Exam 6: Ethnicity and Race

Racial classification is a political issue. Compare the Canadian census in its treatment of racial categories to the U.S. census. What do you think would be the political consequences of using one census over another?

The presence of ethnic neighborhoods indicates what kind of coexistence?

As the post-World War II framework of nations-the former Soviet Union and the socialist and non-socialist countries of eastern Europe and Asia-disintegrates, multiculturalism based on the U.S. and Canadian examples is becoming increasingly popular.

An examination of racial taxonomies from around the world indicates that

Nation-states

The U.S. and Canadian governments use the same racial categories in their census.

What is meant by the phrase "the social construction of race"? How does this concept differ from race as perceived by the average middle-class American? (Use the description given in the text.)

Multiculturalism emphasizes the need for a series of cultures to abandon their old ethnic identities and join together to forge a new and unique cultural identity.

In the early 20th century, the anthropologist Franz Boas described changes in skull form among the children of Europeans who had emigrated to North America. He found that the reason for these changes could not be explained by genetics. His findings underscore the fact that

What term describes a complex sociopolitical system that administers a territory and populace having substantial contrasts in occupation, wealth, prestige, and power?

Ethnocide refers to the deliberate elimination of a cultural tradition through aggressive policies forcing assimilation.

Ascribed statuses are based on an individual's talents, abilities, and actions.

Hypodescent in the United States automatically determines the race of a child whose parents belong to different racial groups.

Which of the following statements about human skin color is NOT true?

What term does anthropologist Fredrik Barth use to refer to a society that combines ethnic contrasts, ecological specialization, and the economic interdependence of those groups?

Racial categories in Brazil are not rigid; rather, they often change depending on the social setting.

Interracial, biracial, and multiracial identities are becoming more and more common in the United States.

Migration and rapid population growth are fueling multiculturalism in countries like the United States and Canada.

Higher amounts of melanin in the skin inhibit the body's ability to manufacture vitamin D. This confers an adaptive advantage in environments with excessive sun exposure.

What is the term for the arbitrary rule that automatically places the children of a union between members of different socioeconomic groups into the less-privileged group?