign known as "Branqueamento" (whitening) during the 1930s, which aimed to encourage the intermarriage of white Brazilians with black and indigenous populations in order to "improve" the country's racial heritage. This campaign was part of a broader effort to promote a national identity based on European cultural and racial values.

Question 2

Which of the following groups of Americans were at one time considered to be 'non-white?'

Accepted Answer

At various points in American history, Irish Americans, Italian Americans, and Jewish Americans were all considered to be non-white and faced systemic discrimination and exclusion. It wasn't until later in the 20th century that these groups gained greater acceptance and became considered fully white in the eyes of American society.

Question 3

Which of the following groups of Americans 'became white' with the assistance of the Democratic Party?

Accepted Answer

A

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT an example of the racial/ethnic discrimination Jewish Americans faced in the United States during the first half of the twentieth century?

Accepted Answer

Internment camps during World War II were primarily associated with the Japanese American population in the United States, not Jewish Americans. Jewish Americans faced other forms of discrimination, such as immigration restrictions and admission restrictions at elite universities, but not internment.

Question 5

This man coined the term 'psychological wage' to describe the nonmonetary, intangible benefits white workers had in the labor market over black workers.

Accepted Answer

W. E. B. DuBois was a prominent sociologist, historian, and civil rights leader who coined the term 'psychological wage' in his book, Black Reconstruction in America. He used the term to describe how white workers were given status and privilege over black workers in the labor market, even if they were in lower-paying jobs. This psychological wage included things like access to better education and housing, social status, and protection from exploitation, all of which were denied to black workers.

Question 6

This social scientist argued that the formation of the working class in the United States was intimately linked to the development of a sense of whiteness.

Accepted Answer

David Roediger is well-known for arguing that whiteness was not just a natural category, but a social construct that was used to create and maintain racial hierarchies in the United States. He argues that the formation of a working class was intimately linked to the development of whiteness, as working-class whites were able to assert their superiority over African Americans and other non-white groups.

Question 7

This is a term sociologists use to describe statuses that are so significant they overshadow other statuses an individual may hold. Race and gender and considered to fall into this category.

Accepted Answer

A master status is a term sociologists use to describe statuses that are so significant they overshadow other statuses an individual may hold. Race and gender are considered to fall into this category. Therefore, the best choice is A) Master status.

Question 8

This social scientist describes white privilege as "an invisible package of unearned assets":

Accepted Answer

Peggy McIntosh famously coined the term "invisible knapsack" to describe the unearned advantages that come with being white in society in her essay "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack."

Question 9

The current reigning racial ideology in the United States is that of

Accepted Answer

The current reigning racial ideology in the United States is color-blindness. This ideology suggests that race should not matter and that all people should be treated equally regardless of their race. It ignores the systemic issues that lead to racial disparities and assumes that everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed. However, many argue that color-blindness actually perpetuates racism by ignoring the experiences and realities of people of color.

Question 10

This refers to not only privileges individuals accumulate through being perceived as white, but also refers to the customs, norms, traditions, laws, and public policies that, while remaining invisible, benefit whites.

Accepted Answer

Institutional privilege refers to the advantages that come with being part of the dominant group in society. This includes benefits that are built into social, economic, and political systems, such as access to better education, housing, and employment opportunities. Institutional privilege is often invisible to those who possess it, but it can have a profound impact on the lives of people who are excluded from it.

Question 11

People of color experience this explicitly, meaning they are taught in their families, in schools, and through the media that their race matters, whereas for white people it is more subtle.

Accepted Answer

Racial socialization refers to the process of transmitting beliefs, values, and attitudes about race and racial identity from one generation to the next. People of color are explicitly taught about the impact of race on their lives and how to navigate a racialized world, whereas white people are often not taught about their privilege and the impact of their race on their experiences.

Question 12

White privilege has gone unexamined primarily because it is the societal ______. For sociologists, these are significant aspects of culture that refer to the shared expectations about behavior in a society, whether implicit or explicit.

Accepted Answer

Norms are the shared expectations about behavior in a society, and white privilege is one such norm that has gone unexamined.

Question 13

This refers to status hierarchies based upon physical appearance and the assumption of membership in particular categories based upon these physical features; these exist in the United States and throughout the world, albeit with much variation.

Accepted Answer

The description best fits a racial hierarchy, which is a system of stratification based on racial categories and physical appearance. While ethnic and white hierarchies may also exist, they are subsets of a larger racial hierarchy. A privilege hierarchy may also exist, but its focus is on social and economic privileges rather than physical appearance.

Question 14

Which of the following is NOT an aspect of white privilege?

Accepted Answer

White privilege operates regardless of class privilege. While class privilege can amplify the effects of white privilege, it is not a requirement for white privilege to exist.

Question 15

Which of the following is NOT one of the reasons social scientists were slow to recognize white privilege as the "other side of racism?"

Accepted Answer

It was not illegal to investigate white privilege, and this is not one of the reasons why social scientists were slow to recognize it as the "other side of racism." The other three choices (A, B, and D) provide factors that contributed to the slow recognition of white privilege.

Question 16

This is when a group embraces and adapts to the mainstream society without giving up their native culture.

Accepted Answer

Pluralism refers to a society where different ethnic, racial, and religious groups coexist and maintain their distinct identities while also interacting and embracing aspects of the mainstream culture. This is different from assimilation, where minority groups must give up their culture and conform to the values and practices of the dominant group. Anglo-conformity refers specifically to the idea that immigrants to the United States should conform to Anglo-American cultural norms. Socialization refers to the process by which individuals are taught the norms and values of their society.

Question 17

This has long been the preferred model for race relations among the dominant group in American society. It refers to the push toward acceptance of the dominant culture, at the expense of one's native culture.

Accepted Answer

Assimilation is the process where individuals or groups of differing ethnic heritage are absorbed into the dominant culture of a society. This involves the subsuming of language, traditions, values, mores, and behaviour or even physical appearance.

Question 18

Which of the following groups have challenged or resisted the assimilation push in American society?

Accepted Answer

Both Native Americans and Chicanos have challenged or resisted assimilation in American society. Native Americans have fought to preserve their cultures, languages, and traditions throughout history, including through reservation systems, legal battles over land and resources, and cultural revitalization movements. Chicanos have also resisted assimilation, particularly during the Chicano Movement of the 1960s and 1970s, which emphasized cultural pride and political empowerment for Mexican Americans. Both groups have sought recognition and respect for their unique identities and histories within American society.

Question 19

In which of the following ways is 'whitening' related to social class?

Accepted Answer

All of the choices illustrate different aspects of how the concept of "whitening" or becoming white is intertwined with social class dynamics, including the association of whiteness with middle-class status, its role in the formation of the American working class, and the use of class to create divisions within white communities.

Question 20

In 1935, this person argued that white workers, despite their extremely low wages, received an intangible benefit, which he called a psychological wage, because they were white.

Accepted Answer

W.E.B. DuBois introduced the concept of a "psychological wage" for white workers, arguing that despite their low economic status, they were afforded certain privileges and a sense of superiority simply because of their race. This concept was part of his broader analysis of race and class in America.

Quiz 2: White Privilege: the Other Side of Racism