Page 305 - Sociology and You

U S I N G
Your Sociological Imagination
“The Four Americas” is a report published by a major think tank,
a national newspaper, and a prestigious university (Brodie, 1995). These
organizations used an extensive national survey to investigate race in the United States. The survey asked people to respond to such questions as “Do you think the av- erage African American is better off, worse off, or as well off as the average white per- son in terms of jobs, education, housing, and health care?”
Most Asians and Latinos answered that African Americans are doing less well than whites. But most whites thought blacks were doing about equally well.
The evidence shows that the average in- come of African American households is considerably less than that of white house- holds. Moreover, at each level of educa- tion—the gateway to good jobs—African American males earn less than white males. On average, for example, white high school graduates can expect to earn annually nearly as much as African American college graduates with associate degrees. The report concluded that while most minorities under- stand each other’s real-life difficulties, “whites stand alone in their misperceptions of the problems facing minorities in
America today.”
Whites, of course, are not the only
group of people who would benefit from a better understanding of the issues facing all Americans. This chapter will take a close look at how race and ethnicity have af- fected the ability of people to achieve the American dream.
Sections
1. Minority, Race, and Ethnicity
2. Racial and Ethnic Relations
3. Theories of Prejudice and Discrimination
4. Minority Groups in the United States
Learning Objectives
After reading this chapter, you will be able to ❖ describe what sociologists mean by the
terms minority, race, and ethnicity. ❖ discuss patterns of racial and ethnic
relations.
❖ discuss the difference between prejudice and discrimination.
❖ explain how functionalists, conflict theorists, and symbolic interactionists view racial inequalities.
❖ compare the condition of American minorities with that of the white majority.
Chapter Overview
Visit the Sociology and You Web site at soc.glencoe.com and click on Chapter 9— Chapter Overviews to preview chapter information.
275