Week 6 Racial Diversity In Society Worksheet

Associate Program Material

Racial Diversity in Society Worksheet

Part I

Complete the following using the MySocLab Social Explorer Map: Income Inequality by Race (located on the student website) as a reference:

Select 1 racial group from the list below:

African American

Write a 150- to 300-word summary of the economic, social, and political standings of that group. Use additional resources if necessary, from the University Library or your textbooks. Provide citations for all the sources you use.

There are gaps between incomes when comparing all racial groups. The group that I chose to study is African Americans. According to our text book, there is a significant gap between the incomes of the Black and White households (Schaefer). In 2009, the median income of Black households was $32,584. This is much lower than that of the White households holding at $54,461. Household incomes for African Americans have been gradually rising and can be seen in the median household income for the year 2013, $41,142, according to the tables provided in MySocLab Social Explorer Map: Income Inequality by Race (). There is also a low possibility of African Americans owning a home because of the lower income, but also due to discriminatory lending practices (Schaefer). Employment is another area that is held lower for African Americans. The unemployment rates have been high since the 1940s. The unemployment rate for Black males aged 16-24was 35 % during the height of the recession; this is very high because the national unemployment rate was this high during the Great depression. The social standings for this group, African American, is also much lower than Whites. There is a 39.2% rate for Black families with two parents and a 49.7% rate for those families that are only maintained by the mother (Schaefer, Figure 8.4). From a political standing, even though Barak Obama has entered and been in the White House, African Americans still have not received an equal share of the political percentages.

Schaefer, Richard T. Racial and Ethnic Groups. 13th ed. N.p.: Merril Prentice Hall, n.d. Print. Copyright 2012 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Part II

Answer the following in 50 to 150 words each. Provide citations for all the sources you use.

What is racism? In what ways does racism affect diversity?

Racism is the belief and opinion that people form based on the characteristics, stereotypes, and attributes that people have or belong to based on the racial group that the person is categorized in. Racism is also the belief that one race is superior to others. Racism can affect diversity in specific ways. If racism is present, it can prevent diversity in an area because of the way that other races are treated. There could be laws made, such as segregation, that keep diversity from occurring.

How do racial groups interact in contemporary America? Are interactions positive, negative, or neutral? Support your response using proper citations.

Racial groups are much more interactive than before. In contemporary America, schools are diverse. The period of segregation of Blacks and Whites is not present. The case of Brown V. Board of Education in 1954 was a milestone for diversity and racism. This helped by ending segregation in schools and exposing students to other cultures and races. Although there is still racism in the United States, the level of racism is not as high and diversity is much higher. I would say that the interactions are more neutral because of the fact that there is still racism in America. Another way that racial groups interact is within the workplace. There are also interracial relationships between different races that had before been never thought of as happening.

Are there existing social inequities based on race? Why or why not?

There are still existing social inequalities based on race today. There may not be as many as in history, but they still exist. These social inequalities based on race are seen in the workplace, admissions in schools (whether the minority or majority), and in politics. There are some racial groups that may be passed up for on a job opportunities because they may not be “viewed” as what fits for that position. There is also a discussion that minorities are given more of an opportunity when being admitted into colleges, while passing up on those that may be more qualified; this is the same for the workplace. In politics, we do see that we have our first African American President, but there is still a ways to go before all racial groups are completely equal.

What do you believe to be the causes of racial prejudice and discrimination in today’s society?

I believe that the causes of racial prejudice and discrimination in today’s society has to do with the way children are being raised and the opinions that people form based on stereotypes that have been passed down for generations. There are people that still have racist views of other racial groups, and they may or may not teach their children or grandchildren to have the same views. There are many people that are much more open minded and accepting of other views and racial groups; but there are still those that are closed minded and view their group as the superior one.