“The Color of Justice,” Michelle Alexander
Michelle Alexander examines the racial disparities in our criminal justice system,
finding that
“rates and patterns of drug crime do not explain” the fact that “although the majority of
illegal drug users and dealers nationwide are White, three-fourths of all people
imprisoned for drug offenses are Black or Latino.” Alexander identifies two stages in a
structural process that results in the unjust disparities she finds in the system of
“racialized social control” that passes itself off as criminal justice.
_________________ students use crack cocaine at eight times the rate of
_____________
students,
a. Black/White
b. Latino/White
c. White/Black
d. Black/Latino
“Interpreting and Experiencing Anti-Queer Violence: Race, Class and gender
Differences Among LGBT Hate Crime Victims,” Doug Meyer
Doug Meyer uses an intersectional approach and a qualitative methodology to explore
how victims of violence in the LBGT community experience victimization differently
according to race, class gender and sexuality. Meyer finds that multiple intersecting
oppressed statuses make the identification of hate crime more complicated for all but
middle and upper class White gay men. Those statutes may then serve primarily the
interests of those White men, not the interests of lesbian and bisexual women, and
particularly not LGBT people of color.
In his study, Meyer found that queer people of color were ____________________
likely than White gay men to express uncertainty as to the cause of their violent
experiences:
a. less
b. just as
c. 10 times more
d. twice as
“Are Emily and Greg More Employable Than Lakisha and Jamal?” Marianne
Bertrand and Sendhil Mullainathan
Recognizing that all measures of economic success show racial inequalities in the
United States labor market, these authors designed and conducted a study to determine
whether perceptions of race connected with an applicant’s name might influence
whether the applicant got called for an interview. They created fictitious job applicants
and assigned names suggestive of different races to identical resumes. This article
reports their findings.
Bertrand and Mullainathan conclude that job training programs _______________ to
alleviate the racial gap in labor market outcomes.
a. are unnecessary
b. may not be enough
c. are the only thing needed
d. are the one thing missing from social programs
“From a Native Daughter,” Haunani-Kay Trask
Trask describes her experiences of growing up and learning about Hawaiian history
from two sources. Her family described the “”life of the old ones'” ” how they planted,
fished, danced and chanted. The second source, textbooks, described a very different
Hawaii ” “”Pagan Hawaiians'” could not read or write and were “”lustful cannibals.””
Trask is troubled by how native language has been suppressed by school knowledge.
She concludes that historians had never learned the language of the Hawaiian people.
Therefore, the story of Hawaii, its culture and connection to the land remains unwritten.
The Hawaiian language shows possession in two ways: through the use of an “a”
possessive, which indicates , and through the use of an “o” possessive which denotes:
a. civilized status; less developed status
b. inherent status; acquired status
c. acquired status; inherent status
d. less developed status; civilized status
“Unspeakable Offenses: Untangling Race and Disability in Discourses of
Intersectionality,” Nirmala Erevelles and Andrea Minear
Erevelles and Minear argue that while intersectionality scholars focusing on the
connection between race and gender is important, that another factor; disability, should
also be considered. Disability specifically as related to education is examined, focusing
on the significantly higher rates that students of color are labeled and tracked into
“special needs” programs. They also argue that the way in which disability is often seen
as exclusively a biological, rather than social condition causes it to not receive the
consideration that it should.
Erevelles and Minear argue that intersectional studies by critical race feminist scholars
ignore:
a. income
b. education
c. disability
d. social standing
“Straight is to Gay as Family is to No Family,” Kath Weston
This essay presents a distinct dichotomy that depicts the establishment and maintenance
of family and extended kin in the gay and straight world. Weston delineates a path of
rejection, isolation and loneliness from straight families as gay persons attempt to
establish individual identities. In addressing misperceptions surrounding gay life, this
essay also introduces alternative approaches to the establishment and cultivation of
family life.
Based on Weston’s research, some lesbians and gay men have embraced the popular
equation of their sexual identities with the:
a. hope for a better future.
b. renunciation of access to kinship.
c. renunciation of fear.
d. remnants of power and success.
“The Prison and the Closet,” Patricia Hill Collins
Patricia Hill Collins considers the intersecting relationship between racism and
heterosexism. She argues that the assumption that these two hegemonic ideologies
represent separate systems of oppression obscures the fact that racism and sexism rely
upon each other for meaning. Without sacrificing the acknowledgement of differences
in the way that racism and heterosexism manifest, the author shows that the two
systems converge and that both systems affect the everyday lives of all people.
According to Patricia Hill Collins, if marriage were in fact a natural and normal
occurrence between heterosexual couples and if it occurred naturally within racial
categories there would be no need to_____________________ it.
a. allow
b. regulate
c. discuss
d. allow divorces from
“From a Native Daughter,” Haunani-Kay Trask
Trask describes her experiences of growing up and learning about Hawaiian history
from two sources. Her family described the “”life of the old ones'” ” how they planted,
fished, danced and chanted. The second source, textbooks, described a very different
Hawaii ” “”Pagan Hawaiians'” could not read or write and were “”lustful cannibals.””
Trask is troubled by how native language has been suppressed by school knowledge.
She concludes that historians had never learned the language of the Hawaiian people.
Therefore, the story of Hawaii, its culture and connection to the land remains unwritten.
By claiming that Hawaiians lived under feudalism, Whites
a. alienated the Hawaiian people from the land
b. instituted land tenure changes in line with current notions of private property
c. degraded a successful system of shared land use
d. all of these answers are correct
“Where’s the Honor? Attitudes toward the “Fighting Sioux” Nickname and
Logo,” Dana M. Williams
Williams provides an overview of the use of Native American stereotypes as sports
mascots both at the professional and college levels. While public opinion has been
turning against these images, some exceptions have been allowed (in cases in which the
use was overwhelmingly supported by the tribes in question), but little has been done to
study the effects of these names and logos on White students. The study centers on the
University of North Dakota’s Fighting Sioux, a school that has a sizeable population of
the group being portrayed. Findings were consistent with previous studies that found
Native American students showed less support for the imagery than their White
counterparts did. While the study did not find that the Native American students felt the
use of the name and logo was hostile or abusive, they were also not as supportive of its
use.
Which group had the greatest resistance to the thought of changing the “Fighting Sioux”
nickname?
a. Those who attended fewer than five sporting events
b. Football and men’s basketball fans
c. Those who attended no sporting events
d. Football fans only
“The Prison and the Closet,” Patricia Hill Collins
Patricia Hill Collins considers the intersecting relationship between racism and
heterosexism. She argues that the assumption that these two hegemonic ideologies
represent separate systems of oppression obscures the fact that racism and sexism rely
upon each other for meaning. Without sacrificing the acknowledgement of differences
in the way that racism and heterosexism manifest, the author shows that the two
systems converge and that both systems affect the everyday lives of all people.
The sexual exploitation of women has been a basic ingredient of _____________,
according to the authors:
a. sexism
b. prisons
c. closets
d. racism
“Rethinking Cyberfeminism(s): Race, Gender, and Embodiment,” Jessie Daniels
Jessie Daniels outlines the concept of cyberfeminism, a multifaceted interaction
between technology and gender. Two major areas are discussed, the first being the
globalization of feminism that the Internet allows, and the second is the ability to
engage in “identity tourism” in an online capacity. For the first, access to the Internet
may be heavily affected by the ability to access technology based upon socioeconomic
status, but beyond that it is able to cross racial and ethnic lines. It also allows for a safe
space for women who may be experiencing a multitude of oppression based on their
gender, and the ability to interact with others they would never be able to meet
otherwise. Identity tourism, on the other hand, is the ability for people on the Internet to
adopt a different gender or identity overall. Research shows, however, that people are
less likely to adopt a different identity when online, but instead use the resources and
interactions as a way to affirm and strengthen their own “real world” identity.
One reason that, across the world, women lag behind men in Internet access is due to:
a. economic resources
b. education
c. time constraints
d. lack of literacy
“Is This A White Country, or What?” Lillian Rubin
Lillian Rubin demonstrates the links between economic competition, racial prejudice,
and the anti-immigration sentiments expressed by working class whites. Rubin points
out that while there is a long history of racial hostility toward immigrant groups in
America, the limited employment opportunities and the darker skin tones of recent
immigrants have intensified these hostilities. Racism and nativism, according to Rubin,
is apparent in Whites’ views of recent immigrants and people of color. The visibility of
and the demands for recognition expressed by these groups are seen as threats to whites’
economic livelihood and their understanding of America. Rubin’s interviews with
working class Whites illustrate this point, as well as two contradictions evident in
Whites’ attitudes toward immigrants and people of color: Whites resent the unity of
these groups, yet they exclude them from dominant society. Whites criticize members
of these groups for their perceived failures as well as their successes. Rubin asserts that
Whites have begun to reclaim their ethnic heritage as a way to secure what they see as
their hard earned position of privilege in American society.
According to “Is This A White Country, or What?” being White no longer
automatically assures dominance in the politics of a ___________________society.
a. racialized
b. multiracial
c. gendered
d. corporate
“Race as Class,” Herbert J. Gans
Noting that most biologists argue that scientifically there can be no human “races’ and
that sociologists argue that concepts of race are socially constructed, Gans links the
persistent lay definition of “race” to the hierarchy of social class in the U.S. The laity,
he claims, notice variations in select physical characteristics and “see” these variations
as markers of individual races. The lay public then uses their definitions of race to place
individuals in hierarchal categories that correspond to social class locations. Gans
further claims that many immigrant groups were “blanched” or “whitened” in the lay
imagination once those groups experienced upward mobility. This was not the case, he
says for African Americans. While the reasons for this exception are a “mystery” to
Gans, he expects it to persist unless class hierarchies finally disappear “in some utopian
future.”
The only population whose social features are not automatically perceived differently
with upward mobility is:
a. Asian Americans
b. Native Americans
c. South Americans
d. African Americans
“Seeing Privilege Where It Isn”t: Marginalized Masculinities and the
Intersectionality of Privilege”, Bethany M. Coston and Michael Kimmel
Coston and Kimmel take a different approach to studying intersectionality and
privilege, in this case the way in which a class with privilege (males) intersects with
one without (disabled, gay, and working class). They theorize that the reason for this
intersectional marginalization is that all three classes remove some element of
masculinity: physical prowess for the disabled, the dominant role in sexuality for gay
men, and expendability in the case of working class men. The primary focus becomes
that privilege too is not a dichotomous, black and white issue, but also one subject to
intersectionality.
According to Coston and Kimmel, expectations for men in US society can be summed
up as
a. “hegemonic masculinity”
b. “toxic masculinity”
c. “machismo”
d. “hegemonic dominance”
“There’s No Business Like the Nail Business,” Miliann Kang
Kang takes a double pronged approach to her article, examining both why the beauty
industry, specifically related to manicures and pedicures, has shifted from something
done within the home to something performed professionally. She also examines the
prevalence of Korean women within this industry. Kang claims the expansion of the
industry is the factor of these two events coming together: women looking to reinforce
their femininity as part of an overall “commercialization of intimate life” that appeal to
emotions and bodies in a form of escapism. With the increase of immigrants, largely
female and Asian, who perform the work, the prices are kept low enough and the
availability of services have done nothing but increase the popularity of this industry.
In general, ________ cater to a more racially and ethnically diverse clientele, while
_______ often focus on a single race or ethnicity
a. Hair salons, nail salons
b. Day spas, nail salons
c. Nail salons, hair salons
d. Hair salons, day spas
According to Gregory Mantsios, among all the industrialized nations in the world,
_______________ is the most stratified.
a. Canada
b. Sweden
c. The United States
d. New Mexico
“What White Supremacists Taught a Jewish Scholar about Identity,”Abby L.
Ferber
Abby L. Ferber examines the interdependence of systems of oppression. Her research
on white supremacy reveals the connection white supremacists groups make between
anti-Semitism and racism in their efforts to maintain the dominant position of Whites in
society. Ferber asserts that the changing racial classification of Jews, as revealed in their
history, demonstrates the social construction of race. Ferber contrasts her own
experience as a Jewish woman, who racially identifies herself as White, with that of her
ancestors who experienced discrimination based on their designation as an inferior,
non-White race. The variability of racial classifications directly challenges the white
supremacists view of innate, and undeniable, White supremacy. Ferber contends that in
order to maintain their position of racial superiority, white supremacists target Jews in
an attempt to deny their evolved racial classification, thereby denying the relativeness
and ambiguity of race.
Contemporary white supremacist define Jews as non-white: “not a religion, they are
an Asiatic race,
a. locked in a mortal conflict with mortal man.”
b. locked in a mortal conflict with Aryan man.”
c. locked in a mortal conflict with Asian man.”
d. locked in a mortal conflict with Black man.”
“A Different Mirror,” Ronald T. Takaki
Through personal reflection and historical summaries, Ronald T. Takaki explores
multicultural America. As a Japanese American, Takaki argues that the historical and
cultural influence of the Japanese, as well as other racial and ethnic groups, on
American culture is largely unrecognized. The contributions of racial and ethnic groups
must be acknowledged to fully appreciate the true essence of American identity.
Takaki illustrates how despite historical similarities, racial and ethnic groups have been
pitted against one another, and their historical presence denied. Yet, he points out, their
influences and contributions to society are evident everywhere. He argues that
recognizing the value of their experiences allows for an enlightened understanding of
our common history and the tensions and struggles evident among racial and ethnic
groups today.
Takaki examines how the Jewish immigrant’s view of America as a promised land led
to:
a. their participation in the fight for equal rights for other oppressed groups.
b. their acceptance by dominant society.
c. their rapid return to their homeland.
d. an absence of anti-semitism in the U.S.
“Media Magic: Making Class Invisible,” Gregory Mantsios
Gregory Mantsios examines the way media misrepresents social class by creating an
illusion of an egalitarian society and thereby hiding social and economic inequalities.
Mantsios argues that the media creates a false sense of universal membership in the
middle class. He claims that the working and middle classes come to fear and hold the
poor responsible for their hardships while remaining blind to the damage the upper
class inflicts on society.
According to Gregory Mantsios in “Media Magic: Making Class Invisible,” the media
creates a universal middle class. This results in:
a. the middle class fearing and blaming anyone who is less affluent.
b. more power to address poverty in America.
c. more unity in the fight against the waste of the wealthy.
d. the increasing size of the middle class.
“Navigating Interracial Borders: Black-White Couples and their Social Worlds,”
Erica Chito Childs
Erica Chito Childs examines the experiences and challenges that Black/White couples
face within their families and communities. Although interracial relationships and
marriages are often viewed as a sign of improving race relations, she argues that these
relationships are often met with opposition from both White and Black communities.
She examines the discourse that families use when discussing their feelings and beliefs
about interracial relationships. She finds, for example, that White families often pose
their opposition to Black/White marriage in non-racial terms and stress that they are
“concerned” for how difficult society would make life for the child who is involved
interracially. In contrast to White families, Black families emphasize the importance of
“marrying Black” to their children and explicitly identify race as an issue. Her
conclusion is that because interracial couples exist in, what she terms, a “borderland”
between Black and White, her examination of interracial couples offers much to our
understanding contemporary race relations. The beliefs expressed by the both the Black
and White families illustrate the centrality of race in constructing families and identities
and, particularly, the social construction of race.
When Childs asked White respondents why their families would oppose them being
involved
in an interracial relationship, many of the participants cited _______________ as the
reason why they and/or their family personally would prefer that their family not
become involved interracially.
a. “opposition of the larger society”
b. “personal prejudices”
c. “previous personal experience”
d. “mistrust”
“Color-Blind Privilege: The Social and Political Functions of Erasing the
Color Line in Post Race America,” Charles A. Gallagher
Gallagher argues that a new form of racist thinking, an ideology called color-blind
racism, has become dominant among whites in America. Media and popular culture
have created an illusion of equality by reducing race to cultural symbols that are
marketed to everyone. Symbols of racial equality are embodied in the images of
successful personalities in politics and sports, as well as in commodities as diverse as
music, clothing, condiments, and cars. This focus on race as merely symbolic allows a
majority of whites to believe that racial harmony prevails, institutional racism has been
eliminated, and race no longer shapes life chances. This myth buttresses the deeply held
belief that America is a meritocracy and that therefore any advantages that whites have
now relative to racial minorities are earned advantages, achieved through individual
effort. White privilege is thus rendered invisible, and support for programs that address
problems caused by institutional racism is undermined.
A color-blind perspective insinuates that ____ are responsible for racial inequality:
a. social institutions
b. individuals
c. laws and policies
d. women
“How a Scholarship Girl Becomes a Soldier: The Militarization of Latina/o Youth
in Chicago Public Schools,” Gina Perez
Gina Perez explores the complicated relationship between young Latina/o students in
Chicago and the U.S. military. Perez argues that in addition to limited economic
opportunities, gendered understandings of autonomy, family obligations, honor and
respectability influence, how young people respond to the increasingly militarized
educational context.
For Chicago Puerto Ricans, the military is an institution understood to be:
a. an unacceptable route to success
b. a predator to young students hoping to gain higher education
c. an important avenue of social mobility
d. a potential interruption on the road of social mobility
“The First Americans: Americans Indians,” Matthew Snipp
Matthew Snipp presents a historical summary of the United States’ treatment of
American Indians: removal, assimilation, the Indian New Deal, termination and
relocation, and self determination. In the early 1800s removal of American Indians was
the goal of the United States. Increased population and newly acquired land encouraged
the push of American Indians westward, first through negotiated treaties and ultimately
through forced removal. These actions resulted in severe hardship for American Indians
physically and culturally. At the end of the 1800s the government policy regarding
American Indians shifted to assimilation, or rather “humane extinction.” The goal of the
government, Snipp points out was to “civilize” American Indians through religion,
education, ownership of property, and agricultural careers. The effect of assimilation on
American Indians was the loss and disorganization of land, the impact of which is still
being felt today.
In the early 1930s the government encompassed American Indians in the New Deal
programs. This shift in treatment demonstrated a new respect for American Indian
culture and land. Economic and infrastructure support was granted to American Indian
reservations, and tribal governance was allowed. American Indian policy took a
different shift after WWII with the goals of termination and relocation. The United
States government sought to terminate their dealing with American Indians and relocate
American Indians to urban areas. In the era of the Civil Rights movement, yet another
shift in United States and American Indian relations occurred. “Self-determination,” the
goal of American Indian autonomy, became the focus resulting in greater control of
tribal governments and the end to termination policies. Snipp concludes with a
discussion of the current status of American Indians. Population growth among
American Indians has increased on reservations and in Urban areas. Snipp points out
that both of these segments of the American Indian population face economic hardship.
Urban American Indians also face the struggle of maintaining their culture away from
reservations. Pan-Indianism has served to unite American Indian tribes in their fight for
survival.
The “Trail of Tears” resulted from which of the following policies:
a. the Indian New Deal.
b. removal.
c. assimilation.
d. self-determination.