We define race as a
social construct linked to phenotype and/or ancestry that indexes one’s location on the US social hierarchy of socially-constructed, groupings
(i.e., races) that has been based primarily on skin color (i.e., white, black, red, yellow) and used for more than 200 years in the US (Smedley 1993; Harawa …
Racial and ethnic stratification refers systems
of inequality
in which some fixed groups membership, such as race, religion, or national origin is a major criterion for ranking social positions and their differential rewards. … Ethnicity refers to the condition of being culturally rather than physically distinctive.
Why Humans Create Social Constructs
One way humans create social constructs is by
structuring what they see and experience into categories
. For example, they see people with different skin colors and other physical features and “create” the social construct of race.
The relationship between SES, race and ethnicity is intimately intertwined. Research has shown that race and ethnicity in terms of stratification
often determine a person’s socioeconomic status
(U.S. Census Bureau, 2009). Furthermore, communities are often segregated by SES, race, and ethnicity.
Racial stratification
increases socioeconomic disadvantage and other risk factors for poor health among minorities relative
to Whites. However, racial stratification may also undermine the health benefits of socioeconomic resources.
Society is
stratified into social classes on the basis of wealth, income, educational attainment, and occupation
.
“Race” is not real scientifically because it is a
social construct by changing over time and across different concepts
. It is a social construction because it is a set of stories we tell ourselves in order to make sense of the world and eventually we believe in it and act upon it.
According to the constructionist view, social work
should construct itself within its own philosophy
. Social work has the responsibility of working in favour of the clients and making them the subject of life, in generating the knowledge and to integrating them into society.
How does social class relate to race, ethnicity, gender, and age in the United States today?
These multiple dimensions of status and inequality intersect to shape who we are and how we live
. What do sociologists call it when an individual changes his or her career but remains within the same social class?
An individual’s social location is defined as the
combination of factors including gender, race, social class, age, ability, religion, sexual orientation
, and geographic location.
What is ethnicity in sociology?
In sociology, ethnicity is
a concept referring to a shared culture and a way of life
. This can be reflected in language, religion, material culture such as clothing and cuisine, and cultural products such as music and art. Ethnicity is often a major source of social cohesion as well as social conflict.
What is race according to sociology?
“Race”
refers to physical differences that groups and cultures consider socially significant
, while “ethnicity” refers to shared culture, such as language, ancestry, practices, and beliefs.
Society is stratified into social classes based on
individuals’ socioeconomic status, gender, and race
. Stratification results in inequality when resources, opportunities, and privileges are distributed based on individuals’ positions in the social hierarchy.
Simply put, social constructs do not have inherent meaning. The only meaning they have is the meaning given to them by people. For example, the idea that
pink is for girls and blue is for boys
is an example of a social construct related to gender and the color of items.
Definition of social construct
:
an idea that has been created and accepted by the people in a society Class
distinctions are a social construct.
Ethnicity is
a complex social construct that influences personal identity and group social relations
. Ethnic identity, ethnic classification systems, the groupings that compose each system and the implications of assignment to one or another ethnic category are place-, time- and context-specific.
| gender role cultural norm | femininity gender norm | masculinity tradition |
|---|
American society is
stratified into social classes based on wealth, income, educational attainment, occupation, and social networks
.
The term social construction of reality refers to
the theory that the way we present ourselves to other people is shaped partly by our interactions with others, as well as by our life experiences
.
Knowledge Is Socially Constructed
Social constructionists
believe that knowledge arises out of human relationships
. Thus, what we take to be true and objective is the result of social processes that take place in historical and cultural contexts.
Most sociologists define social class as a
grouping based on similar social factors like wealth, income, education, and occupation
. These factors affect how much power and prestige a person has.
Not only can different social class cultures lead
to distinct patterns of interpersonal behavior
, they can also lead individuals to experience mismatches between their social class culture and the culture of important social institutions like college or the workplace.
Social locations reflect the many intersections of our experience related to
race, religion, age, physical size, sexual orientation, social class, and so on
. Social location contributes not only to our understanding of the ways in which our major institutions work, but also to our ability to access them.
Social location is important
because it strongly influences our identity, or our sense of self, and how we see the world
. When it comes to the topic of sexual violence, we all have different experiences, values, beliefs, attitudes, strengths, and vulnerabilities.
Social Location Matters
Help
your student see their worldview by tracing it back to their social location
. If you can get students to see how their social characteristics (race, class, gender, religion, sexual orientation, etc) affect their worldview you are half way there.
Social stratification refers to the ranking of individuals along a continuum of economic or cultural attributes such as income or years of education. … Social class is defined
by relations of ownership or control over productive resources
(i.e. physical, financial, organizational).
How is ethnicity created?
Ethnicity is
the product of actions undertaken by ethnic groups as they shape and reshape their self-definition and culture
; however, ethnicity is also constructed by external social, economic, and political processes and actors as they shape and reshape ethnic categories and definitions.
What is an example of race and ethnicity?
For example, people might identify their race as
Aboriginal, African American or Black
, Asian, European American or White, Native American, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, Māori, or some other race. Ethnicity refers to shared cultural characteristics such as language, ancestry, practices, and beliefs.
What is the difference between race and ethnicity sociology quizlet?
Race is a category of people who have been
singled out as inferior or superior based on physical characteristics
. Ethnic group is a collection of people distinguished by cultural or national characteristics.
How does social class affect societal roles?
Individuals with substantial wealth usually possess considerable power
and these individuals are the ones that get the respect, honor, and recognition that are characteristics of prestige.
Sociologists generally posit three classes:
upper, working (or lower), and middle
. The upper class in modern capitalist societies is often distinguished by the possession of largely inherited wealth.
What are the characteristics of culture race and ethnicity?
physical characteristics such as
skin colour or bloodline
, linguistic characteristics such as language or dialect, behavioural or cultural characteristics such as religion or customs or. environmental characteristics such as living in the same area or sharing the same place of origin.
- Society. A society is a system that allows people in a region to get along in productive and peaceful cooperation.
- Law. …
- Economics. …
- Languages. …
- Concepts. …
- Culture. …
- Literature & Music. …
- Entertainment.
This book describes three steps involved in reality construction:
Externalization : Society is a human
product. Objectivation : Society is an objective reality. Internalisation : Man is a social product.
The social construction of difference is a
categorical system used to artificially define people
. … Oppressed people are denied access to opportunities that are granted to those in power simply due to socially constructed labels such as race, gender, sexual orientation, class, age, ability.
