Question 1

Racial passing is stressful, difficult, and almost entirely accomplished in interaction.

Accepted Answer

Racial passing involves the act of presenting oneself as a member of a different racial group and requires constant effort to maintain the façade. This can be a stressful and difficult experience and is often reliant on interaction with others to maintain the guise.

Question 2

There is greater genetic diversity within racial populations than between them.

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that genetic variation within racial populations is greater than the variation between different racial populations. This means that there are more differences among individuals within a given race than there are differences between different races. Therefore, race is not a reliable indicator of genetic makeup or predisposition to particular health conditions.

Question 3

A person's blood type is closely correlated with his race.

Accepted Answer

Blood types are not closely correlated with race. While there may be some higher prevalence of certain blood types in certain ethnic groups, it is not a reliable indicator of a person's race. Additionally, blood transfusions can be given across racial and ethnic lines without issue as long as the blood type is a match.

Question 4

When members of a minority group learn the cultural practices of the dominant group, they have undergone:
A) internal colonialism.
B) racial passing.
C) racial assimilation.
D) cultural assimilation.
E) internalized hatred.

Accepted Answer

Cultural assimilation refers to the process of acquiring the customs, beliefs, and values of a dominant culture. When members of a minority group adopt the cultural practices of the dominant group, they are said to have undergone cultural assimilation. This does not necessarily imply that they have abandoned their own cultural identity or that they have internalized a sense of inferiority or self-hatred.

Question 5

When society categorizes people based on race, it leads to inequality.

Accepted Answer

When people are categorized based on their race, it can lead to prejudiced attitudes and discriminatory policies. This can result in unequal opportunities and treatment for certain groups of people, based solely on their race. Such categorization can perpetuate systemic racism and hinder societal progress towards equality.

Question 6

Societies that encourage racial and ethnic diversity have embraced the value of:
A) pluralism.
B) colonialism.
C) globalization.
D) racial assimilation.
E) cultural assimilation.

Accepted Answer

Pluralism refers to a society that values and promotes diversity, recognizes and respects differences among individuals and groups, and encourages the expression of different cultural identities. It is the opposite of assimilation, which aims to make different groups conform to a dominant culture. Therefore, societies that encourage racial and ethnic diversity have embraced the value of pluralism.

Question 7

What is it called when members of a racial minority group intermarry and have children with members of the dominant group until the races are completely mixed?
A) cultural assimilation
B) racial assimilation
C) racial passing
D) segregation
E) population transfer

Accepted Answer

Racial assimilation refers to the process of members of a racial minority group intermarrying and having children with members of the dominant group until the races are completely mixed. Cultural assimilation refers to the process by which members of a minority culture are absorbed into the dominant culture, often at the expense of their original culture. Racial passing refers to the phenomenon of individuals of one race identifying as another race in order to navigate social and political systems. Segregation refers to the enforced separation of different groups, usually along racial lines. Population transfer refers to the forced relocation of individuals from one geographic region to another. Only B) racial assimilation fits the definition given in the question.

Question 8

The fact that there were different racial categories in the past than there are today demonstrates the social construction of race.

Accepted Answer

Race is not a fixed, biological fact but a social construct that changes over time and across different societies. The existence of different racial categories in the past and their evolution over time illustrate this social construction. For example, in the United States, racial categories were constructed based on ideas about biology, nationality, and social status. These categories have changed over time, and new ones have emerged as society's understanding of race has evolved.

Question 9

What metaphor best describes cultures that have embraced multiculturalism and pluralism?
A) a melting pot
B) a salad bowl
C) a reservation
D) a crucible
E) a fondue pot

Accepted Answer

The metaphor of a salad bowl best describes cultures that have embraced multiculturalism and pluralism. In a salad bowl, each ingredient retains its unique identity and flavor, but they all mix together to create a cohesive whole. Similarly, in a multicultural society, people from different backgrounds and cultures maintain their distinct identities while living and working together in a harmonious way.

Question 10

There are no positive consequences to constructing categories of race and ethnicity.

Accepted Answer

Constructing categories of race and ethnicity can have positive consequences, such as fostering a sense of identity and community, promoting cultural awareness and diversity, and aiding in the collection of demographic data for addressing social inequalities.

Question 11

Prejudices are usually based on negative stereotypes, but they can be based on positive ones as well.

Accepted Answer

Prejudices can be based on both negative and positive stereotypes. Positive stereotypes can still lead to harmful generalizations and discrimination against individuals or groups.

Question 12

Demographers estimate that by the year 2042 white people will comprise less than half the U.S. population, which will mean that sociologists will no longer use the term "minority" to describe nonwhite races because it will no longer be numerically true.

Accepted Answer

The term "minority" in sociological contexts does not solely refer to numerical representation but also to social, economic, and political power dynamics. Even if white people become less than half of the U.S. population, the term "minority" may still be used to describe groups that are marginalized or hold less power in society.

Question 13

The words "race" and "ethnicity" are used interchangeably because they mean essentially the same thing.

Accepted Answer

Race and ethnicity are not interchangeable terms. Race is generally considered to refer to biological and physical characteristics such as skin color, while ethnicity encompasses cultural factors such as language, customs, and ancestry. Confusing the two can perpetuate harmful stereotypes and inaccurately categorize individuals.

Question 14

Some conservative groups have organized to campaign both for crackdowns on illegal immigration and for limits on legal immigration, because they are concerned about how America will be changed by nonwhite immigrants. This means that they are against:
A) discrimination.
B) embodied identities.
C) passing.
D) population transfer.
E) pluralism.

Accepted Answer

The group's stance against nonwhite immigrants suggests a rejection of pluralism, which values and celebrates diversity and different cultures.

Question 15

A person who is not prejudiced may still participate in discrimination.

Accepted Answer

While prejudice often leads to discrimination, a person may still discriminate even if they are not personally prejudiced. This can happen if they act on biases or stereotypes that they have been socialized to believe or if they participate in a system or institution that perpetuates discrimination.

Question 16

After the Civil War, most southern states passed laws that barred African Americans and whites from sharing most kinds of public facilities. This is an example of:
A) subjugation.
B) ethnic cleansing.
C) racial assimilation.
D) segregation.
E) internal colonialism.

Accepted Answer

The laws that barred African Americans and whites from sharing most kinds of public facilities after the Civil War are known as segregation laws. This was a system of racial segregation enforced through legislation that mandated the separation of public facilities, such as schools, buses, and restrooms, based on race.

Question 17

In the United States, racial passing has only been occurring for the past two decades.

Accepted Answer

Racial passing has been occurring in the United States for centuries, particularly during the era of Jim Crow laws and racial segregation. The phenomenon involves individuals identifying as a race different from their own in order to avoid discrimination or gain social and economic advantages. While the frequency and motivations for passing have shifted over time, it is not a recent development.

Question 18

Whites and blacks in the United States tend to have similar opinions about the state of race relations today.

Accepted Answer

According to a 2020 Pew Research Center survey, there are significant differences in how whites and blacks perceive the state of race relations in the United States. While 63% of white adults say that race relations are generally good, only 33% of black adults say the same. Additionally, 84% of black adults say that the country has not gone far enough in giving blacks equal rights with whites, compared to only 49% of white adults who express this view.

Question 19

According to the text, which of the following countries is an example of a multicultural society, one in which people are encouraged to live peacefully together in political, social, cultural, and economic unity?
A) Denmark
B) Lithuania
C) Norway
D) Sweden
E) Canada

Accepted Answer

Canada is mentioned in the text as an example of a multicultural society where people are encouraged to live peacefully together in political, social, cultural, and economic unity.

Question 20

What is it called when a minority group is absorbed into the dominant group?
A) segregation.
B) population transfer.
C) assimilation.
D) internal colonialism.
E) pluralism.

Accepted Answer

When a minority group is absorbed into the dominant group, it is called assimilation. This process often involves the minority group adopting the traditions, language, and culture of the dominant group.

Quiz 8: Race and Ethnicity As Lived Experience

Racial passing is stressful, difficult, and almost entirely accomplished in interaction.

There is greater genetic diversity within racial populations than between them.

A person's blood type is closely correlated with his race.

When members of a minority group learn the cultural practices of the dominant group, they have undergone:

When society categorizes people based on race, it leads to inequality.

Societies that encourage racial and ethnic diversity have embraced the value of:

What is it called when members of a racial minority group intermarry and have children with members of the dominant group until the races are completely mixed?

The fact that there were different racial categories in the past than there are today demonstrates the social construction of race.

What metaphor best describes cultures that have embraced multiculturalism and pluralism?

There are no positive consequences to constructing categories of race and ethnicity.

Prejudices are usually based on negative stereotypes, but they can be based on positive ones as well.

Demographers estimate that by the year 2042 white people will comprise less than half the U.S. population, which will mean that sociologists will no longer use the term "minority" to describe nonwhite races because it will no longer be numerically true.

The words "race" and "ethnicity" are used interchangeably because they mean essentially the same thing.

Some conservative groups have organized to campaign both for crackdowns on illegal immigration and for limits on legal immigration, because they are concerned about how America will be changed by nonwhite immigrants. This means that they are against:

A person who is not prejudiced may still participate in discrimination.

After the Civil War, most southern states passed laws that barred African Americans and whites from sharing most kinds of public facilities. This is an example of:

In the United States, racial passing has only been occurring for the past two decades.

Whites and blacks in the United States tend to have similar opinions about the state of race relations today.

According to the text, which of the following countries is an example of a multicultural society, one in which people are encouraged to live peacefully together in political, social, cultural, and economic unity?

What is it called when a minority group is absorbed into the dominant group?