Racial and Ethnic Diversity and Inequality
Racial and Ethnic Diversity and Inequality Prejudice is an unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought or reason. Prejudice may arise from many sources, including the views of family or peers, or it may come from strong identification with a particular group. From any source, prejudice is a problem that faces the American society today. As I enter the second semester of my college career I am able to better visualize the problem of racial and ethnic discrimination as well as prejudice. Living in such a diverse atmosphere as a college dormitory, helps make this topic more personal and easier for me to grasp. I live in an environment where people from different social categories have come together. Living with and around people of all races and ethnic backgrounds illustrates that people hold rigid opinions of members of a different social category. Prejudice is personally relevant to me because I am surrounded by people who often make social prejudgments about others before they even get to know them. I am examining the extent of prejudice through a survey of eleven questions designed to enable me to come to a general consensus about prejudice in today’ . . .
Superior numbers, technology, weapons, property, or economic resources enable a certain ethnic group to hold power (Ross). It is believed that the racial hierarchy, with white groups of “European derivation at the top and people of color at the bottom, provides essential functions for society and for specific groups of people” (Yetman,51). A total of both six males and females were surveyed. Four of the twelve surveyed were 17-19 years old including three females and one male. Prejudice is principally harmful to one’s emotions and or attitudes and more importantly can lead to discrimination. The plans of the civil rights victories that would end racial injustice have been crushed in the past twenty years due to powerful racial transformations. “… the historical sequence of intergroup contacts in America created a particular pattern of social ‘layers’ among America’s ethnic groups, an ethnic stratification system, in which the groups differ in power and prestige” (McLemore and Romo, 130). Five people believed that affirmative action should decrease, four said increase and three said it should stay the same. Prejudice is a deep-rooted problem that does not just lie on the surface of society. No trends in answers seemed to follow age groups. This hierarchy permits the powerful to keep their control and advantages. Finding solid material in four hard copy books and in two internet sources, I was able to begin my survey. Each survey took an estimate of five minutes or less to complete. By asking if they have any close friends that are of different racial/ethnic backgrounds than them and if they view themselves as a prejudice person in any way allows me to see if they are prejudice and willing to admit it.
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