The Existence of Racism
Racism is a term that is often used to describe a variety of social,
culture and economic problems, but has, unfortunately, acquired “so
many contradictory meanings that it takes on the aura of a myth,” it
has become increasingly difficult to define (de Benoist, 1999, p.
11). Although the term wasn’t officially featured in the Larousse
Dictionary until 1932, racism had been a dark cloud hanging over the
global horizon for centuries (de Benoist, 1999). Before delving into
the complex concept of racism, it is recommended that the student who
is writing on this topic first consider the notion of race, which has
been described as “a group of people with the same physical
characteristics and with notable cultural and social similarities”
(Vorster, 2002, p. 296). Whenever there are people of different
cultural and social characteristics introduced into the mix, a recipe
for racism and the hostilities it generates is created. Because
racism defies a singular definition but is usually represented by the
categorizing of people according to certain criteria, it can perhaps
best be understood by discussing the issue itself in terms of such
categories as the reasons for racism, its causes, why it continues,
and how its meaning is ever-changing.
It is widely accepted by sociologists that racism is essentially an
ideology or belief system with its foundation cemented by three basic
ideas. First, there is the fact that human beings can be divided
naturally into different physical types (Vorster, 2002). For example,
Africans are ‘typed’ by their dark skin color and by their curly hair;
Asians are known for their ‘y...
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...ist. But as
long as emotions take precedence over logic, racism will continue.
The only way to remove racism from the cultural landscape, it would
seem, is to implant the notion that diversity is perfectly acceptable
and that groups can happily co-exist as different and equal.
Works Cited
de Benoist, Alain. (1999, Winter). What is racism? Telos 114,
11-48.
Lemann, Nicholas. (1996, February/March). The end of racism?
American Heritage 47(1), 93-104.
Monteith, Margo; Winters, Jeffrey. (2002, May/June). Why we hate.
Psychology Today 35(3), 44-51.
Vorster, J.M. (2002, July). Racism, xenophobia and human rights.
Ecumenical Review 54(3), 296-312.
Winant, Howard. (1998, July). Racism today: Continuity and change in
the post-civil rights era. Ethnic & Racial Studies 21(4), 755-766.
Web. 29 Mar. 2014. King, C. Richard. "Looking Back To A Future End: Reflections On The Symposium On Racist
Racism (n): the prejudice that members of one race are intrinsically superior to members of other race (Wordnet search, 1), a controversial topic in today’s society, a subject that many people try to sweep under the rug, but yet a detrimental problem that has been present in America since the colonial era. Will this dilemma come to a halt? Can all Americans see each other as equals despite their skin color and nationality; and what role has it played in past generations versus today’s generations and how will it affect our future? Has this on going way of thinking gotten better or worse? These are questions raised when many think about the subject; especially members of American ethnic groups and backgrounds, because most have dealt with racial discrimination in their life time.
Dating back to the beginning of times people have always been looked at different depending on the color of their skin or what your religion, race, or beliefs may be. It is in our human nature to not like people for certain things that they are. Many will argue that in this day in age we are no longer at a race war but how can you be so sure when you actually open your eyes and see reality. Rapper Kanye West once said “racism is still alive, they just be concealing it” and these words are everything but false. You must ask yourself the real question about racism and it is how could you ever cure such a thing in people’s minds? People are free to think and believe what ever they would like and old habits such as racism will never change in people.
Racism exists all around the world and is a big part of our society today. From schools, to work places, to even restaurants, racism is there because we, ourselves have constructed it but, not everyone can see it through their own eyes because we were all born with different perceptions. In Racism Without Racists by Eduardo Bonilla-Silva, racism is described in a variety of different ways whether it is due to biological factors or simply by saying that racism does not exist and people just need to work harder. Bonilla-Silva has experienced discrimination himself and he wrote this book to show that even though it is not extremely visible like before, such as segregation, it is subtler but still plays just as big of a role in our society as before.
...r own unique ways.; however, the authors focus on different aspects of prejudice and racism, resulting in them communicating different ideas and thoughts that range from racial discrimination to stereotypical attitudes. The range of ideas attempt to engage the readers about the reality of their issues. The reality about a world where prejudice and racism still prevail in modern times. But when will prejudice and racism ever cease to exist? And if they were ever to cease from existence, what does that mean about humankind?
Katz, Phyllis A. and Dalmas A. Taylor, eds. Eliminating Racism. New York: Plenum Press, 1988.
Shelby, T. (2002) “Is Racism in the Heart?” In G. L. Bowie, M. W. Michaels, and R. C. Solomon (Eds.), Twenty Questions: An Introduction to Philosophy (479-483). Boston, MA: Wadsworth.
Racism is one of the most revolting things within the vicinity of humanity. Many times it haunts our past, degrading our future. However, a good fraction o...
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Racism can be defined as "any set of beliefs, which classifies humanity into distinct collectives, defined in terms of natural and/or cultural attributes, and ranks these attributes in a hierarchy of superiority and inferiority" (Blum 5). It can be directly linked to the past and still, centuries later, serves as a painful reminder that race continues to be one of the "sharpest and deepest divisions in American life" (Loewen 138). What were the causes of racism? How did it develop historically? In order to answer those complex questions, I plan to examine the conditions of America's history from colonialism to present day society. It was these conditions of America's past that promoted the development of racist practices and ideas that continue to be embraced by many to this day.
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