Sociology 211 – Final examination

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon, Friday, December 17, 2004, CL 313

Answer each of the four parts.  100 total points for the examination.

 

A.  Short explanation (3 x  8 = 24 points).  Select three (3) of the following and briefly explain its significance for issues in this course.

xenophobia

automatic stereotypes

authoritarian personality

Eurocentric

systemic discrimination

employment equity benchmarks

subliminal racism

institutional racism

scapegoating

Abella Commission

social distance

ethnic concentration

 

B.  Short answer (2 x 13 = 26 points).  Answer two (2) of the following.

1.       Explain how entrance status can have a strong effect on the ability of immigrants to integrate into Canadian society.

2.       Explain why power is an important aspect of racism for Fleras and Kunz.

3.       Ethnocentrism can be a source of identity or it can be pernicious.  Explain.

4.       Explain why stereotyping is so common.

5.       Intermarriage demonstrates multiculturalism.  Comment.

6.       Explain what is meant by the cognitive and affective aspects of prejudice.

7.       What is the importance of automatic stereotypes and how might they be reduced?

 

C.  Essay (25 points).  Write an essay discussing how the media deal with minority issues, the extent to which these illustrate prejudice, discrimination, or racism, and how the media could be “multiculturalized” (Fleras and Kunz, chapter 9).  Select one or more types of media and one or more issues related to minorities. 

 

D.  Essay (25 points).  Select one (1) of the following and write a short essay on the topic.  Use concepts and approaches from the course and, as appropriate, take a critical approach.

1.       Racism is expressed differently in contemporary Canada than historically.  

2.       British dominance has declined in Canada.

3.       Discrimination against Muslims has been a major problem in Canada since 9/11.

4.       Recognition of diversity is important in understanding ethnic structure and relations in Canada.

5.       Reducing discrimination might be a good way to reduce prejudice.  Explain how this is possible, and some advantages and disadvantages of this approach.

6.       Near the end of the text, Isajiw argues “The implementation of human rights principles is of basic importance to societal integration, and without it, other policies cannot be effective.  However, elimination of discrimination by punitive methods by itself does not place a positive value on diverse identities.”  Explain why this might be so and what is the importance of this in contemporary Canada.