X - Race and Culture

1)   (True/False) Basketball is a culturally biased game because African-American Basketball Players play better than White, Hispanic and Asian players

2)   (True/False) Because a disproportionate percentage of African Americans have a criminal record, restrictions against hiring convicts is racist

3)   (True/False) Celebrating  Diversity includes celebrating  ideological diversity

4)   (True/False) An inadequate supply of heroes, role models or historic group achievements is the fault of historians.

5)   A series of foot races between a black man and a white man can be considered fair if

a)    Both participants start at the same time and do not foul each other while running

b)   The judge determining the winner is black

c)    Both participants grew up in the same home, in the same town and used the same gym

d)   Only if the white man wins as often as the black man

e)    Only if the white man is burdened

f)    Only if the black man gets a head start

 

6)   Prejudice is:

a)    Any belief a white person has about a minority group

b)   The forming of opinions about a group in the absence of empirical data

c)    The belief that any negative opinion of a minority group is the result of prejudice

d)   The sole cause of disparities in the societal performance of two groups

e)    The belief that anyone who has belief in God is a dangerous religious zealot dedicated to imposing their beliefs on others

 

7)   Mercator Projection Maps should be banned because

a)    They distort the size and shape of landmasses s around the equator to be smaller than landmasses near the poles

b)   They are accurate in terms of direction and therefore useful for navigation

c)    The world is flat and projection maps aren’t required

d)   They are an example of European Arrogance

e)    They are part of a plot to foster Eurocentric and Imperialist attitudes

 

8)      One cultural/political system is as good as another because

a)    They all provide the same level of prosperity and standard of living

b)   They all  provide for the same amount of individual freedom (speech, beliefs)

c)    They all  provide the same protections on property and personal liberty

d)   They all provide the same degree of opportunity to all individuals

e)    They all allow the same range of individual achievement

f)    They are academic constructs with no practical real-world value

g)   We must respect other cultures

 

9)   Multiculturalism (mark all that apply):

a)    Encourages individuals from  identifying with  the traditions, language and beliefs of an ancestral culture that they have never lived in while rejecting the wider American culture they were born into

b)   Is the belief that one should conform to traditional norms when visiting or emigrating to other lands (“When in Rome do as the Romans do”)

c)    The embodiment of the “Great American Melting Pot” in which people of different races and cultures identify themselves with the traditions, language and beliefs of the wider American culture while integrating aspects of their ancestral culture into the American cultural tapestry

d)   A phenomenon that discourages the forming of ethnic ghettos

e)    A phenomenon that encourages  the use of a common language

f)    Encourages the cultural integration of immigrants via  bilingual education and services

g)   Is demonstrated by celebrating the U.S. Independence Day in a foreign land using their public funds

h)   Is demonstrated by celebrating the Mexican Independence Day in the U.S. with public funds

i)    Is demonstrated by banning display of American Flag to avoid offending visiting foreigners

j)    Protecting cultural traditions that are not protected in their country of origin

k)   The result of all U.S minorities being born in a country other than the United States

l)    Encouraging members of a diverse groups to see themselves as part of the same group.

m)  Encouragement of greater equality by freeing minorities from the brutal oppression and expectations of the American culture imposed upon them without their consent

n)   Provides additional use for the hyphen character that was being unfairly neglected in preference for other alpha-numeric characters more central to the language.

 

10)  The Phrase “Equal Access” means

a)    All persons have equal opportunities to receive an education, jobs and pay that are commensurate with their education, skills and abilities

b)   Certain persons should be granted special opportunities and considerations to receive an education, jobs and pay over other persons depending on group membership

c)    All persons should receive the same results regardless of their education,  skills, abilities and effort

d)   More equality

 

11)  If someone invented a machine that would remove racism from society, which of the following would happen:

a)    The NAACP, Jesse Jackson and other Civil Rights groups would celebrate, have a party, and disband because they were no longer needed

b)   The test scores of Asians would drop to be in line with those of whites

c)    Civil  Rights groups would attempt to maintain their  power by  citing  statistical disparities caused by other non-discrimination related factors to prove  the machine did not work, and claim more entitlement programs were needed.

d)   More equality

12) Which Factors below might affect the pay that any person will receive and should be taken into account when determining if a given ethnic group is receiving equal pay for equal work or if they are victims of illegal discrimination?

a)    Training

b)   Experience

c)    Profession

d)   Effect of Marital Status on work goals

e)    Effect of children on work goals

f)    Age

g)   Level of Education achieved

h)   Reputation of Schools attended

i)    Professional Reputation and references

j)    Individual Career Goals and interests

k)   Gaps in Work History

l)    Willingness to travel

m)  Inter-personal skills and tendency toward aggressiveness (demand raise, change jobs)

n)   Type of Work (Part time, Full Time, Volunteer, unemployed)

o)   Other Perks and compensation (Good Co-workers, day-care, flexible hours, etc)

p)   Membership and contacts in Professional Organizations

q)   Membership is Fraternity/Sorority Groups

r)    Individual willingness to relocate and other Geographical factors

s)    Personal Work Habits (punctuality, dedication, loyalty)

t)    Physical Attractiveness and  mode of dress/presentation

u)   Gender

v)   Race

w)  Previous Criminal Acts

x)   Complimentary contributions by others

y)    Luck and chance

z)    How friendly they are

 

13)  What factors need to be controlled for when comparing the performance of different groups in order to determine how much of a performance gap is caused by societal discrimination and bias against that group.  Check all that apply:

a)    Differences in Age distribution of the two groups

b)   Cultural Attitudes and Values (reactions to authority, value placed on education)

c)    Prevalent Behaviors (detrimental or beneficial) and Abilities

d)   Prevalent vocational choices (mechanics, policemen, drug dealers)

e)    Typical Household (Married, Single Parent) and Number of children

f)    Typical Level of Education Achieved

g)   Percentage of the population each group represents

h)   The amount of political power each group has

i)    Literacy rate of parents

j)    Number of books inside the home

k)   None of the above; any performance gap is the result of discrimination and bias

14)  A racist individual will always put racial discrimination ahead of other factors therefore (mark all that apply)

a)    African-Americans were popular as entertainers on Broadway in the 1920s because it was a good joke

b)   The slaves imported to the American South were not worked to death while the ones imported to Brazil were because the White-Slave holders in the south were less racist than the ones in Brazil

c)    The entire National Baseball League suddenly had a change of heart about their discrimination of  African-Americans in 1947 when the  Brooklyn Dodgers hired  Jackie Robinson

d)   Any disparity in the performance or behavior of African Americans as compared to other groups is due to racism

 

15)  Affirmative Action Laws should be supported because:

a)    Two wrongs make a (constitutional) right

b)   They only serve the most advantaged members of the group they protect

c)    The least qualified members of the unprotected group are fairly  passed over in preference for a even less qualified member of the protected group, because every member of the unprotected group is a racist

d)   They decrease Inter-group strife and violence by treating everyone equally

e)    They increase self-segregation of protected groups

f)    They implicitly recognize the inherent inferiority of certain ethnic minorities

g)   The constitution guarantees equal success under the law 

h)   Society needs more equality

 

16)  Taxpayers should pay for remuneration to African Americans for slavery because:

a)    All taxpayers are descended from Slave-owners (even the black ones)

b)   All African-Americans in America  are descended from slaves

c)    African Americans deserve the American lifestyle they would have had if  their ancestors had not been slaves

d)   African Americans deserve the African lifestyle they would have had if their ancestors had not been slaves

e)    America is racist

 

Extra Credit : Would the Civil War still have succeeded in ending slavery if it had been televised and events like Sherman’s March or the atrocities in Vicksburg where shown to the general public?

Yes, because any cost is worth paying to advance social justice