...exert dominance or power over other groups. Race can be considered as a social construction because it is used to maintain hierarchies, as seen through it’s lack of biological support and shifting societal views on race. Race is a social construction because it is constantly changing due to shifting societal views on race. First, it is important to note that a socially constructed concept is an idea that is defined as “a perception of a group, individual or idea that is constructed through cultural or social practice” (Dictionary.com). In other words, society creates an idea of what race is, and how races should be distinguished from one another. Race does not have a consistent definition, and can change based on the society that is being examined. In “Racial Formations”, Omi and Winant discuss the use of race as a social concept and conclude that the definition is not rigid, but is used to maintain domination. Omi and Winant believe that this domination is a result of racial formation”, or the “process in which race operates as a central axis of social relations, which then determine social, economic and political institutions and practices (Omi and Winant 19). Racial formation is subject to constant change because of contested identities, or because of rules created by the...
Words: 817 - Pages: 4
...Cultural Diversity Dominique Mayfield Eth 120 March 23, 2015 Heather Huber Cultural Diversity Diversity in the United States has continued to change throughout the years. The history of the United States along with immigration of different people from around the world has created a very diverse nation. Diversity is not only about different races or ethnicities but it also includes the disabled and people with different sexual orientations. With so many different races and cultural backgrounds it is important to learn and understand cultural diversity. By learning and understanding diversity it will result in a more well-rounded individuals and a nation that can eliminate prejudice and discrimination. What information about diversity in the United States has helped you better understand or relate to others in ways that you may not have in the past? Have you learned something new about your own racial, ethnic, or cultural history? I have learned a lot about diversity that will help me to better understand and relate to others. I was very surprised at how little I knew about the cultures of the other people around me. Many of the minority groups in the Unites States have had to overcome prejudice and discrimination. I have always thought that African Americans were the only minority group that suffered and experienced discrimination. In American History classes in the past slavery is something that has been discussed because of the role it played in The Civil War. To...
Words: 1319 - Pages: 6
...Cultural Diversity Week Nine Final Ken Jarrell ETH/125 October, 7, 2012 Phillip Auld Cultural Diversity Week Nine Final Culture has many definitions in society it can be defined as group’s beliefs, behaviors, and other characteristics. Each culture and the way that they define themselves is what make up the values that are shared by society. Diversity simply defined is a variety of differences. A uniqueness of each cultures individual beliefs and behaviors. The United States is a nation of a most diverse culture and race of people in the world. Gaining a better understanding of the diversity in the United States can be accomplished by taking a closer look at how some of the groups of people are identified. According to, (Schaefer, 2012), there four types of minority or subordinate groups in the United States racial, ethnic, religious, and gender. Racial groups are the grouping of people that are set apart socially by their physical differences color being the most obvious. Other differences are at the mercy of what society will deem as different or obvious. Racial groups are designated more by their physical differences rather than their cultural differences. Ethnic groups are groups set apart from others because of their national origin or distinctive cultural patterns (Schaefer, 2012). Ethnic groups depend on where you are from geographically. Religious groups are associated with a religion other than the dominate religion. The Protestants outnumber the other religions...
Words: 1648 - Pages: 7
...For my cultural diversity experience, I met with my friend Bella for lunch on November 12, 2017. Bella comes from a unique background. She herself being mixed race of black and white and then being adopted into a mixed race (White and Hispanic) family, she provided me with a special view on the world. I am predominately white and was not introduced to much diversity during my high school experience. The student body was 90% white at my high school, so I was not able to interact with a lot of different races. Most of my friends in high school were of the same race as I was. I would hang out with the same people and not venture out to broaden diverse relationships. Over our meal, she shared with me her experiences and encounters with racism and her feelings on the country’s current political standings. Our lunch did not feel anything way out of the ordinary, but that may be due to her upbringing. She was raised by her white mother and mentioned how she feels a disconnect from the typical African-American culture because of this....
Words: 604 - Pages: 3
...one mentions diversity they think of the different racial groups that they encounter on a daily basis. The United States, the country we call home, is one of the most diverse countries ever. Some people may not see all the diversity because they do not understand or are not willing to understand, or maybe they are just too busy with their daily lives. But if everyone was to just pay attention to the things they encounter and the people they interact with, they could really learn a lot. Since taking this class I have learned so much about the struggles that different cultures are faced with and it is so disturbing because it is something that they cannot even change, it is just who they are. Since our country is so diverse and we have so much “different”, we certainly have a lot of prejudice and discrimination that we need to work on. Some people would say it is because they are comfortable with their ways; I say it is just fear and ignorance. Growing up I lived in Elk Grove, California. It was a somewhat smaller town at the time and mostly consisted of Caucasian Americans. I am half Caucasian, or a mix of Italian and German, and my other half is Ecuadorian; Quito, Ecuador in South America. I was blessed enough to have an open hearted family where I never even knew what racism was until I started to see it first hand in school. In high school is where I really saw stereotyping and racism. Everyone hung out in different groups; the way the person dressed, the race the person was...
Words: 1289 - Pages: 6
...qualitative, or mixed methods. These advance plans of query explore not only potential clarification, but it explores different route that will conclude an exact treatment or intervention and influence an outcome. The three abbreviated research plans will be outlined in this paper, will provide possible clarification to the rising concerns in the U.S. on health disparities in to the people in the community that have limited or no health insurance that will prevent them from receiving adequate medication, health care, and the use of preventive measures such as diet and exercise (Walden, 2012). Strength and Limitation of Research Methods The two major strengths found in the quantitative research methods are that using the strategy of inquiry, the researcher have the chance to test and confirm presented theories about how and why incident happen and test theory assemble before the information is achieve to study a large number of people in a determined community or population (Creswell, 2009). The next strength of this research is that based on the findings, the investigator can make an overview when the composed information is based on casual samples of major size (Creswell, 2009). According to Creswell (2009), the strength for the qualitative methods is the data that are collected is based on the participant’s words, perspective, insights, behaviors, categories and attitudes. The research is not based on numbers that depend on the result based o the data. The mixed method is the...
Words: 2719 - Pages: 11
... Racism occurs when one ethnic group or people as a whole controls, excludes, or tries to exclude another on the idea of the differences that it believes are genetic and cannot be changed. A belief base for racism came to a realization in the Americas during the modern period. No clear and explicit evidence of racism has been found in other cultures or in Europe before the modern period. The identification of the Jews with the devil and witchcraft in the general public of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries was perhaps the first sign of a racist view of the world. Real support for such attitudes came in sixteenth century Spain when Jews who had converted to Christianity and their descendants became the victims of a regular pattern of discrimination and segregation. The period of the Renaissance and Reformation was also the time when Europeans were coming into increasing contact with people of darker skin-color in Africa, Asia, and the Americas and were making conclusions about them. The reasoning for enslaving Africans was that they were unconverted and unbelievers of God, associated between darkness and evil but slave traders and slave owners sometimes took a passage from the book of Genesis as their justification. Ham, derives from the Hebrew Ch’m, associated with being black and burnt. The story was subsequently used to underpin theories of the origin of Africans and to justify their enslavement. (Rattansi p.17) When the state of Virginia decreed in 1667 that...
Words: 1485 - Pages: 6
...in the United States has helped you better understand or relate to others in ways that you may not have in the past? From all the information that I have learned about diversity in the United States I believe it has helped me better to understand and to relate to other people better then I have in past. The information has also cause me to be more open minded. I know that diversity is all around us and will always be, but if it wasn't for diversity we would all be the same. When we deal with diversity we can learn new ways to better ourselves. When I was younger I wanted everything to be easy. As I have aged I have started to look for ways to challenge myself to try and think better, and that is when I was able to recognize diversity and how it plays a large part in our lives. Yes, I have learned that over the centuries my cultural has been involved in some really terrible things. Have you learned something new about your own racial, ethnic, or cultural history? During one of the assignment I had the opportunity to not only research and find out about my own heritage, but I learned about some of the history of my ancestors. I knew what my heritage was prior to this I was unaware of all the different tribulations that my people went through we they came to America in the beginning, but also what they experienced for several years after they arrived. Life in America was not easy for of the immigrants, but with hard work and determination each demo-graphical group has made...
Words: 467 - Pages: 2
...The Dimensions of Cultural Diversity According to Geert Hofestede, a scholar and researcher from the Netherlands, there are four dimensions of cultural diversity: power distance, collectivism vs. individualism, femininity vs. masculinity, and uncertainty avoidance. (Hofstede, n.d.). As cited by Maloney, Geert Hofstede, “…defined a dimension as an aspect of culture that can be measured relative to other cultures. He suggested that people carry “mental programs” which develop in the family and in early childhood and are reinforced in a person’s organizations and community. Hofstede further suggested that these mental programs include a component of national culture and are expressed in an individual’s values…” (Maloney, n.d.). Asrani (2000-2010), defines power distance as the extent to which a society accepts the fact that power in organizations is distributed unequally. Individualism/collectivism is defined as the extent to which people act on their own or as a part of a group. Uncertainty avoidance is defined as the extent to which people in a society feel threatened by uncertain and ambiguous situations. Masculinity/feminity [sic] is defined as the extent to which a society values quantity of life (e.g., accomplishment, money) over quality of life (e.g. compassion, beauty). (Diversity in Workforce, para. 6). Identification and Explanation Referencing Textbooks The factors of racism, ageism, sexism, (including prejudices against gays, lesbians, and other sexual...
Words: 1412 - Pages: 6
...Final paper ETH/125 March 14, 2013 During this course I have learned about diversity, race, ethnicity, cultural differences, stereotyping and prejudice. Much of the textbook reading has enlightened me on the immense diversity in the United States and in the world at large. The decisions that I partook in during this course have allowed me to interact with many diverse people from various backgrounds which is much like the way the United States and society is in general work. I really never thought about diversity in the way that was taught in this course; people come from many backgrounds and have rich and full cultures who live right here in my own community. Now that I see these cultures in a different light due to this course I can enjoy them more and not feel like they are so different from me and when they are different I can embrace those differences. Growing up in an urban area I was part of a very diverse neighborhood. The south side of town where I grew up was mixed with many races. There were African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, Caucasians, and many mixed races. As children I don’t think we paid too much attention to the racial tension that went on around us. I had friends of different races and for the most part we all got along. I remember times were some of the kids in the neighborhood would get into fights and you could see the racial divide that would unfold if those fighting were of different races. You would see kids taking sides of their...
Words: 1285 - Pages: 6
...Capella University COUNS 5334 March 14, 2011 Janice Reynolds Abstract This Asian American Population project will critically evaluate the theories, methods and research in cross-cultural awareness that relates to the Asian American Population. This Asian American Population project t will analyzed the influence of culture on attitudes, values, perceptions, human behavior and the interpersonal relations to the Asian American Population. The writer will identify potential problem that Asian Americans encounter in a pluralistic society such as the United States of America. The personal competencies will be identified and analyzed to improve interaction with Asians American within a counseling professional setting. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Title Page 1 2. Abstract 2 3. Introduction 4 4. Define Asian American 5 5. Historical Antecedents 6 6. Potential Problems 7 7. Educational Reflection 8 8. Personal Competencies 8 10. Theories Identity Formation 9 11. Action Plan 10 12. References 11 13. Annotated Bibliography 12 In Espiritu (1992) as the United States becomes an increasingly diverse society, the need for understanding the psychological impact of the immigrant and second-generation experience increases. This understanding is crucial for two distinct reasons: first, it will...
Words: 3464 - Pages: 14
...in the more wealthy areas, diversity in cultural and racial systems was almost non-existent. The area is also not very mixed religiously, being almost entirely dominated by the Mormon Church. People of the catholic faith are in the minority in the area. This can give a point of view on discrimination that is not as common among Caucasian males as it is among females and people of other races in the United States. The interest in history meant that there was a great deal of familiarity with the history of discrimination, but the realization that many of those struggles still persist today was never appreciated. Learning more about the current conditions of the various races, particularly the difference in salary has helped foster the understanding that discrimination is still very present in today’s society. The presence of discrimination has also helped with understanding the current situation. As part of the racial, cultural, and gender benefited groups, there was no real discriminatory experience related to these aspects, but struggles with disability and membership in the religious minority makes this a very real issue. There is little to learn in relation to race culture and ethnicity for a Caucasian male, but there is a lot to learn about the various disability and religious rights movements. The fact that employers are legally required to accommodate disability was very comforting. The demographics of the United States are changing greatly. Salt Lake City is...
Words: 1145 - Pages: 5
...Cultural Diversity Put name here ETH/125 07-08-12 Cisneros Cultural Diversity The history of the United States was established by different cultures coming together to create a wide range of diversity that was once referred to as the Melting Pot. However in today’s society cultural diversity can often be referred to as the elephant in the room. White American’s, as they are often stereotyped, are the largest offenders of the so called elephant in the room. Desiring to keep the United States pure and without diversity. Fortunately though there are many more American’s that view the mixed population of America as nothing more than the country their forefathers fought to keep. In the following paragraphs one will see exactly what is meant by cultural diversity, the challenges that the United States still faces in regards to embracing cultural diversity, who will be the minority in the U.S. in the coming decades, and the down falls and benefits that social media plays when it comes to the advances of a nation dealing with cultural diversity. As stated previously, the United States was founded on the beliefs of diversity. A change from, the British rule that no one desired to be under any longer and the desire to create and build their own country. The earliest settlers dealt with cultural diversity when knew immigrants came over from Europe. Some of those settlers were from Poland, Germany, Ireland, and so on. In those days the diversity leaned more towards religious...
Words: 1716 - Pages: 7
...Appendix E Part I Define the following terms: |Term |Definition | |Racial formation |Is to look at race as a socially constructed identity, where social, economic, and political forces| | |determine the content and importance of racial categories. | |Segregation |Segregation is the separation of people or things from a main group. It is the action or state of | | |setting someone or something apart from other people or things or being set apart from others. | |De jure segregation |Law in which a social system that provides separate facilities for minority groups imposes it. It | | |is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. | |Pluralism |A condition in which numerous distinct ethnic, religious, or cultural groups are present and | | |tolerated within a society. Is the theory that a multitude of groups, not the people as a whole, | | |governs the United States. | |Assimilation |Assimilation is a term referring to another part of the adaptation process. Through...
Words: 1022 - Pages: 5
... * * Mostly, I now have a better understanding of the diversity within groups that would be different from the ones that I am considered to be in. I have seen groups of people that are all grouped as one but are actually more individual than meets the eye. An example of this is the differences within the Jewish community. According to Schaefer (2012), “The Judaic faith embraces several factions or denominations that are similar in their roots but marked by sharp distinctions. No precise data reveal the relative numbers of the three major groups. Part of the problem is the difficulty of placing individuals in the proper group. For example, it is common for a Jew to be a member of an Orthodox congregation but consider him- or herself Conservative. The following levels of affiliation are based on a 2010 national survey of Jewish Americans: * _ Orthodox—10 percent _ Conservative—24 percent _ Reconstructionist—2 percent _ Reform—26 percent _ just Jewish—23 percent * _ not sure—1 percent” (p. 337). * * This has given me a better understanding of this group’s diversity and made me realize that is the choice of the individual to follow their desired path. One thing new I learned about my own racial cultural history is that it is a lot easier for this group to hide within its own kind than it is for others. Because of the volume of people that fall into this racial category, it is the ones that create most of the difficulties for others, that then...
Words: 1255 - Pages: 6
