Exam 9: Race and Ethnic Relations

Apply W.I.Thomas's famous sociological dictum that "what is believed to be real,is real" to the concept of race and discuss its consequences.According to the most recent biological and sociological evidence,how many races are there? Which one do you belong to?

Define institutional racism and list the three forms that it can take.

Define the Quiet Revolution and explain its significance in present-day Canadian society.

What are the two interrelated explanations for the lower earnings of visible minority male immigrants?

A young man grew up in the U.S.Deep South;his grandfather and father were both members of the Ku Klux Klan,and he is a member of the Klan-with an abiding hatred of minorities.Which theory of ethnic relations predicts this man's prejudice?

Which statement supports the primordialist explanation of prejudice?

The text tells you that Canadian society has been characterized by John Porter as a vertical mosaic.What is the nature of that mosaic today? Are there any class and gender differences within ethnic and "racial" groups? If so,what are their implications for economic and political power,not only among,but also within,groups?

In a sociology class discussing racism,Brendon asserts that the Canadian government is racist,given the ways by which it has exploited and unfairly treated the Aboriginal population.What type of explanation is Brendon giving?

"My mother always celebrated her ethnic heritage,but people from outside our community thought less of her because of the stereotypes that exist about our culture.She was seen as always wanting to party and celebrate,but never being too serious about work.She was never very successful in her job,in part because of these attitudes." What does John Porter call this situation?

"We support immigration,but we are also concerned about maintaining the Canadian image." What type of racism is this statement an example of?

Explain the culture of poverty thesis and discuss why some critics consider it to be a classic example of "blaming the victim."

According to the text,the current trend toward renaming bands of Aboriginal peoples received its impetus from the federal government's attempt to instill tribal pride and thus reduce dependence on government coffers.

Brazilians of Japanese descent who emigrate back to Japan have been told they are "too Brazilian" to fit into the conservative Japanese culture.As a result,they become "more Brazilian" by organizing samba parades,wearing brightly coloured clothing,and speaking Portuguese in public.What type of ethnic construction does this demonstrate?

Describe and explain the difference between civic nationalism and ethnic nationalism.

A Canadian general presided over a United Nations mission ill-equipped to stop tribal warfare in Africa and the slaughter of one tribe ensued.He has since voiced the opinion that a black person's life in Africa is not treated as being worth the same as a white person's life in Eastern Europe because there are no economic interests in that part of Africa.Which ethnic relations theory coincides with the general's statement?

Prejudice is an attitude and discrimination is an action,and both are the building blocks of racism.Explain and discuss this statement,using examples in your answer.

Whenever the newspaper reports a crime incident that involves a nonwhite person,Samantha's immediate comment is "Well,what do you expect from that group of people?" What is her attitude and reaction an example of?

A woman tells her husband,"I am going to hire Julie to clean the house because she is from Country X and immigrants from there are very hard workers." What is this woman reinforcing?

Which statement best reflects Barker's concept of "new racism"?

What are the six main variables that have influenced which groups of people have been allowed to immigrate to Canada?