The Four Main Types of Minority Groups

1343 Words3 Pages

My experience in Sociology this semester was quite unique to say the least. This was the first Sociology class that I have ever taken and honestly, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. From day one I found a deep interest in the thoughts and ideas that are associated within the study of sociology. In this specific class the main concepts that we discussed were race and ethnic relations. The first chapter that we discussed this semester was about the general diversity that takes place in the United States. In this unit we learned about what exactly a minority group is and the visible distinguishing traits that set people apart. In the second chapter of this class, the main topics that we covered were assimilation and pluralism. We discussed the distinctive patterns and variations of assimilation and pluralism and the difference between both of these theories. In chapter three, we started to discuss the ideas behind prejudice and discrimination. We talked about hate crimes, the leading causes and trends of prejudice, and why it has persisted through time. In chapter four our main concentration turned to the development of dominant-minority relations in preindustrial America. Throughout this chapter we examined the origins of slavery in the United States, the contact situation, paternalistic relations, and the dimensions of a minority group status. This semester contemporary race and ethnic relations has not only provided me with a vast amount of knowledge that is going to benefit me for future purposes, but it has allowed me to understand things that I might have never thought about before. Learning about society and how people have evolved and treated each other throughout history was extremely interesting. I have always had my o...

... middle of paper ...

...acism became a direct result of this process.
Coming into this class I was not sure what to expect. I thought that I knew pretty much everything I needed to know about society and social relationships, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. I have always had my own personal thoughts on how people in society treat each other, but after taking this class it has allowed me to expand my opinions based on the facts that have occurred throughout history. The knowledge that I have acquired about minority groups, assimilation, discrimination, and the origin of slavery will be something that I keep with me for the rest of my life. This semester contemporary race and ethnic relations has not only provided me with a vast amount of knowledge that is going to benefit me for future purposes, but it has allowed me to understand things that I might have never thought about before.

More about The Four Main Types of Minority Groups

Open Document