Ethnic Studies Fall 2012 Final Exam

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aesthetic

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concerning or characterized by an appreciation of beauty or good taste

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animus

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strong dislike or hostile attitude

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antipathy

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a feeling of intense dislike or aversion

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assimilation

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the merging of cultural traits from previously distinct cultural groups

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atavistic

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of or relating to reversion of a former primitive type

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binary oppositions

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two elements in an opposing relationship; constructs the way we see the world through compare and contrast

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blood libel

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a [false] accusation/claim that certain religious minorities (Jews) murder children to use their blood in religious rituals

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blood quantum

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the amount of blood/heritage you must have to be considered a member of an ethnic group (in this case, Native Americans)

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borderism

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a form of discrimination faced by those who cross the color line or do not stick within their own racial group

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capricious

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characterized by sudden unpredictable changes in behavior

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cognitive

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of or pertaining to the mental processes of perception, memory, judgment, and reasoning

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colorism

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a practice of discrimination that favors those who with lighter skin compared to those with darker skin

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commodification

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the transformation of goods, ideas, or other entities that may not normally regarded as goods, into a commodity

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continuum

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a continuous extent, series, or whole

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dichotomous

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divided into two sharply distinguished parts or classifications

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the “one drop rule”

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part of Jim Crow legislation that held that even the smallest amount of black heritage was sufficient to warrant the designation of “black”

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egalitarian

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a person who believes in the equality of all people

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ephemeral

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lasting a very short time

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epidemiology

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the branch of medical science dealing with the transmission and control of epidemic diseases

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essence

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the basic nature of a “thing” or its significant individual features

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ethnicity

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an ethnic quality or affiliation resulting from racial or cultural ties

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ethnosexual

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making it a point to have sex with races and ethnic groups not their own

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eugenics

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the study of methods of improving genetic qualities by selective breeding (especially as applied to human mating)

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eurocentric

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focused on Europe and the Europeans

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fetishism

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sexual arousal or gratification resulting from handling a fetish OR the compulsive use of some object

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genome

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the full DNA sequence of an organism

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hegemony

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system of power expressed because it lives within people subconsciously

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identity threat

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the experience of being at risk of confirming, as self-characteristic, a negative stereotype of one’s group

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inscrutable

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not easily understood

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juxtaposition

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a side-by-side position

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melungeons

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people with a mix of white, black, and Native American living in the Southern Appalachians

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miscegenation

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reproduction by parents of different races (especially by white and non-white persons)

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misogynistic

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exhibiting a hatred, dislike, mistrust, or mistreatment of women

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modernity

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the quality of being current or of the present

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mulatto

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an offspring of a Black and a White parent

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mutable

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subject to change or alteration

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narrative

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a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events

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nativism

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the practice of preserving or reviving an indigenous culture

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nebulous

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lacking definite form or limits

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nihilism

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complete denial of all established authority and institutions

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observation

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the act of making and recording a measurement

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orientalism

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the quality, customs, or mannerisms characteristic of Asian civilizations

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parochial

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narrowly restricted in outlook or scope

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participant

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someone who takes part in an activity

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performativity

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an interdisciplinary term often used to name the capacity of speech and language in particular

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phenotype

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the physical traits from genotype and environment

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praxis

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convention, habit, or custom

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proxy

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a person authorized to act for another

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quotidian

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found in the ordinary course of events; occurring daily

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race

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the way society perceives people; “a doing”

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rebound racism

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racism felt by whites/another group when they choose to cross the color barrier

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reification

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to convert into or regard as a concrete thing

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schema

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an underlying system of classification used to classify, categorize, filter, and select

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signification

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the message that is intended or expressed or signified

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stereotype

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a belief adopted about specific groups of people that may not always be true

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stratification

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the condition of being arranged in social strata or classes within a group

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subliminal

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operating below the threshold of conscious perception

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vernacular

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native or indigenous (language)