Describe some of the ways ethnicity has been managed in the US especially as it relates to African Americans
Discrimination based on race has been a common social vice in the United States for centuries. However, the Supreme Court has been in the battlefront in the fight against the vice through issuing verdicts in favor of the minority groups. The majority of the influential judgments delivered by the Supreme Court revolve around the education sector. Initially, racial segregation in the education sector was evident with the best-equipped schools reserved for the whites. The schools for minority groups were understaffed, and they lacked essential learning equipment. In some cases, the segregation was deemed legal due to the existence of certain legislations that supported the practice. Following the various cases instituted by the blacks in the fight against such discrimination, the Supreme Court managed to deliver verdicts that favored equality in the education sector.
In addition to the Supreme Court’s decisions that have fostered equality in the education sector, the US government has made steps towards achieving equality. This goal has been accomplished through the enactment of laws abolishing discrimination based on race, gender, or religion. One of the most influential policies that aimed at tackling the issue of racism is the affirmative action policy that seeks to promote the interests of the minority groups. The ultimate goal of this policy is to remedy past discriminations that were directed to the minority groups. The policy involves giving priority to minority groups. It involves granting waivers to minority groups on recruitment and job promotion requirements. However, the policy has faced opposition from the white counterparts who continually institute legal suits against institutions granting such waivers on grounds of discrimination based on their vast numbers. The government has also enacted laws requiring diversity in the workplace. Besides, it has encouraged firms to train their workforce on the importance of embracing diversity.
What does Esman, the author of The Introduction to Ethnic Conflicts think is the future of ethnic relations in the globalized world?
Boundaries maintained
According to Esman, ethnic boundaries and marginalities define the future of the global ethnic relations (67). Ethnic boundaries refer to the mental borders created in the minds of people from different cultural backgrounds. These boundaries form the basis for racial discrimination. Ethnic boundaries draw a thick line between the insiders and outsiders and it is the force behind the compounding ethnic discrimination problem. The boundaries are due to cultural differences among different ethnical groups, and they greatly depend on individual perceptions. The boundaries are acquired, but they are transferable from one generation to another through social interactions between parents and their children. The fact that the boundaries are transferable from parents to their young ones explains why the problem of racial discrimination will intensify in the future if necessary interventions are not made.
Ethnic entrepreneurs at work
The concept of ethnic entrepreneurship refers to the dominance of a particular ethnic group in certain careers with only a few of the entrepreneurs coming from the minority groups. Experts argue that the dominating group does not have to own the enterprises in question. It can take the form of a particular ethnic community controlling certain sectors without ownership rights. For examples, people from a particular ethnic background may dominate the public sector and even though the group does not own the sector, its dominance means full control of the sector at the expense of the minority groups. Esman’s view of the future of the ethnic relations in the globalized world is premised on this theory. He alleges that the majority groups may eventually exercise full control of the strongest sectors of the globe (Esman 31).
Describe the main characteristics of the three patterns of ethnic pluralism; domination, power sharing and integration and give examples of each
Domination
Domination refers to the existence of a certain group or community with great influence on the socio-cultural and political affairs of a country. Domination can be either formal or informal depending on how it manifests itself. In some countries, the domination presents itself through the existence of national policies that are less accommodative of the minority communities. Such values may include a national language that is derived from the dominant group. In the US, domination is informal since the national government does not impose it. For example, the country does not have a national language, which is the primary value that defines a formal domination.
Integration
Integration refers to the interaction of the different communities with each contributing significantly to the overall culture of the society. Assimilation involves the absorption of the minority groups by the dominant groups. However, in integration, the contribution by each ethnic community counts in shaping the culture of the new society (McGarry and O’leary 56). In other words, under integration, each ethnic group retains its unique traits, but it is part of the large society. The American system is illustrative of this pattern since it accommodates numerous cultures. Under the American system, each incoming group of immigrants brings in something different, which influences the society.
Power-sharing
The concept of power sharing denotes the equal distribution of resources coupled with equality in the distribution of opportunities among the entire ethnic communities. Under power sharing, each community counts as an essential component of the entire culture. The most common type of power sharing is federalism, which revolves around ensuring that people from different ethnical backgrounds participate and influence the affairs of the central government. An example of a non-ethnic power sharing is evident in the US, Germany, and Brazil where each ethnic group counts as a legitimate part of society. In India, ethnic federalism exists whereby distinct ethnical groups of people occupy all the 28 states (McGarry and O’leary 72). Each state enjoys a significant degree of independence and people from such states manage the state affairs autonomously.
Works Cited
Esman, Jacob. An introduction to ethnic conflict, Cambridge: Polity Press, 2004. Print.
McGarry, John, and Brendan O’leary. The politics of ethnic conflict regulation: Case studies of protracted ethnic conflicts, New York: Routledge, 2013. Print.