ETHNIC AND RACE RELATIONS
ANALYTIC TOOL BOX:
[[SOCIAL PROCESSES, SOCIAL FORCES, SOCIAL
DIMENSIONS AND SOCIAL DYNAMICS
IN CANADIAN SOCIETY]]
1) SOCIAL PROCESSES == THE EXAMINATION OF SOCIAL
JUSTICE IS NOT THE EXAMINATION OF A THING BUT RATHER AN INTERACTIVE PROCESS AND
INTERPLAY (BETWEEN PHENOMENON OF) == “INEQUALITY & DOMINATION” –
“RESISTANCE & COLLECTIVE EMPOWERMENT”
2) SOCIAL FORCES == CULTURE, POWER & IDEOLOGY ==
HOW DOES SOCIETY WORK? IT IS CREATED BY CULTURES, MAINTAINED AND ENFORCED BY
POWER AND JUSTIFIED BY IDEOLOGY.
I) CULTURE == CREATES SOCIAL STRATIFICATION
(“JOCKEYING FOR POSITION”) IN AND THROUGH THE CONSTRUCTION OF SOCIAL REALITY.
II) POWER == MAINTAINS SOCIAL STRATIFICATION BE
ENFORCING AN CONSISTENT GROUP “PECKING ORDER”.
III) IDEOLOGY
== CULTURAL BELIEFS THAT SERVE TO JUSTIFY SOCIAL STRATIFICATION.
3) FIVE BASIC DIMENSIONS OF SOCIAL
INQUIRY
I) THE STUDY OF SOCIAL STRUCTURE, OR THE WAY IN WHICH SOCIETY
IS ORGANIZED, BOTH FORMALLY AND INFORMALLY.
II) THE STUDY OF SOCIAL ORDER, OR WHAT IT IS THAT HOLDS
SOCIETY TOGETHER (COMPOSED OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DIFFERENT INTERESTS AND
PERCEPTIONS).
III) THE STUDY OF SOCIAL CONFLICT, OR WHEN
AND WHY DOES SOCIETY BREAKDOWN.
IV) THE STUDY OF SOCIAL CHANGE, OR HOW AND WHY DO SOCIETIES
CHANGE (COMPOSED OF INSTITUTIONS AND POWER STRUCTURES WITHIN THEM, AND THE
VALUES AND BELIEFS HELD BY INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS).
V) THE STUDY OF SOCIAL STRATIFICATION, OR THE MANNER IN
WHICH VALUED RESOURCES – THAT IS WEALTH, POWER, AND PRESTIGE – ARE DISTRIBUTED,
AND THE WAY IN WHICH ADVANTAGES OF WEALTH, POWER, AND PRESTIGE ARE PASSED FROM
GENERATION TO GENERATION
4) SOCIAL/INTERACTIONAL DYNAMICS – HOW DOES
STRATIFICATION AND INJUSTICE IMPACT SOCIETY? THROUGH THE DYNAMIC INTERACTIONS
CONNECTED TO ETHNOCENTRISM, STEREOTYPING, PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION.
I) ETHNOCENTRISM == IS THE BELIEF THAT ONE'S OWN CULTURE IS
BETTER THAN OTHERS AND/OR THE TENDENCY TO BELIEVE THAT WHAT IS TRUE OF YOUR
CULTURE IS TRUE OF OTHERS.
II) STEREOTYPING == IS A SET OF BIASED GENERALIZATIONS ABOUT
A GROUP OR CATEGORY OF PEOPLE THAT IS UNFAVORABLE, EXAGGERATED OR
OVER-SIMPLIFIED.
III) PREJUDICE == IS A NEGATIVE ATTITUDE BASED ON PRECONCEIVED
NOTIONS ABOUT MEMBERS OF A SELECT GROUP.
IV) DISCRIMINATION == THE DENIAL OF EQUAL TREATMENT, OR OPPORTUNITIES
OR ACCESS TO VALUED RESOURCES TO INDIVIDUALS ON THE BASIS OF THEIR MEMBERSHIP
IN A PARTICULAR GROUP.