SOCIOLOGY EXAM 2 – RACE & ETHNICITY STUDY GUIDE | COMPLETE SOCIOLOGY EXAM
REVIEW QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2026/2027
How do sociologists define race? - correct answer ✔✔race is a group of people who share *PHYSICAL
characteristics* that are passed on through reproduction. *Race is NOT biological, but is a social
invention dealing with labels*. We are the ones who make race meaningful.
How do sociologists define ethnicity? - correct answer ✔✔Ethnicity is based on a group of people who
share basic cultural features; people who identify with each other based on common social, cultural, and
national experiences.
What is an ethnic group? - correct answer ✔✔people who share basic cultural features.
How do sociologists define minority? - correct answer ✔✔a group with less power, resources, and
opportunity that is subject to different treatment.
What do sociologists mean by racial or ethnic minority groups? - correct answer ✔✔Certain groups are
considered inferior to others based on distinct physical and cultural characteristics.
What is prejudice? Why is it attitude based? - correct answer ✔✔forming an opinion before becoming
aware of the relevant facts of a case; is often used to refer to preconceived, usually unfavorable,
judgments toward people or a person because of gender, social class, age, etc.
*It is based on attitude because it is a belief as opposed to an action.*
What is discrimination? Why is it action based? - correct answer ✔✔Discrimination is the prejudicial
treatment of an individual based on their actual or perceived membership in a certain group or category,
"in a way that is worse than the way people are usually treated."
*Discrimination is action based because it is how people actually treat others, whereas prejudice is
simply a feeling or belief.*
What do sociologists mean by institutional discrimination? - correct answer ✔✔systemic deprivation of
equal access (structural); *example is equal access to things like voting, social security, etc. in terms of
gender*
What do sociologists mean by color-blind racism? (AKA race blindness) - correct answer ✔✔also called
race blindness; refers to disregard of racial characteristics when selecting which individuals will
participate in some activity or receive some service. In practice, color-blind operations use no racial data
or profiling and make no classifications, categorizations, or distinctions based upon race. *An example of
this would be a college processing admissions without regard to or knowledge of the racial
characteristics of applicants.*
*What are the different patterns of racial/ethnic inter-group contact?* - correct answer ✔✔.....
What is De Jure segregation? De Facto segregation? - correct answer ✔✔De Jure = in law (legal
segregation)
De Facto = in fact
REVIEW QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2026/2027
How do sociologists define race? - correct answer ✔✔race is a group of people who share *PHYSICAL
characteristics* that are passed on through reproduction. *Race is NOT biological, but is a social
invention dealing with labels*. We are the ones who make race meaningful.
How do sociologists define ethnicity? - correct answer ✔✔Ethnicity is based on a group of people who
share basic cultural features; people who identify with each other based on common social, cultural, and
national experiences.
What is an ethnic group? - correct answer ✔✔people who share basic cultural features.
How do sociologists define minority? - correct answer ✔✔a group with less power, resources, and
opportunity that is subject to different treatment.
What do sociologists mean by racial or ethnic minority groups? - correct answer ✔✔Certain groups are
considered inferior to others based on distinct physical and cultural characteristics.
What is prejudice? Why is it attitude based? - correct answer ✔✔forming an opinion before becoming
aware of the relevant facts of a case; is often used to refer to preconceived, usually unfavorable,
judgments toward people or a person because of gender, social class, age, etc.
*It is based on attitude because it is a belief as opposed to an action.*
What is discrimination? Why is it action based? - correct answer ✔✔Discrimination is the prejudicial
treatment of an individual based on their actual or perceived membership in a certain group or category,
"in a way that is worse than the way people are usually treated."
*Discrimination is action based because it is how people actually treat others, whereas prejudice is
simply a feeling or belief.*
What do sociologists mean by institutional discrimination? - correct answer ✔✔systemic deprivation of
equal access (structural); *example is equal access to things like voting, social security, etc. in terms of
gender*
What do sociologists mean by color-blind racism? (AKA race blindness) - correct answer ✔✔also called
race blindness; refers to disregard of racial characteristics when selecting which individuals will
participate in some activity or receive some service. In practice, color-blind operations use no racial data
or profiling and make no classifications, categorizations, or distinctions based upon race. *An example of
this would be a college processing admissions without regard to or knowledge of the racial
characteristics of applicants.*
*What are the different patterns of racial/ethnic inter-group contact?* - correct answer ✔✔.....
What is De Jure segregation? De Facto segregation? - correct answer ✔✔De Jure = in law (legal
segregation)
De Facto = in fact
