Written and Discussion Questions from Andrew Hacker’s TWO NATIONS and the articles on e-reserve.

These assignments are intended to help you focus on some of the more significant questions raised by the book and e-reserve articles and also will be very good preparation for exams.

The written assignments will be evaluated in the following way: two checks for particularly good answers, one check for adequate answers, and no checks for inadequate answers. In general, the difference between very good answers and adequate ones is that very good answers will be more thoughtful and elaborate and demonstrate a better understanding of the readings. Since some of the questions can be answered in a number of ways, answers need to be informed by the chapter’s or article’s material, even when you may be critical of the author’s analysis.

Your work on these assignments will be taken into account when determining your final grade.

Missing two or more of these assignments will automatically lower your final grade by one letter.

Please note: I will not accept assignments handed in late (unless there is a legitimate reason).
Sociology 328 Racial and Ethnic Minorities

Questions for Hacker’s Preface and Chapters 1-3 and the e-reserve articles

Please hand in answers to questions #1, 5, 6, 9 and 12 (Elijah Anderson) on Thursday, Feb 4. We will discuss these and the other questions below on that day.

Preface and Chapter One. [Chapters refer to Hacker’s Two Nations.]

1. In his preface, Hacker notes the conclusion of the report of the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders (Kerner Commission): “Our nation is moving toward two societies, one black, one white, separate and unequal.” This was published in 1968. A different report released in March 1992 titled “Democracy’s Next Generation II” presented the results of a survey of 1170 young Americans, aged 15-24. The survey found that 50% described race relations in America as “generally bad.” The survey also noted a large “perception gap” between black and white youths pertaining to opportunities for people like themselves. Forty-nine percent of white youths thought they were more likely to lose out on scholarships and jobs because of discrimination, while 68% of blacks and 52% of Hispanics thought minorities were more likely to be harmed. Interestingly, few whites could cite actual instances where they believed whites were discriminated against.

In May 2000, the National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ) released the results of a national survey on prejudice and discrimination conducted earlier that year. The report found evidence of the “perception gap” mentioned above. Many white respondents denied that discrimination exists, while many minorities reported being the subject of discrimination. The study asked those interviewed how many episodes of discrimination based on their race that they have personally experienced. Forty-two percent of black respondents reported experiencing at least one episode of discrimination a month (and 13% reported experiencing at least two episodes) compared to 31% of Asian American, 16% of Hispanic, and 13% of white respondents. The director of the NCCJ, Stanford Cloud, Jr., commented that “acts of discrimination occur regularly and among different groups… a gulf of life experience is separating our people and communities into many Americas.”

Why do you think there are such differences in perceptions between blacks and whites that both reports cited? If a similar study was done today, do you think the results would be much different? Do you think that race relations in this country have deteriorated, improved or stayed about the same over the past 10-20 years? Has the election and re-election of Barack Obama had any impact on race relations? Give reasons for your answers.

2. The report “Democracy’s Next Generation II” also noted that more 70% of those surveyed said “they had a close personal relationship” with a person of another race. Whites generally spoke of their black and other “nonwhite” friends in positive terms: hard working, interested in education and careers, etc. However, white youths also tended to believe many of the negative stereotypes about minorities in general, despite positive personal experiences with particular minorities.

Why this discrepancy? What do you think are the most important sources that perpetuate negative stereotypes? Why are they so powerful that people seem to believe them despite their own personal experiences?

3. Hacker discusses the use of the term “African-American” on pp.16-17 and p.31. A recent study done by the Washington Post using black and white focus groups indicated that many whites resent the term “African-American,” feeling that blacks were trying to set themselves apart.

How do you and people you know respond to the term “African-American?” Why should that cause resentment in some whites, while terms like “Mexican-American” or “Irish-American” do not?