Page 316 - Essencials of Sociology

Summary and Review 289

Thinking Critically about Chapter 9
1. How many races do your friends or family think there races.” Why do you think that the color line remains one
are? Do they think that one race is superior to the others? of the most volatile topics facing the nation?
What do you think their reaction would be to the socio- 3. If you were appointed head of the U.S. Civil Service
logical position that racial categories are primarily social? Commission, what policies would you propose to reduce
2. A hundred years ago, sociologist W. E. B. Du Bois said, racial–ethnic strife in the United States? Be ready to ex-
“The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of plain the sociological principles that might give your pro-
the color line—the relation of the darker to the lighter posals a higher chance of success.