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Openstax 11.4 Understanding Intergroup Relationships and Tolerance

Mar 26, 2025

11.4 Intergroup Relationships - Introduction to Sociology 3e

Learning Objectives

  • Explain different intergroup relations in terms of tolerance levels.
  • Provide historical and contemporary examples of intergroup relations.

Spectrum of Intergroup Relations

  • Intergroup relations range from tolerance to intolerance.
  • Pluralism: Most tolerant form, similar to a salad bowl where cultures retain their identity.
  • Amalgamation, Expulsion, Genocide: Examples of intolerant relations.

Types of Intergroup Relationships

Pluralism

  • Ideal of diverse cultures coexisting with mutual respect and equal standing.
  • Represented by the "salad bowl" analogy.
  • True pluralism is often challenging to achieve due to lack of mutual respect.

Assimilation

  • Minority groups adopt the dominant culture, losing their original identity.
  • Traditionally part of U.S. immigration history.
  • Symbolic ethnic gestures may remain, like Saint Patrick's Day or Diwali celebrations.
  • Measured by socioeconomic status, spatial concentration, language assimilation, intermarriage.
  • Language assimilation can be a challenging barrier.

Amalgamation

  • Minority and majority groups combine to form a new group.
  • "Melting pot" ideal, leading to a new culture entirely.
  • Historically hindered by anti-miscegenation laws, overturned in 1967 (Loving v. Virginia).

Genocide

  • Deliberate extermination of a targeted group.
  • Examples include:
    • Holocaust: Hitler's attempt to exterminate Jews and others.
    • Native Americans: European colonization led to massive population decline due to disease and forced removal.
    • Darfur, Sudan: Ongoing ethnic conflicts resulting in mass deaths.

Expulsion

  • Forcing a subordinate group to leave an area.
  • Can be part of genocide or stand alone.
  • Example: Japanese internment in the U.S. during WWII under Executive Order 9066.

Segregation

  • Physical separation based on race or ethnicity.
  • De Jure Segregation: Enforced by law, e.g., apartheid in South Africa, Jim Crow laws in the U.S.
  • De Facto Segregation: Occurs without laws but due to societal factors, persists in modern times.

Important Historical Cases

  • Trail of Tears: Forced removal of Native Americans.
  • Japanese Internment: Example of expulsion during WWII.
  • Apartheid in South Africa: Legalized segregation that ended in 1994.
  • Jim Crow Laws: Codified segregation post-Civil War in the U.S.

Contemporary Issues

  • Segregation still exists in forms like neighborhood racial divides.
  • Sociologists measure segregation with indices ranging from 0 (most integrated) to 100 (least).

Conclusion

  • Intergroup relationships vary widely and can have profound impacts on society.
  • Understanding these relationships helps in identifying and combating inequality and intolerance.