Psychology

Chapter 8 Race and Ethnicity as Lived Experience Chapter Study Outline Defining Race and Ethnicity Race is a socially defined category, based on real or perceived biological differences between groups of people. Ethnicity is a socially defined category based on common language, religion, nationality, history, or another cultural factor. Sociologists see race and ethnicity as social constructions because they are not rooted in biological differences, they change over time, and they never have firm boundaries. Symbolic ethnicity is an ethnic identity that is only relevant on specific occasions and does not significantly impact everyday life. Situational ethnicity is an ethnic identity that can be either displayed or concealed depending on its usefulness in a given situation.

Chapter 6 Deviance Defining Deviance Deviance is a behavior, trait, belief, or other characteristic that violates a norm and causes a negative reaction in a group. The definition of deviance varies widely across cultures, time, and situations. Deviance across Cultures It is important to remember that when sociologists use the term "deviant," they are making a social judgment, never a moral one. If a particular behavior is considered deviant, it means that it violates the values and norms or a particular group, not that it is inherently wrong. Much of the literature on deviance focuses on crime and how different cultures define very different behaviors as criminal or not and the vast differences seen in how crimes are punished. Theories of Deviance