How do comparisons of race and ethnic relations among different countries around the world support the view that colonization is a major cause of inequality and conflict along the lines of race or ethnicity?

4. In the “Chinese Exclusion Example” by Erica Lee, Lee argues that new Asian immigrants were seen as a threat to the United States because of their race and their labor.  Discuss how Asians were perceived by nativists, and why the Chinese were seen as racially threatening.  Next compare the ideas behind this threat as it persists today in the selection entitled, Neither Black nor White” by Angelo N. Ancheta.  Use support from both essays to explain how the racialization of Chinese immigrants provided a model for evaluating other immigrants from Asia, Mexico, and Southern Europe.
7. Identify, then compare and contrast the sociological perspectives on majority-minority relations (the functionalist or order perspective and the conflict perspective).  Which perspective resonates more true to you?  Why?  What life experiences do you have that support either of these theoretical perspectives on majority-minority relations?  Please describe the theoretical perspective you are reflecting on because this will help you and your classmates to learn them (in other words, do not simply respond to the order or conflict perspective without defining it first)
8. Many factors contribute to a life of poverty.  Visit the interview with William Julius Wilson.  Using Wilson and Farley, identify three reasons why family structure or family type may be an important cause of high rates of poverty among minorities.  Then, identify three reasons why family structure or family type may not be an important cause of high rates of poverty among minorities.  Finally, what are your thoughts on how these factors may (or may not) lead to poverty that cycle into the next generation?
9. Visit the U.S. History website and read The Peculiar Institution.  Choose three narratives from slave narratives (scroll down to “Special Presentations” then “Voices and Faces ” to listen to their experiences and read the commentary on the Native American Trail of Tears.  Then complete the reading in the Farley text on Mexican-Americans.  Compare and contrast all three of these minority groups and post your response.  How does this help you understand the exploitation of minorities?  Please state the names of the three slave narratives in your post as your compare and contrast these minorities.
10. In your opinion, what role did the Civil Rights Movement play in the emergence in the 1960s of similar social movements among Mexican Americans, American Indians, and other groups.
11. How do comparisons of race and ethnic relations among different countries around the world support the view that colonization is a major cause of inequality and conflict along the lines of race or ethnicity?  Provide specific examples to support your argument from the Farley text.
12. View the video “Tim Wise and White Privilege”from this week’s lecture.  According to Wise, what are the race-related issues?  How does white privilege affect both those who have it and those who do not?
13. Compare the Farley text to the Betancourt and Dogra article.  Were you aware of racial and/or ethnic discrimination in this sphere prior to this week’s readings?  If so, how were you made aware? If not, why do you think you were unaware?  To what extent do you think racial and ethnic discrimination within the economic and health care systems is intentional?  If you see it as intentional, why would it be so?  If you view it as unintentional, why do you think it is ongoing?
14. Comment on the theories attempting to explain economic inequality that you read in the Farley text.  Pick one of the three theoretical explanations for racial inequality in the economic sphere. Explain it thoroughly.  What are the strengths and weaknesses of this explanation (not your opinion; this is found in the text).
15. Which of the four approaches in the Farley text do you think is the best for resolving problems of majority-minority inequality in education?  Why do you think it is the best approach? Provide details to demonstrate that you have read the Farley chapters thoroughly and understand them.
16. Explore the  ways that the legal system might do a better job of protecting the rights of minorities and preventing them from becoming victims of unscrupulous business practices.  Next, describe ways in which the legal system continues to work that has the effect of discrimination on the basis of race and class.  What would it take to create a legal system that does not discriminate in business practices, race and class?
17. View LZ Granderson’s presentation, The Myth of the Gay Agenda.  Next, visit the Human Rights Campaign website and choose one of the resources from the website to explore in more depth. Is the information in the Granderson’s webcast and the Human Rights Campaign new to you?  If so, what is new to you?  How do you weave the information in Granderson’s webcast and the reading into an understanding of LGBT issues?  Does this information dispel some of the inconsistencies and stereotypes that seem to exist for LGBT people?  Identify these issues and summarize those that you consider to be the most important.
18. Define affirmative action and describe the two views: reverse discrimination/racism and undoing discrimination/racism.  How effective have affirmative action policies been for African Americans?  For women?  (Use evidence from your text to answer this question). Based upon the information presented in the text, should affirmative action policies be abolished or continued?  Why?  Are there other alternatives to equal opportunity?  Support your answer.  I don’t want biases, personal anecdotes, or simplistic thinking here. In order to earn full credit in this post, you will need to show thorough knowledge of the arguments made in the Farley text.


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