All flashcards
Flashcard 1: What is racism?
Answer: Prejudice plus power that produces systemic racial inequality. Requires institutional power, not just individual bias.
Flashcard 2: What is the sociological definition of ethnicity?
Answer: Shared cultural heritage such as language, customs, and ancestry. Based on cultural practices, not physical appearance.
Flashcard 3: What is the sociological definition of race as used in MCAT psychology/sociology?
Answer: A socially constructed category based on perceived physical traits. Emphasizes social construction, not biological reality.
Flashcard 4: Which term describes the belief that race has a biological, genetically fixed basis?
Answer: Biological essentialism. Incorrectly assumes race has genetic basis.
Flashcard 5: What is colorism?
Answer: Preference and privilege for lighter skin within a racial/ethnic group. Discrimination based on skin tone, not just race.
Flashcard 6: What is institutional (structural) racism?
Answer: Systemic inequity produced by laws, policies, and institutions. Embedded in societal structures, not individual acts.
Flashcard 7: What is stereotype threat?
Answer: Performance impairment from fear of confirming a negative stereotype. Anxiety about stereotype causes actual performance decline.
Flashcard 8: What is a stereotype?
Answer: An overgeneralized belief about a group. Fixed, oversimplified image applied to all group members.
Flashcard 9: What is internalized racism?
Answer: Acceptance of negative racial beliefs by members of the targeted group. When oppressed groups believe negative stereotypes about themselves.
Flashcard 10: What is interpersonal racism?
Answer: Racist acts or behaviors occurring between individuals. Direct person-to-person discriminatory actions.
Flashcard 11: What is discrimination?
Answer: Unequal treatment of people based on group membership. Prejudice put into action through differential treatment.
Flashcard 12: Identify the concept: A student underperforms after being reminded of a stereotype about their group.
Answer: Stereotype threat. Awareness of stereotype triggers anxiety and poor performance.
Flashcard 13: What is passing in the context of race?
Answer: Being perceived as a member of a different racial group. When racial identity is misperceived or hidden.
Flashcard 14: What is the one-drop rule historically used in the United States?
Answer: Any African ancestry classified a person as Black. Historical legal principle defining racial boundaries.
Flashcard 15: Which concept describes racism that is embedded in normal, everyday institutional practices?
Answer: Structural racism. Same as institutional racism; built into systems.
Flashcard 16: Identify the concept: A hospital policy is race-neutral but yields worse outcomes for one race.
Answer: Institutional (structural) racism via disparate impact. Neutral policies can still create racial disparities.
Flashcard 17: What is the key distinction between race and ethnicity on the MCAT?
Answer: Race is socially assigned; ethnicity is cultural identification. Race is imposed by society; ethnicity is self-chosen.
Flashcard 18: What is racialization?
Answer: Assigning racial meaning to a group, practice, or relationship. Process of creating racial categories where none existed.
Flashcard 19: What is the definition of out-group in social psychology?
Answer: A group perceived as not belonging to one’s in-group. Those seen as different from one's own group.
Flashcard 20: What is the definition of in-group in social psychology?
Answer: A group with which a person identifies and feels membership. Creates sense of belonging and shared identity.
Flashcard 21: What is the difference between individual racism and institutional racism?
Answer: Individual: personal bias; institutional: systemic policies and practices. Personal actions vs. organizational structures.
Flashcard 22: What is the difference between stereotype and prejudice?
Answer: Stereotype is a belief; prejudice is an evaluative attitude. Stereotypes are cognitive; prejudice adds emotional judgment.
Flashcard 23: What is stereotyping in the context of race and ethnicity?
Answer: Overgeneralized beliefs about characteristics of group members. Assumes all members share the same traits.
Flashcard 24: What is discrimination, as distinguished from prejudice?
Answer: Unequal behavior or treatment toward a group. Actions taken based on group membership.
Flashcard 25: What is prejudice, as distinguished from discrimination?
Answer: A negative attitude or belief about a group. Internal thoughts/feelings, not necessarily acted upon.
Flashcard 26: Which term describes the everyday, subtle insults or slights toward marginalized racial groups?
Answer: Microaggressions. Brief, often unintentional acts that communicate bias.
Flashcard 27: Which term describes unequal treatment based on race that is embedded in institutions?
Answer: Institutional racism. Policies and practices that create racial inequality.
Flashcard 28: What is racialization in sociology?
Answer: The process of assigning racial meaning to people, groups, or practices. Making something racial that wasn't previously seen that way.
Flashcard 29: What is the sociological definition of ethnicity as used on the MCAT?
Answer: Shared cultural traits such as language, religion, history, and customs. Cultural identity markers that groups share and pass down.
Flashcard 30: What is the sociological definition of race as used on the MCAT?
Answer: A socially constructed category based on perceived physical traits. Not biological but based on society's interpretation of appearance.