u09d1multiculturalism or colorblindness soc2000

Readings

In your Rethinking the Color Line text, read:

• Article 12, “Color-Blind Privilege: The Social and Political Functions of Erasing the Color Line in Post-Race American,” pages 92–100. Use the questions below to guide your reading.
  • How does colorblindness function to negate or ignore the privilege of some groups?
  • How has the notion of colorblindness affected white perceptions of race and equality?
  • According to Gallagher, what role has the media played in creating or upholding this ideology? Acts of shared consumption?
  • How does the ideology of colorblindness support shared cultural beliefs of an American meritocracy? What is the result of this?
  • How is race or color a choice in the colorblind society, according to the author? How does this create a perception of reverse discrimination for dominant groups (whites in this society)?
  • Do Census and other data support the notion that we are a colorblind nation?
• Article 11, “Beyond Black and White: Remaking Race in America,” pages 86–91. Use the questions below to guide your reading.
  • Why does listing multiple races matter?
  • How does this issue with the census demonstrate race as a social construct?
  • Which group appears least likely to choose multi-race categories? Why?
  • How will intermarriage affect the definitions of race in the future?
  • Why is it important to examine subgroups in instances of intermarriage rather than broad trends?

Media

Review the following media piece to prepare you for this unit’s discussion questions:

• “We the People of More Than One Race.” Click “Launch Presentation” to begin.

Multiculturalism or Colorblindness

Before beginning this discussion, conduct some research using the Capella library or use another reputable Web site that advocates either multiculturalism or colorblindness.

For this discussion, you will be divided into 2 groups. Group 1 will argue that colorblindness is the best approach in the context of the questions below. Group 2 will advance multiculturalism as a more useful solution to issues of racism, again within the context of the questions below:

• Is American society in danger of hardening or increasing the divisions among ethnic groups?
• Is too much weight given to pluralism? Does this create subpopulations that will view others with considerable hostility, or is hostility more likely with an emphasis on assimilation? Which does America want?
• If all are competing for the same limited resources, how is this tension best mitigated?