During a Lecture About Race in His Sociology Class, Tomas

question 42

Multiple Choice

During a lecture about race in his sociology class, Tomas becomes confused. He recently discovered, on his birth certificate, that he was labeled as white, yet his much younger brother, Carlos, is classified as Hispanic on his birth certificate. What could best explain this discrepancy in labels?

• A) How social institutions choose to label and identify racial and ethnic groups changes over time.
• B) Tomas's parents did not want Tomas to experience discrimination so he was labeled white.
• C) Tomas's parents felt that the Hispanic label would open doors for Carlos in education and employment.
• D) By the time Carlos was born, the U.S. was more accepting of diversity and welcoming of Hispanics.

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Definitions:

Status Quo Bias

A cognitive bias that explains individuals' preference for current circumstances to remain unchanged or for decisions to be made that do not alter the current state.

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Solar Panels

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Anchoring

A psychological tendency to overemphasize the importance of the first information encountered (referred to as the "anchor") when one is making choices.