GENDER, RACE, RELIGIONS &

ETHNICS
Dr. Tran Thanh Huyen
 How do
How do race and discrimination
ethnicity differ? and prejudice
differ?
Introduction
to Key
Concepts How are racial
and ethnic
What are the
unique
relations analyzed experiences of
according to racial and ethnic
sociological groups in
perspectives? Vietnam?
Race, Ethnicity, Minority Groups

Historically, the concept of race

A human race is a grouping of has changed across cultures and
humankind based on shared eras, and has eventually become
physical or social qualities that less connected with ancestral
can vary from one society to and familial ties, and more
another. concerned with superficial
physical characteristics.
What Is Race?
Some people view race as:
• Skin color: the Caucasian
“race”,
• Religion: the Jewish “race”
• Nationality: the British
“race”
• Entire human species: the
human “race”
Race • A race is a category of
people who have been singled
out as being unique on the
basis of apparent or allegedly
distinct physical
characteristics such as skin
color, hair texture, eye shape, or
other attributes.
• Race has little meaning
biologically speaking, due to
interbreeding in the human
population.
 Race is a social construct used
to distinguish people in terms of
physical markers considered to
Race, be socially significant.

Ethnicity, Ethnicity involves grouping

people who share a common
Minority cultural, linguistic, or ancestral
heritage.

Groups Minority group is any group of

people who are especially
disadvantaged in a given society.
 Racial group is used to describe a
Racial group that is set apart from others
because of obvious physical

group/ differences.

Minority Minority group is a subordinate group

whose members have significantly less
group control or power over their own lives
than the members of a dominant or
majority group have over theirs.
 A dominant group has superior
Dominant resources and rights in a society.

and
Subordinate A subordinate group is one whose
Groups members are subjected to unequal
treatment by the dominant group and
who regard themselves as objects of
collective discrimination.
Identity • Gender, race, religion, and

Formation ethnicity shape how individuals

and groups perceive themselves
and others.
• These constructs often inform
personal identity, creating a
sense of belonging and
influencing worldview.
• For example, someone’s identity as
part of a particular religious or
ethnic group may shape their
cultural practices and values.
Power Structures
• Gender and race are frequently tied to power dynamics in
societies, with certain groups historically holding more
power and influence than others.
• For instance, patriarchal structures often lead to the
marginalization of women in politics and decision-making
roles globally.
• Similarly, racial hierarchies—often stemming from colonial
histories—have created enduring inequalities between
countries and groups.
 Religion and ethnicity also play
significant roles in power dynamics,
where dominant groups may hold
legislative, economic, or cultural
Power power over minority groups.

Structures This can lead to systemic

inequalities, where certain groups
lack access to resources or
representation in government and
media.
Global Politics • In international relations, these
constructs influence both domestic
policies and international
engagements.
• Gendered issues like women's
rights or gender-based violence
have become global concerns,
influencing the policies of
organizations like the United
Nations, which advocates for
gender equality through initiatives
like UN Women.
Global Politics
• Ethnicity and religion can drive alliances and conflicts.
• For instance, countries with similar religious or ethnic
compositions may align due to shared values, while conflicts
often arise where different groups are in tension.
• Religious beliefs have also led to the formation of
transnational alliances and humanitarian efforts.
Frustration–
aggression
Hypothesis
• People who are frustrated in
their efforts to achieve a
highly desired goal will
respond with a pattern of
aggression toward others.
• Scapegoat— a person or
group that is incapable of
offering resistance to the
hostility or aggression of
others
Frustration–aggression
Hypothesis
• Members of white supremacy groups
often use members of subordinate
racial and ethnic groups as scapegoats
for societal problems.
Authoritarian
Personality
Hypothesis
• The Authoritarian
personality is characterized
by excessive conformity,
submissiveness to authority,
intolerance, insecurity, a
high level of superstition,
and rigid, stereotypic
thinking.
Prejudice
• A negative attitude based on
generalizations about members of
selected racial, ethnic, or other
groups.
• Ethnocentrism refers to the
tendency to regard one’s own
culture and group as the standard.
• Stereotypes are
overgeneralizations about the
appearance, behavior, or other
characteristics of members of
particular categories.
 Some sociologists use social
distance to measure prejudice.

Measuring
Prejudice This is the extent to which people are
willing to interact and establish
relationships with members of racial
and ethnic groups other than their
own.
 Involves actions or practices of
dominant-group members that have
a harmful impact on members of a
subordinate group.

Discrimination The ultimate form of discrimination

occurs when people are considered
to be unworthy to live because of
their race or ethnicity.
• Genocide is the deliberate, systematic
killing of an entire people or nation.
Individual and Institutional Discrimination

Individual discrimination Institutional

consists of one-on-one acts discrimination consists of
by members of the dominant the practices of organizations
group that harm members of and institutions that harm
the subordinate group or members of subordinate
their property. groups.
 Four Types of Discrimination

Small-group
Isolate discrimination discrimination
A prejudiced judge giving Small group of white
harsher sentences to African students defacing a
American defendants. professor’s office with racist
epithets.
Four Types of Discrimination

Direct institutionalized Indirect institutionalized

discrimination discrimination
Intentional exclusion of Special education classes may
people of color from public have contributed to racial
accommodations. stereotyping.
Sports and Upward Mobility

• Are sports still a source of upward mobility for immigrants

and ethnic minorities? Early 20th century Jewish American and
Italian American boxers helped create ethnic pride and
earned a livelihood.
 Functionalist Perspectives

Assimilation (đồng hóa) is a process by which

members of racial and ethnic groups are
absorbed into the dominant culture.
Ethnic Pluralism (CN đa nguyên dân tộc)
is the coexistence of a variety of distinct racial
and ethnic groups within one society.
Hollywood’s
Race Problem
Two major issues:

• Underrepresentation
• Whitewashing
 Underrepresentation (Sự đại diện
không đầy đủ)

Hollywood’s • Long history in the

Race entertainment industry
• Minorities are significantly
Problem underrepresented as lead
actors in movies and television
series and among show
creators and directors
HOLLYWOOD’S
RACE PROBLEM
“You cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there.”
 Whitewashing

•Casting a white actor to play

a character of colour
Hollywood’s •Not-so-fun-fact: Finding an
Race Asian actor in an American
film is like playing a game of
Problem Where’s Waldo, even when
the film is inspired by an Asian
franchise
Hollywood’s Race Problem

“You can’t give a white

person an awkward
hairstyle and call him
Asian.”
Hollywood’s Race Problem

Doctor Strange’s Ancient One

Racism
• A set of attitudes, beliefs, and practices
used to justify the superior treatment
of one racial or ethnic group and the
inferior treatment of another racial or
ethnic group.
Racist Behavior
• Sporting events are
sometimes tainted by
racist behavior.
• What can be done to
reduce this behavior?
Racism

Racism refers to an ideology that maintains that

one racial group is inherently superior to
another.

Critical race theory → racism is not the product

of conscious decisions made by individuals but is
often the outcome of common practices that
are embedded in society that advantage some
and disadvantage others.
Racism

Systemic (or
institutional) racism
involves practices
supported by
institutions that
unfairly distribute
resources and
opportunities based
on race.
Dealing with Race in Entertainment Media

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

[clip1] [clip2]
 Dealing with Race in
Entertainment Media

Wicked has been aptly called a

“political allegory about racism and
discrimination.”

Elphaba was made wicked after years

of being treated differently because
of her green skin colour.
Understanding Racism

Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes Exercise

White Privilege

White Privilege refers to the unearned

advantages (social and economic) that Whites
receive because of their skin colour.

Tim Wise: “Being white means not having to think about

it. This offers whites a considerable advantage in society
as they are able to pursue educational, work and leisure
opportunities with zeal not available to non-whites. Not
seeing oneself has having a race is a privilege only whites
have.”
White Privilege

• Many people resist the notion of White

Privilege and deny its existence
• Many people feel wronged to be told that they
may have unearned advantages due to their
skin colour

White Boy Privilege Slam Poem

 Five Truths about White Privilege

• Privilege simply is.

• You don’t have to feel your privilege for it to be real.

• Privilege isn’t personal.

• You can have it tough and still be privileged.

• Guilt is the wrong response.

White Privilege
 “…Blair’s sidekicks have no
personality, no interests, no real
lives other than to take orders from
Blair, reinforcing the age-old
colonial narrative as normative.
Blair treats these women as slaves,
expecting them to fulfill her
commands and acknowledge her
natural superiority.”

Anita Sarkeesian for Critical Commons

Asher: “Am I a racist?”
Wes: “I just think you’re White.”
Color-blind Racism
Color-blind racism is the notion that race does
not matter and that the best way to end racism
and racial discrimination is by treating everyone
the same.
Color-blind Racism
Colin Kaepernick
“…not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a
country that oppresses black people and people of color.”
ETHNIC DIVERSITY

• Pluralism → people of all ethnicities and races

remain distinct but have social equality
• Canada’s multicultural policy has tended to
emphasize tolerance of ethnic and racial
differences
• Assimilation is the process by which a minority
group adopts the patterns of the dominant culture
Immigrants to Canada

• New immigrants may attempt to assert an ethnic

identity by bonding with fellow immigrants
• Immigrants may choose to live in neighbourhoods
where people from similar cultures live together and
assert cultural distinction → ethnic enclaves
• History of ethnic enclaves in Canada
 Ethnic Groups in Canada
Aboriginal Peoples

Quebecois
Prejudice and Discrimination

Prejudice refers to judgmental attitudes based on

preconceived beliefs about groups of people or
cultural practices (attitude).

Discrimination refers to unfair treatment of people

because of their group membership (behaviour).
Prejudice and Discrimination

In Harry Potter, an
important distinction
is made between
Muggles and Wizards.
Prejudice and Discrimination

Draco’s slur toward

Hermione is an
example of prejudice.
Prejudice and Discrimination

Many of the film’s characters

hold pre-conceived notions
about people of different races
and nationalities.

The film also displays the fact

that prejudice involves many
shades of grey.
Racial and Ethnic Stereotypes
A stereotype is an exaggerated or distorted
generalization about an entire category of people that
does not acknowledge individual variation.

• Stereotypes often form the basis for prejudice and

discrimination.
• Television and film can have a strong influence on how
we label groups, how we come to understand reality,
and which stereotypes we believe are accurate.
Racial and Ethnic Stereotypes

Breaking stereotypes:

• Latina women work as maids

• Latinos are poor and uneducated
• Latinos do not speak English well
Ethnic Conflict

• Segregation
• Expulsion
• Ethnic Cleansing
• Genocide
Segregation
Segregation is the forced separation of groups based
on race, ethnicity or gender.

Apartheid in South Africa, which existed from 1948

to 1994, is a classical example of segregation.

Blacks and Whites had separate schools,

neighbourhoods, restaurants, and public restrooms
in the southern United States in the 1960s
Expulsion
Expulsion is the forcible removal of a population
from a territory claimed by another population.

Examples:
•Canada’s Aboriginal peoples by European immigrants
•Acadians from the Maritimes by the British in mid-18th C
•Forced relocation of Native nations from the homelands
Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing
Genocide is the intentional extermination of a
particular race, ethnicity, religious group or
nationality.

Ethnic cleansing refers to persecution through

imprisonment, expulsion, or murder of members of
an ethnic minority by a majority to achieve ethnic
homogeneity in a majority-controlled territory.
Galactic Genocide
Themes of ethnic conflict and genocide have been
perpetuated through many different sci-fi movies and
television series:

• Cardassian Occupation of Bajor (Star Trek)

• Destruction of Alderaan (Star Wars)
• Cylon attack of the 12 colonies (Battlestar Galactica)
• Dalek strive for racial purity and superiority (Doctor Who)
CONNECTION: Criminology
• Racial and ethnic differences in crime rates
• Overrepresentation of racial and ethnic minorities
in the criminal justice system
CONNECTION: Criminology
• Wrongful conviction based on racial prejudice and
discrimination

• Donald Marshall, a member of the Mi’kmaq tribe,

served 11 years in prison before new evidence led
to his acquittal in 1983
CONNECTION: Criminology
CONNECTION: Criminology
• Hate crimes based on race or ethnicity

• The number of hate crimes against Muslim-

Canadians have more than doubled over a three
year period, even though the total number of hate
crimes seems to have dropped
Video and Discussion
• Video: "The Danger of a Single
Story" by Chimamanda Ngozi
Adichie (YouTube, 18 minutes).
This video explores how
stereotypes impact our
perceptions of people from
different backgrounds,
highlighting the role of
narratives in forming global
attitudes toward race, ethnicity,
and culture.
Video and Discussion (25 minutes)
 • Sex - the biological and
physiological differences between
men and women.
• Sex Roles - the behaviors and
patterns of activities men and
women may engage in that are
directly related to their biological

Definitions
differences.
• Sexual Identity - the degree of
awareness and recognition of sex
and sex roles.
• Gender - behaviors or patterns of
activities that a society or culture
deems appropriate for men and
women.
Definitions (cont.)

• Gender Role - the degree to which a person adopts the

gender-specific behaviors ascribed by his or her culture.
• Gender Identity - the degree to which a person has
awareness or recognition that he or she adopts a particular
gender role.
• Gender Stereotypes - the psychological or behavioral
characteristics typically associated with men and women.
Gender Vs. Sex
Sex identifies biological differences between men and women.
E.g. Women can give birth and men provide sperm. Sex is
universal (every nation, throughout history)

Gender identifies social relations between men and women.

Gender is socially constructed. But gender roles are dynamic
and change over time.

90
 Gender and Sex…..
Sex Gender
• Biological • Socially constructed
• Throughout history/ roles & Responsibilities
culture • Different in different
• Not changeable societies and time
periods
• Changeable
Gender identity refers to “one’s sense of oneself
as male, female, or transgender” (American
Psychological Association, 2006). When one’s
gender identity and biological sex are not
congruent, the individual may identify as
transsexual or as another transgender category.
Sexual orientation refers to the sex of those to
whom one is sexually and romantically attracted.
Categories of sexual orientation typically have
included attraction to members of one’s own sex
(gay men or lesbians), attraction to members of
the other sex (heterosexuals), and attraction to
members of both sexes (bisexuals).
• PATRIARCHY :
Patriarchy is a often used term in everyday
conversation. In casual conversation,
whether in English or any other language
the term implies “male domination”,
“male prejudice (against women)”.
Simply, the term means “the absolute rule
of the father or the eldest male member
over his family”. Patriarchy is thus the rule
of the father over all women in the family
and also over younger socially and
economically subordinate males.
• PATRIARCHY :
Literally, patriarchy means rule by the
male head of a social unit (like family,
tribe). The patriarch is typically a
societal elder who has legitimate
power over others in the social unit.
Patriarchy has been viewed as more than
just the subordination of women. It has
been pointed out that not all men are
powerful in a patriarchal system. For
example younger men in the family
have less authority and power than
older men.
Gender Stereotypes
• Gender stereotypes are simplistic generalizations
about the gender attributes, differences, and roles of
individuals and/or groups.
• Stereotypes can be positive or negative, but they rarely
communicate accurate information about others. Many
people recognize the dangers of gender stereotyping,
yet continue to make these types of generalizations.
• In gender stereotyping, people make
inaccurate, overly simplistic generalizations of
others based upon their gender. These
assumptions are untrue because they do not take into
account that everyone is an individual with unique
thoughts, feelings and aspirations
•
Traditionally, the female stereotypic role is to
marry and have children. She is also to put her
family's welfare before her own; be loving,
compassionate, caring, nurturing, and
sympathetic; and find time to be sexy and feel
beautiful.
The male stereotypic role is to be the
financial provider. He is also to be assertive,
competitive, independent, courageous, and
career‐focused; hold his emotions in check; and
always initiate sex.
 Gender Roles….
• Gender roles in a society are defined by the virtue of
being female or male. The role of a mother and father,
for example, incorporates the right and the obligation
to care for the children and to provide a living for the
family.

• This takes us to the issue of what society expects

women to do, and what they expect men to do.
• The problem is not with this division of labor per
se…..but with the values that are associated with type
of work.
• All productive work is of value, because it yields
money; and work which does not yield money, is of
lesser or no value.
 Gender Roles….

• A role includes specific rights and obligations. It

has a certain social status and power associated
with it and a particular social situation.
• A person's role can change from time to time,
depending on social, economic and cultural
changes in the community.
• The roles men and women play in a society are
influenced by the cultural norms of that
particular society, their social status in that
society, by other people's expectations and the
image an individual wishes to develop for
her/himself.
 Roles in the society are gendered in nature.
Patriarchy determines the role of men and women.
It is the mode of patriarchal ideology which
prescribes specific role to men and women and

Gender they have to confirm those roles. Violation of

gender roles become a taboo in the society.

Roles Gender role is a set of social norms dictating the

types of behavior which are generally acceptable
,appropriate or desirable for people based on their
sex
Gender Equality vs. Gender Equity
Gender Equality
• Gender equality is based on the idea of equality of opportunities.
Gender Equity
• Gender equity denotes equivalence of life outcomes of women
and men
• Gender equity recognizes women and men have different needs,
preferences and interests and may require different treatment of
men and women.

100
 Gender Equity….
The process of being fair to men and
women- such as equitable allocation of
resources & opportunities. Equity can be
seen to be the means & Gender equality
as the end.
“Equity contributes to equality”

Gender equity means fairness of treatment for

women and men, according to their respective
needs. This may include equal treatment or
treatment that is different but which is considered
equivalent in terms of rights, benefits, obligations
and opportunities.
Gender Equality…
Gender equality means that women and
men enjoy the same status.
Gender equality also entails women and
men having equal conditions for realizing
their full human rights and potentials
while contributing to national, political,
social and cultural development and to
benefit from the results.
Gender equality is, therefore, the equal
valuing by society of both the similarities
and differences between women and men,
and the varying roles that they play’.
Gender equality, equality between men and women,
entails the concept that all human beings, both men
and women, are free to develop their personal
abilities and make choices without the limitations set
by stereotypes, rigid gender roles and prejudices.

Gender equality means that the different behaviour,

aspirations and needs of women and men are
considered, valued and favoured equally.

It does not mean that women and men have to

become the same, but that their rights,
responsibilities and opportunities will not depend on
whether they are born male or female.
Importance of Gender Equality…
• As a human right
• Gender inequality causes poverty
• Gender inequality is impediment to
sustainable development
• With gender equality, economic growth is
more effective
Women Empowerment
• Empowerment of women concerns women gaining power
and control over their lives.
• It involves awareness raising, building self confidence,
increased access and control over resources and transforming
structures and institutions which reinforce gender
discrimination and inequality
• Empowerment cannot be achieved in vacuum; men must be
brought along in the process of change.
• It doesn’t refer to power over, rather it is power to,
power with and power within.
• It is a bottom up approach instead of a top down strategy
105
The UNESCO Agenda for Gender Equality
• Promote education for women's self-empowerment at all levels and
in all fields;
• Encourage the equal access to knowledge in all fields, notably within
science and technology;
• Support to women's human rights by implementing the Convention
on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
• Promote the attainment of gender parity, women's full citizenship
and equal participation in policy-making, and the elimination of
stereotyped roles and expectations;
• Encourage women's creativity and freedom of expression by
supporting their cultural activities, research, training, capacity-
building, networking, exchange of information and women's NGOs;
• Support a pluralistic and editorially independent media by favouring
the broad and active participation of women in decision-making and
by encouraging more diversified and non discriminatory images of
women;
• Assist in building a culture of peace in the minds of women and men
by recognising women's capacity for leadership and non-violent
conflict resolution.
Gender Mainstreaming
It is a strategy for making women’s as well
as men’s concerns and experiences an
integral dimension of the design,
implementation, monitoring and evaluation
of policies and programmes in all political,
economic and social spheres so that women
and men benefit equally and inequality is
not perpetuated. The ultimate goal is to achieve
gender equality. UN-ECOSOC Definition (1997)

107
Gender Analysis
• Gender analysis is descriptive and diagnostic tool for
development planners and crucial to gender mainstreaming
efforts.
• GA is the first step towards gender sensitive planning.
• GA focuses on describing women’s and men’s roles and their
relative access to and control over resources. Analysis aims to
anticipate the impacts of projects on both productive and
reproductive roles.
• GA analysis entails, first and foremost collecting sex-
disaggregated data and gender sensitive information about
population concerned.

108
Gender Discrimination
• Discrimination on the basis of gender takes
many forms; including sexual harassment,
pregnancy discrimination, and unequal pay for
women who do the same job as men.
• Gender discrimination refers to situations in
which an employer treats an individual or
group of individual employees differently, based
on their gender, whether female or male.
• Discrimination based on gender or sex is a
common civil rights violation.
Gender oppression
• Gender oppression is defined as oppression
associated with the gender norms, relations
and stratification of a given society. Modern
norms of gender consist of mutually exclusive
categories of masculinity and femininity.
• Oppression is a negative outcome, which
people experience through the cruel exercise
of power in society or in a social group.
• Oppression suppresses the natural self-
expression and emotions of others
Feminism
The basic idea of feminism interprets the subordination
of women by men. Feminism believes in the liberation
of women from such subordination. Feminism, in the
earlier stage, focused on the equality of women in the
political and economic realms.
• Feminism a doctrine that advocates equal rights for
women or the movement aimed at equal rights for
women. Feminism is a collection of movements and
ideologies aimed at defining, establishing, and defending
equal political, economic, and social rights for women.
This includes seeking to establish equal opportunities
for women in education and employment.
• The goals of feminism are to get women equal rights
under the law and equal stature in society. It is the
movement towards the social, political and economic
equality of all people.
• Objectives of Feminism
• To identify the existing power relationships in
specific spheres- family, economy, political,
• To identify different forms of discrimination
against women.
• To analyze the origin of subordinate status of
women. and find out the causes of subordination
status of women.
• To examine women’s social roles and subjection of
women in society.
• To understand the nature of gender inequality.
• To protect women and girls from domestic
violence, sexual harassment, and sexual assault.
• To focus on Women’s rights-law, wage property,
voting and reproductive rights.
• To examine social construction of sex and gender
• GENDER ROLES IN SOCIETY
• GENDER ROLES IN SOCIETY: family, caste, class, religion, culture, the
media and the popular culture, law and the state. A gender role is the
behaviour expected of a female or a male in a particular culture, the
attitudes and activities that a society expects of each sex.
• The child’s first influence in regards to gender roles is the family. From birth
to five years of age, most children are almost constantly surrounded by
family.
• A child’s first exposure to gender differences is learned through interaction
with his or her parents.
• Most parents dress their infants in gender-specific clothing and give them
toys according to gender stereotypes.
• Gender stereotypes are especially evident in the distribution of gender
specific toys to children.