What is Racism?

here is what i have to say on the subject.
www.abovetopsecret.com...

IMHO, it's anytime you make an assumption about someone based on their race or cultural heritage.

The troublesome catch is that there are varying degrees and types. Overt, covert, oblivious, institutional...it can make it very difficult to recognize and problematic to call out.

We shouldn't feel the need to pretend that we're all the same but neither should we assume we're so different than each other. We're all human but the differences can be beautiful and enrich the fabric of our culture.

Originally posted by kimish

Race is a biological construct not a social construct.

edit on 21-5-2013 by kimish because: (no reason given)

edit on 21-5-2013 by kimish because: (no reason given)

# 8 of the 50 facts is:

Most genetic variety is not between races, but rather within races. For example, two random Italians are as likely to be as genetically different as an Italian and a Chinese.i

Originally posted by ShadellacZumbrum
reply to post by FyreByrd

 

It might be off point but, . .. I Fail to see how Negligence equates to Racism or Prejudice.

[/quote]

I'm not sure what you are refering to? Negligence on our teacher's part or on the student's part for being late?

Maybe it was a bad example on your part.

I wasn't attempting to share an example of racisim but an experience of empathy with members of another race's feelings and internal experience of the same circustance that I was in. It was a moving example of how different our different cultural conditioning is.

The situation was not intended nor taken to be racist by anyone in the class but a safe and simple place to talk about how upbringing and identity affect our perception of events. It's important in business to take into account many different perspectives on the same thing, if you want to be effective.

Originally posted by kimish

Originally posted by ShadellacZumbrum
reply to post by FyreByrd

 

Racism is basically the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race.

Wrong, racism is the belief that one race is superior to another race. If you believe that is what racism is then you are wrongly misguided.

But how can you define Race - you state it's biology but that doesn't work. How would you describe race to a blind person?

If you just go on apperance then it's a subjective decision not a biological one.

Originally posted by calstorm
I think many people confuse racism: discrimination based on physical features, with discrimination against a particular culture or ethnicity.

Discrimination based on physical features is purely subjective and how does that differ from ethnicity.

As in - is being anti Arab (as in 'racial profiling) - racist or just discimiation? I think the two go hand in hand.

I think HopeChest makes a good distinction between racism being an internal state of 'hatred' whereas discrimination is the outward manifestation of that 'hatred' in word or deed.

But then you have to ask the question: Can one discriminate without being racist (as in the case of institutionalized racism - i.e. racial profiling, glass ceilings, and the like)?

Originally posted by ShadellacZumbrum
reply to post by kimish

 

Unfortunately. .. The definition is so damn Broad and Vague that you nearly need a lawyer to interpret the freaking thing.

Let's set all of this aside and talk in less complicated terms.

Prejudice = HATE
Discrimination = Your Gay? No Job

But prejudice doesn't always equate to Hate. You can have prejudicial feelings and thoughts about groups of people that are positve. As in I love Sagittarians - I pre-judge that I will like people born in the sign of Sagittarus. My experience is that I've met few that I don't like. It's still a prejudice.

I was taugh to judge a person on their character not their looks or, for that matter words. Because I don't have the time to observe the behavior of everyone I interact with long enough to make an individual determination in each case, I have to rely on the prejudices I've picked up over my life. They often are wrong, but it's a convenience that is required in this 'hit and run' society I live in. Those that I spend time with often prove my intiial judgement wrong, not always, but often and I minutely adjust my prejudices.

But that isn't racism.

I think, a the moment to be sure, racism is when you accept a prejudice without allowing experience and intereaction to modify your view-point.

The film "American History X" makes that point quite nicely.

Originally posted by ANOK
Racism is the method that was used by western industrialists to demonise natives of undeveloped nations ripe for exploitation, colonialism and imperialism.

A form of social conditioning that took on a life of it's own, as social conditioning is designed to do. They opened the chasm, and let the devil out.

edit on 5/21/2013 by ANOK because: (no reason given)

Greetings friend and political/economic history guru,

Do you think it was deliberate? Or just emerged as the simplist way of keeping worker's fighting amongst themselves?

I think it's deeper then just economic - it's based on the tribal - Us vs Them meme that tears us apart.

Originally posted by Hefficide

Racism is a facet of a specific type of judgementalism.. when we predispose ourselves, either positively or negatively toward others based upon things that they have absolutely no control over. Gender, race, appearance, disability... and more. When we allow ourselves to draw conclusions based solely upon these singular factors, and upon nothing else... that is irrational judgement.

if race or heritage is the basis for an irrational judgement. Then it is racism.

I agree it is quite irrational - but surely exspediant in the brief interactions of much of modern society.

Originally posted by FyreByrd

Originally posted by kimish

Originally posted by ShadellacZumbrum
reply to post by FyreByrd

 

Racism is basically the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race.

Wrong, racism is the belief that one race is superior to another race. If you believe that is what racism is then you are wrongly misguided.

But how can you define Race - you state it's biology but that doesn't work. How would you describe race to a blind person?

If you just go on apperance then it's a subjective decision not a biological one.

???
Then why is it that forensic anthropologists can tell the race of a person by their skeletal remains? Would that be social or... biological?forensicpathologyonline.com...

Center of gravity, is that social or biological?? www.sciencedaily.com...

But it's all a social construct, right??

Why can't we just acknowledge the differences and embrace the uniqueness? One thing that breeds hate is misunderstanding. If we are all led to believe that race is a social construct then are we not misunderstanding the truth? Hence breeding forth hatred?

Being from a minority group, I have come to see the whole hoopla about racism in this manner...

Racism, to me is when a particular group of people represent other rather powerless group of people repeatedly in negative light and propagating stereotypes that are not true or not even that common.

That being said, I have observed that many whites/caucasian get really upset about racism and go on both extremes, some opposing it and some promoting it based on evidence perpetuated by media. Is racism related to one group alone? not really. But given that whites are the majority and kind of the structure of american/western society, they usually are blamed for racism, sometimes in a faulty manner, sometimes as a joke or sometimes due to serious racist offence (typically violence,damage to property, taking away certain rights/benefits enjoyed by the majority , depicting some religious symbol in a very insulting manner and so on).

Second point is that a lot of media usually creates an "us" vs. "them" barrier amongst whites and non-whites trying to put words like "multi culturalism" etc. in between. I don't think a non white person living in US would have a culture that is drastically dissimilar to that of the mainstream culture/white culture and customs. I think the problem with racism is that the power is not equally divided among all, this makes the minority suspicious of the majority and the majority gets annoyed when they see themselves again and again in bad light and then there is still a large part of the country that still believes in white superiority and so on, and they cite these negative remarks as an evidence of minorities creeping in and destroying "white america".

This is what you see when there was a marked anxiety among right wing groups when obama came to power; a black guy with a muslim sounding name...perfectly fitting the role of a person who will destroy the "white america". I think the real question is that we will have to sit down and decide if america was made to be a "white country" or a country that would create the best batch of people, let it be in sports, politics, science, maths and the like. Once that distinction is out of the way, the answer to racism would be a lot more apparent.

Racism, it seems has become just another word, those who sympathize with it oppose it and those who believe that muslims/blacks/chinese/indians are out there to get the defenseless whites will promote and keep it alive, in the hopes that others who think like them will do something to preserve the white culture. I apologize if I come across as being arrogant, I don't intend to, I , being a minority see it from this perspective, this is not the best explanation, and neither is this complete. I will have to put a little more thought into this to give a more in-depth answer.

Also, I am a new member , nice to meet you all

Originally posted by 12m8keall2c
I typically feel it to be an exaggerated issue/concern,

I dont' think it is over-exaggerated in the least. It is certainly the basis for most of the division we see around the world today.

I think it is simple denial to say "racism doesn't exist" or "it's an outdated issue" and makes it all the more insidious.

I would like to see it go the way of the dodo but until we 'educate' rather then 'deny' ourselves on issues of race and, let's face it, sexism, we will continue to condone it through our resistance in talking about it.

reply to post by Lamegame


Greetings! I gave you your first star

Well put response, btw.

Wouldn't you agree, according to your response, that racism is often brought about because of fear and misunderstanding or just out right not being familiar because one isn't of the "same tribe"? After all, it's human nature to feel closer and more comfortable with people that are more like you, in this case, people of your race or religion and what have you.

reply to post by Lamegame


Welcome and nice to meet you too. In your last paragraph you infer that only whites are racist. Do you believe that?

Originally posted by FyreByrd

Originally posted by 12m8keall2c
I typically feel it to be an exaggerated issue/concern,

I dont' think it is over-exaggerated in the least. It is certainly the basis for most of the division we see around the world today.

I think it is simple denial to say "racism doesn't exist" or "it's an outdated issue" and makes it all the more insidious.

I would like to see it go the way of the dodo but until we 'educate' rather then 'deny' ourselves on issues of race and, let's face it, sexism, we will continue to condone it through our resistance in talking about it.

Educate! Yes. Like I stated, acknowledge that race is a biological and not a social construct.
The more we understand each other than the easier it will be to get along. I think it would quell racism quite a bit, granted racism will always exist.

Originally posted by kimish

Then why is it that forensic anthropologists can tell the race of a person by their skeletal remains? Would that be social or... biological?forensicpathologyonline.com...

Center of gravity, is that social or biological?? www.sciencedaily.com...

But it's all a social construct, right??

Why can't we just acknowledge the differences and embrace the uniqueness? One thing that breeds hate is misunderstanding. If we are all led to believe that race is a social construct then are we not misunderstanding the truth? Hence breeding forth hatred?

We can aknowledge the differences in individuals and embrace the uniquenss. The Vulcan IDIC - Infinite Diversity In Infinite Combination.

And I don't dispute their are biological factors involved. The actual, measureable differenced between two members of different 'races' may be less then two individuals of one 'race'. So biology is not the source of racism. We didn't have the capacity to measure those biological differences until just recently.

In fact, if racism is based purely on biological differences the Misandry and Misogyny are racist because the genetic divide between the genders is far wider then the differences genetically between "races".

While biology may be used to justifiy racism, it cannot define it.

Thank you everyone for your thoughtful and civil replies. I have a lot to think about.

reply to post by FyreByrd


True but one only needs to look at someone to basically tell their race due to certain characteristics that are unique to each race. Characteristics that a blind person can 'see' with their hands. Biology isn't the source of racism, you're correct in that regard, but I believe that biology is the cause.

I agree with you more than I'm letting on, trust me. I'm horrible at putting my thoughts into words.
I'm a lover, not a writer. :p

Originally posted by kimish
reply to post by FyreByrd

 

True but one only needs to look at someone to basically tell their race due to certain characteristics that are unique to each race. Characteristics that a blind person can 'see' with their hands. Biology isn't the source of racism, you're correct in that regard, but I believe that biology is the cause.

I agree with you more than I'm letting on, trust me.

I'm horrible at putting my thoughts into words.
I'm a lover, not a writer. :p

edit on 22-5-2013 by kimish because: (no reason given)

But are 'certain characteristics' truly unique to a specific race. When I was a child, a while ago, all the Blacks (and I date myself with that usage) I knew had big lips. That's just not true today and in a hundred years the blurring of biology will be even further along and that's a good thing.

So no, I don't believe that biology is the cause of racism. Mostly because racism has been around for a long time in one form or another. I'd say 'perception' is a more likely cause. The tribe across the valley wears different clothing, etc.

More Star Trek wisdom: the episode (origintal series) with Frank Gorshen with the Back/White and White/Black rivals each racists towards the other.... same biology, different apparence....

reply to post by Dianec


I apologize if I do, I didn't intend to. No, I don't mean to say that, even my dad was pretty racist towards african americans so, it's not a one race/ethnicity phenomenon.I just tried to explain why some whites tend to believe that that the anti-racist brigade is anti-white, not sure if anyone here believes that, but being a majority and being the structure that forms the american society is what usually leads to that.Again, given that these are some of my first posts, and it's a sensitive topic, I don't want to come out as an anti white or anything, I am just giving my perspective on whats happening right now and has happened since racial segregation was officially abolished since 1960s.