Which of the following theories would suggest that racial and ethnic inequalities must have served an important purpose in order to exist as long as they have?
Functionalism. In the view of functionalism, racial and ethnic inequalities must have served an important function in order to exist as long as they have.
What is the conflict perspective on race and ethnicity?
Conflict theorists focus on how the dynamics of racial and ethnic relations divides groups while maintaining a dominant group. The dominant group may be defined according to racial or ethnic categories, but can also be defined according to social class.
What is scapegoat theory?
Scapegoat theory refers to the tendency to blame someone else for one’s own problems, a process that often results in feelings of prejudice toward the person or group that one is blaming. Scapegoating serves as an opportunity to explain failure or misdeeds, while maintaining one’s positive self-image.
What is the purpose of a scapegoat?
The scapegoat was sent into the wilderness for Azazel, possibly for the purpose of placating that evil spirit, while a separate goat was slain as an offering to God. By extension, a scapegoat has come to mean any group or individual that innocently bears the blame of others.
Does society need a scapegoat?
Whether in prehistoric times, in the Middle Ages or today, society needs a scapegoat. By channelling its aggression on to a single victim, a community strengthens it cohesion.
In what book did Girard first describe his theory of mimesis?
These laws and this system are the consequences of a fundamental reality grasped by the novelists, which Girard called mimetic desire, “the mimetic character of desire.” This is the content of his first book, Deceit, Desire and the Novel (1961). We borrow our desires from others.
Where did the term scapegoating come from?
Today we use the word ‘scapegoat’ to describe people who symbolically take on the sins of others. So let’s look at its origins. The word was coined by a Protestant scholar, William Tyndale, in 1530, when he undertook the task of the first translation of the entire Hebrew Bible into English.
Why do leaders sometimes use groups as scapegoats?
As such, scapegoats are common in groups. Personnel in organizations appease their leaders and protect themselves by offering up a sacrifice of one of their own. If the members of the group do not understand the direction of the organization, or sense trouble, they will feebly attempt to make sense of the operation.