Discussion Post: Majority, Minority, and Ethnic Stratification in Maryland

Ethnic stratification is a framework of stratification in which certain fixed group
membership (nationality, religion, race) is used as a primary criterion for allocating social
positions or resources. An ethnic majority is the dominant racial or religious group within the
overall population of a geographic or political entity. An ethnic minority is a less dominant
group. A critical examination of the Maryland state indicates that it has different types of people
with different cultural backgrounds. Notably, the majority group in Maryland is the Whites,
comprising about 50 percent of the total population. Blacks and Hispanics are the minority
groups. In 2019, approximately 1.8 million people were Black, while another 643,171 were
Hispanics (Statista, 2022). It is vital to acknowledge that Maryland is the most diverse state on
the East Coast despite the continued decrease in the number of Blacks over the past decade
(Lang, J. M & Mellnik, 2021). Diversity is integral to community development, as individuals
get to mingle and share valuable ideas that can transform the state. The minority groups in
Maryland are mostly Blacks and other non-white populations who face numerous challenges
because of their color.
Ethnic stratification systems are unique, making them unique compared to other states.
An examination of the educational attainment indicates that it has increased over the last decades
for both Whites and Blacks, although more Whites are educated than Blacks. One of the reasons
for the differences in educational attainment is racial and ethnic group differences in enrolment
in colleges and other higher institutions for learning. Also, state differences in college enrolment
by race and ethnicity indicate why there exist differences in the racial composition of the
population in colleges (Healey et al., 2018). In the recent past, the treatment of Blacks by Whites
has changed because of the strict regulations against racial discrimination. For example, in

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colleges today, all students should be entitled to financial assistance despite their race, and thus
African Americans in Maryland benefit from such programs. Also, Maryland is increasingly
becoming diversified as the number of Blacks is continuously increasing, and there is a
possibility it will match that of the Whites in the future.

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References

Healey, J. F., Stepnick, A., & Eileen, O. (2018). Race, ethnicity, gender, and class: The
sociology of group conflict and change. Sage Publications.
Lang, J. M & Mellnik, T. (2021). Census data shows Maryland is now the East Coast’s most
diverse state, while D.C. is whiter. Washington Post.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/08/12/dc-virginia-maryland-census-
redistricting-2/
Statista (2022). Resident population of Maryland in 2019, by race and ethnicity. Statista.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/590093/maryland-population-ethnicity-race/