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Caste systems in Africa are a form of social stratification found in numerous ethnic groups, found in over fifteen countries, particularly in the Sahel, West Africa, and North Africa. [1] These caste systems feature endogamy , hierarchical status, inherited occupation, membership by birth, pollution concepts and restraints on commensality.
First, social stratification is socially defined as a property of a society rather than individuals in that society. Second, social stratification is reproduced from generation to generation. Third, social stratification is universal (found in every society) but variable (differs across time and place).
The sociology of race and ethnic relations is the study of social, political, and economic relations between races and ethnicities at all levels of society.This area encompasses the study of systemic racism, like residential segregation and other complex social processes between different racial and ethnic groups.
[11] [12] [13] These early theories guided pseudo-scientific research assumptions; the collective endeavors to adequately define and form hypotheses about racial differences are generally termed scientific racism, though this term is a misnomer, due to the lack of any actual science backing the claims.
Slavery in South Africa was officially abolished in 1833 with the Slavery Abolition Act. [94] There are many examples of racism and discriminatory practices during the colonial period, such as the allocation of rations during the Siege of Ladysmith: [95] For Whites—Biscuit, 1/4 lb.; Maize meal, 3 oz. For Indians and Kaffirs—Maize meal, 8 oz.
The word "race", interpreted to mean an identifiable group of people who share a common descent, was introduced into English in the 16th century from the Old French rasse (1512), from Italian razza: the Oxford English Dictionary cites the earliest example around the mid-16th century and defines its early meaning as a "group of people belonging to the same family and descended from a common ...
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This use of racial categories is frequently criticized for perpetuating an outmoded understanding of human biological variation, and promoting stereotypes. Because in some societies racial groupings correspond closely with patterns of social stratification, for social scientists studying social inequality, race can be a significant variable.