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LECTURE #2
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W.E.B. Du Bois
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W.E.B. Du Bois

 W.E.B. Du Bois was famously quoted in 1903 as saying that

‘the problem of the Twentieth Century is the problem of the
color-line’.
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Overview of Lecture

 How can we define ethnicity and race?

 What are differences and commonalties between ethnicity and
race?
 Course pack reading: Cornell and Hartmann ‘Mapping the
Terrains’
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Early Sociological Explainations of ethnicity

 Fredrik Barth (1969)

 was one of the first sociologists to explore how ethnicity was
socially constructed

 argued that ethnicity involved both self-ascription and the

ascription of others.
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Definition of Ethnicity

 John Farley (2000) defines an ethnic group ‘as a group of

people who are generally recognized by themselves and by
others as a distinct group, with such recognition based on
social or cultural characteristics’.
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Important Elements to Ethnicity

 Perceived common ancestry

 The perception of a shared history of some sort
 Shared symbols of peoplehood (kinship patterns, geographical
concentration, religious affiliation, language etc)
 Self Consciousness (Ethnic groups see themselves as distinct
but the source for self consciousness can be labels used by
others)
 Ethnicity is fluid and social constructed

Source: Cornell and Hartmann ‘Mapping the Terrains’

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Ethnicity at Work
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Definition of Race

 The term race refers to groups of people who may have

differences and similarities in certain characteristics (often
physical) deemed by society to be socially significant.

 Source: Cornell and Hartmann ‘Mapping the Terrains’

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Race

 Originally thought as a genetically distinct subpopulation of a

species
 Categorizing individuals based on phenotypical differences
(differences of physical characteristics, skin colour, hair texture
etc.).
 But these differences do not correlate to geneotypical
differences (differences in genetic makeup)
 Humans are genetically very identical (approximately 99
percent)

 Source: Cornell and Hartmann ‘Mapping the Terrains’

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Critical understanding of Race

 Scientific research has shown genetic differences among

human groups that we view as races are inconsistent and
insignificant
 Society assumes racial categories and takes them seriously but
they do so for social/historical and not biological reasons.
 Race is a product of human perception and classification. In
short it is a social construct.
Source: Cornell and Hartmann ‘Mapping the Terrains’
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Differences between race and ethnicity

1) Race typically has its origins in assignment

2) Race is a product of colonization
3) The emergence of race directly connected to power relations
4) Racial designation typically implies inferiority
5) The unworthiness attached to race is inherent

 Source: Cornell and Hartmann ‘Mapping the Terrains’

Colonization
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Race at Work
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Racist Ideas

 “A racist idea is any idea that suggests one racial group is

inferior or superior to another racial group in any way.” (Ibram
X. Kendi, 2019 – How to be an Anti-racist).
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A Class Divided

 Experiment by Jane Elliot in 1968 with her third year class

 http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/video/flv/generic.htm
l?s=frol02p66&continuous=1
 Watch the first 17 minutes
 Race has it’s origins in assignment, is tied to power relations,
implies inferiority/superiority, is seen as inherent…..
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A Class Divided
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Commonalities between race and ethnicity

1) Race and ethnicity often overlap – some groups can be both at

the same time.
Ethnic racism - A powerful collection of racist policies that lead to
inequity between racialized ethnic groups and are substantiated by
racist ideas about racialized ethnic groups. (Ibram X. Kendi, 2019 –
How to be an Anti-racist).
2) Racilization can lead to ethnicization

Source: Cornell and Hartmann ‘Mapping the Terrains’

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Important Definitions

 Racialization: is the process by which groups come to be

classified as races. It is the process by which certain bodily
features or assumed biological characteristics are used
systematically to mark certain persons for differential status or
treatment.

 Ethnicization: is the making of an ethnic group. It is the

process by which groups of persons come to see itself as a
distinct group linked by bonds of kinship or by a shared history
and by cultural symbols.
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Cultural Racism

 Cultural racism is the racism of the new millennium’

(Fredickson 2002)

 Shifts attention away from crude ideas of biological inferiority

and superiority

 Uses a language of race that excludes by using seemingly non

racist liberal criteria such as culture, religion, civic
engagement, national culture and identity.
 Defines the mainstream as the normal and appropriate culture
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Burkini Ban
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Quebec Values Test
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Quebec Values Test

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyNM10m7fAE

 https://www.cicnews.com/2019/12/quebec-releases-guide-to-pr
epare-immigrants-for-new-values-test-1213409.html#gs.qgllhd