In The Name Of God
Manuscript Presentation
Second half of chapter 10
10. Race and Ethnicity
کارنوشت ارائه
10 نیمه دوم فصل
نژاد و قومیت
Presented by:
Yalda Alahyari
Zahra Mousaei
Mahan Salimi
Yalda alahyari – یلدا اله یاری
Commercialization of ethnicity:
*Minority groups sometimes seek to commercialize themselves—to sell
themselves and their unusual or unique offerings to a larger public.
*Cultural tourists often seek out cultural experiences such as luaus in Hawaii or
native American powwows.
*There is an international market for cultural and ethnic products, which people in
some parts of the world seek to exploit.
Racism
*Definition: racism involves defining a group as a race and attributing negative
characteristics to that group. It also involves creating the circumstances
that keep that group at a disadvantage relative to the majority.
*Xenophobia: or “fear of strangers. involves the beliefs, attitudes, and prejudices
that reject, exclude, and vilify groups who are not part of the dominant social
group.
*Ethnocentrism: racism is based on ethnocentrism, or the belief that the norms,
values, and customs of one’s own group are superior to those of other groups.
Persistent racism
*Discrimination: despite claims of equality minority groups continue to experience
discrimination in various aspects of life.
*Perception of Discrimination: Blacks are far more likely than whites to perceive
discrimination against them, highlighting the persistence of racial inequality
*Dramaturgy: Whites may unconsciously conceal their racism in public settings
but express it more openly in private
Social Structure and Racism
*In the United States, whites disproportionately occupy higher-level positions, and
blacks are more likely to be near or at the bottom of the racial hierarchy
*One of the main indicators of racial stratification is the extent to
which poverty is linked to race
*The fact that 24.1 percent of blacks and 21.4 percent of Hispanics were below
the poverty line in 2015—compared with 11.6 percent of whites and 11.4 percent
of Asians—is a strong indicator of economic disadvantage for the first two groups.
Culture and Racism
*The white racial frame includes an array of racist ideas, racial stereotypes,
racialized stories and tales, racist images, powerful racial emotions, and various
inclinations that discriminate against blacks. (as well as other minorities, including
Latinos.)
*To a certain extent, blacks themselves have adopted elements of this frame. This
is exemplified in “gangsta” style being identified as part of black culture. It is also
found in measures of success—such as graduating from college, gaining a
professional job, or living in the suburbs—that are seen by black culture as selling
out ,or “acting white
*This white racial frame is largely responsible for perpetuating racial stereotypes
as is seen throughout movies, music videos, and television shows
*Racism is now more a matter of hegemony. That is, one race now subordinates
another more on the basis of dominant ideas, especially about cultural differences,
than through force.
Institutional Racism
*Institutional racism is race-based discrimination that results from the day-to-day
operation ofsocial institutions and social structures and their rules, policies, and
practices.
*Institutional discrimination is found in many settings:
Educational systems. Schools in which the student body is disproportionately black
or Latino are often underfunded .
Labor markets. Equally qualified black candidates are less likely than their white
counterparts to obtain interviews and jobs.
The courts and prison system. Drug laws and enforcement heavily penalize the
selling and possession of the kinds of drugs, especially narcotics, that young black
and Latino men are more likely to use or sell.
The Role of Individuals in Institutional Racism
*Dog-Whistle Politics: Coded language used by politicians to appeal to racist
sentiments without explicitly mentioning race.
*Unintentional Discrimination Policies: that appear neutral may have unintended
discriminatory effects, such as seniority-based layoffs that disproportionately
impact minorities
*Structural Racism: Racism is embedded in social structures and institutions,
perpetuating inequality even when individuals may not hold explicit racist beliefs
Combating racism
Combating racism requires addressing both individual prejudice and institutional
discrimination. This involves promoting awareness, challenging stereotypes, and
advocating for policies that promote equality and justice for all.
Zahra Mousaei – زهرا موسایی
THE INVISIBILITY OF INSTITUTIONAL RACISM
Comparison between institutional racism and individual acts of racism:
Individual acts of racism (like shouting a racial epithet or while a taxi driver denies a service to a
black passenger) are visible and easier to recognize than institutional racism which is subtler
and often invisible.
Benefits for whites:
Whites benefit from institutional racism through [Link]-paying jobs [Link] working
conditions [Link] over minorities. These beneficiaries (whites) have a deep interest to see
institutions continue to operate to their benefit and harm blacks.
point:
Because of the "invisibility" of institutional racism, it is less likely to be recognized as a problem
compared to individual acts of discrimination, despite of representing a much larger problem
for minorities.
SOCIAL MOVEMENTS AND RACE:
Hate groups
Hate groups in the U.S are primarily white supremacist movements such as KKK (Ku Klux Klan),
neo-Nazis, and skin heads. Activities of hate groups include rallies, speeches, marches,
leafletting, violent activities against immigrants etc. For a long time, it was assumed that only
white men were involved in racial hate groups but White women have also been found to
participate in these groups. White women participate in these movements for various reasons
unrelated to male influence. Such as personal (like life tragedies) or social motivations. They are
not just auxiliary members but reached power in these groups.
The civil rights movement
Jim Crow system:
Under this system which were based after the Civil War, blacks were denied political rights (e.g.
voting) and social rights (e.g. going to all-white schools) and were exploited economically.
Civil rights movement:
The Civil Rights Movement, which started in the 1950s and 1960s in the Southern United States,
was a fight against the black oppression under the Jim Crow system. The movement used tactics
like boycotts, sit-ins, marches etc. while white racists responded violently. Media coverage of
these violent responses put pressure on the federal government and white public opinion.
Finally the Jim Crow laws were ended, and important laws like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and
the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were created and passed. But blacks still face many problems, not
caused by law but caused by institutional racism.
Collective identity and power movements
Social movements in the late 1960s and early 1970s appeared to empower racial minorities who
felt belittled despite gaining legal rights through Civil rights movement. Such as:
1. The Black Power movement, which focused on developing pride among blacks with the
slogan "black is beautiful".
2. The Brown Power movement, which was inspired by the Black Power movement, adopted the
slogan "brown power" and "long live the race" to empower Latinos. In 1968, Chicano students
in East L.A. protested school racism, like bans on Spanish speaking and or giving them low-
paying jobs. They faced police violence and arrests.
3. The Indigena movement, which celebrates South American Indian heritage as a source of
pride.
RACE AND ETHNICITY IN GLOBAL CONTEXT
Historically, ethnic identities were tied to nation-states, but two factors declined this
connection; 1. diaspora and 2. mass migration in the age of globalization. This population
movement caused hybrid ethnic identities.
Diaspora:
The forced movement of an ethnic group from their homeland to different parts of the world,
usually keeping their culture.
hybrid ethnic identities:
refer to when people identify with more than one ethnic group, combining elements from their
original culture and the culture of a new place they have moved to.
Ethnic identity and globalization:
Some see globalization as a threat to ethnic identities, believing it leads to a world of
homogeneous identities. Others disagree and offer the following points:
1. Ethnic Identities are strong: Ethnic identities are not as breakable as often believed. Ethnicity
is inculcated from birth through family, school, and culture, and becomes a part of a person's
core identity.
2. Globalization as a Supporter of Ethnic Identity: globalization helps spread and strengthen
ethnic identities by allowing people to stay connected and preserve cultural traditions.
3. Ethnic Identity and Globalization are Linked: Globalization, through advanced communication,
helps ethnic groups stay connected and maintain traditions. This stronger ethnic identity can
then be shared back with the home country, part of a larger process called transnationalism.
Global prejudice and discrimination
North-South distinction:
The poorest billion people live in the Global South and are often minorities, while the richest
billion are in the Global North and are majority groups. The Global North has historically
dominated the Global South, using imperialism, colonialism, and neoliberal economics to
maintain its advantage. The Global North has created minority groups in the Global South for
control, like the British creating "Indians" after colonizing India.
Orientalism:
a set of ideas and texts produced by the Global North that served as the basis of systems
designed to dominate, control, and exploit the Orient (the East) and its minority groups.
Point:
Racism is not limited to the West but exists in many countries worldwide. Such as discrimination
against Ainu, Buraku, and mixed-ancestry people, and in China, where the Uyghur minority
faces discrimination.
Global flows based on race and ethnicity
One way to think about globalized majority-minority relations is in terms of global flows. Race
and ethnicity flow globally today through migration, with people from the South seeking work
in the North and people from the North migrating to the South for tourism and retirement.
Another form of global flow involves the social and cultural aspects of race and ethnicity. Race and
ethnicity are social constructs defined culturally and socially, not defined by objective
characteristics so they flow around the world through mass communications and travel. An
example is anti-Muslim prejudice that flows globally.
Mahan Salimi – مهان سلیمی
Global Flows and Their Consequence:
Those in the Global North are able to create structures that greatly enhance positive or protective
flows. In the Global South, minorities have little or no access to such benefits.
Those in minority categories are far less likely to participate in the globe’s positive flows of
money, commodities, food, health care, technologies, and the like. Conversely, those in the
majority categories are likely to be in the thick of these positive flows, both as creators and as
beneficiaries.
Positive Flows
Global North nations possess the resources and infrastructure to facilitate positive flows, such as
advanced communication networks, healthcare systems, and access to global markets. However,
minority groups within the Global South often lack access to these benefits.
Negative Flows
Conversely, structures that expedite negative flows, like the trafficking of weapons, are more
likely to impact minority groups in the Global South. They are also affected by global issues like
pandemics and environmental degradation.
Barriers to Flows
In all aspects of globalization, there are not only flows of various kinds but also barriers to flows.
Just as majority groups have the advantage when it comes to positive flows, they are better able
than minority groups to create barriers between themselves and negative flows.
These barriers can include border controls in the nation-states dominated by advantaged groups;
local actions, such as creating gated communities patrolled by guards;
and even individual actions, such as having alarm systems installed in their homes.
Minorities can afford few, if any, of these kinds of protective barriers.
Thus, members of racial and ethnic minorities may be locked into particular racial or ethnic
identities, or they may be physically unable to move from particular areas (such as ghettos) that
define them in a certain way.
Ethnic Conflict within Nation-States
1. Increased Diversity : Globalization has led to increased ethnic diversity within many nation-
states, raising the potential for ethnic conflict.
2. Ghettoization : The migration of ethnic groups can lead to segregation and ghettoization,
increasing polarization and conflict between groups.
3. Competition for Resources : Migrant populations often compete with local populations for
jobs and resources, creating further tension and conflict.
• The most disturbing examples of ethnic conflict tend to involve the majority group’s efforts to
“deal” with ethnic minorities through expulsion, ethnic cleansing, or genocide.
Expulsion
Expulsion, or the removal of a group from a territory, may seem relatively benign because
minorities are not purposely injured or killed in the majority’s efforts.
Expulsion can take two forms: direct or voluntary.
In direct expulsion, minority ethnic groups are ejected by the majority through military or other
government action.
In voluntary expulsion, a minority group leaves “of its own volition” because its members are
being harassed, discriminated against, and persecuted.
• Of course, in the real world, these two forms of expulsion occur in concert with one another.
Ethnic cleansing
Ethnic cleansing is the systematic and forcible removal, abuse, and often murder of a minority
group from a territory, with the aim of creating an ethnically homogenous population.
• In situations of ethnic cleansing, women and girls often have been targeted for physical
violence and murder, as well as sexual violence in many cases.
Genocide
The most extreme cases of ethnic conflict involve an active, systematic attempt at eliminating an
entire group of people, or genocide.
• Genocide was defined by the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of
the Crime of Genocide as “acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a
national, ethnic, racial, or religious group”.
Conclusion (Summary)
• Majority groups are better positioned than minority groups to create structures that enhance
positive or protective global flows.
• Greater ethnic diversity within nation-states has opened up more possibilities for internal ethnic
conflicts.
• At the extreme, ethnic conflict leads to expulsion, ethnic cleansing, and genocide of minorities
by the majority within a territory.
• Globalization has complex and often tragic consequences for race and ethnicity, leading to
heightened potential for ethnic conflict.
• Globalization's impact on ethnicity is complex, increasing the risk of conflict but also offering
ways for peace and understanding.