MGT322_Week 4
/ 10 Contribution Points
Week 4 Contribution Worksheet
Reading: Chapter 4 (Race and Ethnic Origin)
1. What is the difference between race
and ethnicity
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Race is a social category that often based on physical characteristics such as skin color, facial features, and hair texture and used to group of people in broader categories such as Black, White, Asian
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Ethnicity refers to a group of people that shares languages, religion, culture, and historical experience.
2. Is race biologically determined? Explain. No, race is not biologically determined. It is a social construct that does not have a basis in the genetic differences among human populations. While there are biological variations across humans, these variations do not align with the categories used to define race. Genetic studies show that there is more genetic diversity within racial groups than between them, indicating that the concept of race does not accurately reflect human genetic diversity.
3. According to the textbook, what does the term Caucasian actually mean? "Caucasian" is often critiqued for its historical and anthropological inaccuracies. Originally, it referred to people from the Caucasus region but was expanded in anthropological contexts to categorize people of European, North African, and parts of West Asia descent. This broad application is considered outdated and simplistic, given the complex genetic and cultural diversity within these populations. Such literature might emphasize that "Caucasian" as a racial classification oversimplifies human diversity and fails to acknowledge the socio-political constructions of race.
4. Explain what the term tokenism
means: Tokenism is the practice of making only a perfunctory or symbolic effort to be inclusive to members of minority groups, especially by recruiting people from underrepresented groups in order to give the appearance of racial or gender equality within a workplace or educational context.
5. Why are Asians stereotyped as the “model minority”, and why is this harmful? Asians are stereotyped as the “model minority” because they are perceived to achieve a higher degree of socioeconomic success than the general population, attributed to hard work, education, and law-abiding nature. This stereotype is harmful because it masks the diversity and real struggles within Asian communities, including discrimination, poverty, and mental health challenges. It also creates unrealistic expectations, pressures to conform to narrow standards of
