Ethnic Minorities



Ethnic Minorities

Hypothesis

The public claimed that students from Ethnic Minorities are underachieving in Education.

Introduction

Race refers to categories defined by phenotypes, physical or visual markers, which have been afforded significance over time. In contrast, ethnicity refers to groups defined by their shared history, cultural beliefs, rituals, and practices. Both race and ethnicity are socially constructed categories that serve as a basis of group membership. In terms of differences, racial categories are less malleable over time, and race, unlike ethnicity, is often defined externally, leaving less room for subjective conceptualizations. For convenience, race and ethnicity are used interchangeably in this entry.

The divergence of racial minorities' preferences and practices from that of the majority groups' is often explained as evidence of a subculture, their taste and traditions being rooted in cultural practices different from that of the majority group. But to fully account for the myriad ways that race and ethnic group membership produce both differences in taste and preferences and similarities in patterns of consumption, a more dynamic explanation is needed. This entry extends the discussion of the impact of class and culture on consumption to include a discussion of the consequences of racial alienation, segregation, and discrimination. Currently, three theoretical frameworks exist to account for the function consumption serves for racial minorities: consumption as a response to alienation, as a form of resistance, and a means to demonstrate one's social identity. Ethnographic evidence is cited to illustrate the impact of race on consumption, using the experience of African American consumers as a case study. Additionally, areas worthy of future research and evidence from the experiences of other racial groups are discussed in the concluding section.

Research Methodology

In order to collect the data with regards to the topic, secondary research will be conducted. Therefore, data will be retrieved from the online journals, websites on the Internet and e-books. Besides this, the studies of the previous researchers will also be examined after which challenges public claimed that students from Ethnic Minorities are underachieving in Education. With regards to the current capabilities, it can be said that there will be some limitations of the research that would include time constraint, and this is because the framework of time for conducting the study will be limited. Furthermore, the study will be conducted by a student, and therefore, his knowledge is limited.

Theoretical Frameworks

While the literature on how race affects consumption is sparse, three theoretical frameworks exist to account for minorities' consumption: consumption as a means to defuse alienation, as a tool of resistance, and as an instrument to display one's social identity. These theories posit that consumption is not only a means of gaining social status, but, for minorities, it is also used to respond to social exclusion.

The first theoretical proposition suggests that racial minorities engage in consumption in an attempt to overcome alienation. Consumption becomes both a response to their stigmatized position and a way to avert stereotypes. According to this perspective, minorities attempt to buy “respect” and “dignity” (Weems 1998, 27) and “consume conspicuously ...