The inequalities that people of various genders and races experienced and dealt with in the early days of racism is validated through the texts of Oliver Cromwell and Anne McClintock. Through their eyes one is able to grasp the development and methods used in order to understand the historical context of racism and how racial antagonism and racial antipathy influenced the social attitudes of our society. To understand racism, the lack of equal treatment that many encountered in the past, one also needs to understand how race aggression played a pivotal role. In the late 19th Century, some important aspects to ponder were albeit, racial exploitation, assimilation, lynching and marriage restrictions, as well as gender inequality, which ultimately led to the expansion of racial stratification. In conclusion, "making sense of the meaning of race and the character of race relations in American life requires an understanding of capitalism as a social system and it's specific history of this country."
Concrete Responses The essays included present a compelling but biased study within the context of class, race and gender. History shows racism has been clearly practiced in the past; however much has been done to correct the unbridgeable and immutable differences in race, gender and class status in the United States. Rothenberg emphasizes, in the collection of essays, past views of Euro-Americans’ superiority in intelligence and abilities over darker skinned races. Throughout the history of the United States, discrimination against race and gender has been documented thus creating various classes according to race and gender. Racism has been defined as “a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race” (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, 2010).
The professor stated that the development of different racial groups was due to the theory of genetic drift; we all originally started in the same location and spread outward. This theory got me thinking about how we form racial groups on a smaller scale and how complex it truly is. Race and ethnic group labels in America are not clearly based on criteria that everyone understand, agree with, and can easily see. As a result, someone else may label you in a way that you consider wrong and very offensive. This can instantly create an obstacle when trying to communicate even if the slur was unintended.
In my opinion, from the evidence provided in our own world today, HBCUs are very important and significant in the education of black people throughout the nation, and are essential to our society. With regards to the opinion that the existence of HBCUs is in fact, a mellowed form of racism, one must first remember the history behind the origins of HBCUs. Many people believe that these institutions have outlived their purpose because we live in a fully integrated society and these institutions stand as hallmarks of segregation. However, by thinking this way is not an analyzing the complete picture because one must bear in mind that HBCUs are old and hallowed institutions of higher learning established in a time when talented, desiring and tenacious African-Americans wished to go to school but could not attend places such as the established white universities. Most people who believe that HBCUs are no longer useful also believe that because the law forbids the practice of racism HBCUs should be shut down.
What is the significance of language for Blauner? What does he mean by his statement that “there are two languages of race in America” (26)? 2. Blauner uses several terms: “prejudice,” “discrimination,” “institutional racism,” “racism as atmosphere,” and “racism as result.” How does Blauner define these terms? What is the relationship of “prejudice’ and “discrimination” to the latter three terms?
The Social Construct of Race In this paper, I am going to describe how Sociologists view race as a social construct. I will discuss the history of race and how it became a very important part of society. I will further emphasize how Sociologists and society see race through the color of an individual, and how it has affected people. I will also point out how eugenics is transmitted through bloodlines, the racialization of a new identity, and the importance of being white. Sociologist Robert K. Merton’s theory points out two types of roles that we associate with and the different statuses we can give ourselves.
When people talk about race, it is generally used to identify people of a particular ethnic or cultural group (e.g. White, Black, Latino, Asian, etc.). The Oxford American Dictionary defines “race” as one of the great divisions of mankind with certain inherited physical characteristics in common. This term has long been used for classifying humans into different groups by factors such as skin color, appearance, culture, ethnicity, and socio-economic status. There are misconceptions about the use of race because all humans fall in the category of homosapiens.
Post Racial Society Black studies is an important topic to be discussed throughout schools and the community alike. Black culture is very diverse, and according to Maulana Karenga, there needs to be a direct link between the campus and the community with regards to black studies. In understanding black studies, one would be able to see its relevance in society, its contributions, and would see that the idea of living in a "Post Racial" society is far from conceivable. Maulana Karenga is one of the most prominent figures to emerge from and help start this idea of Black Studies. According to Karenga, Black Studies started in 1966 in San Francisco with a group of African American students demanding a relevant education.
Racial Equality: “A North Star Yet to Shine” ------------------------------------------------- Abstract: This writing will look into Howard Winant’s Racism: From Domination to Hegemony, along with the photographs of Nikki S. Lee’s “Hip-Hop Project” and “Hispanic Project.” Howard Winant discusses the ways in which racism has changed and why superiority among races will still exist in his writing. Winant defines racism as “the routinized outcome of practices that create or reproduced hierarchical social structures based on essentialized racial categories” (129). Those in a higher social structure often view those who come from a lower social structure differently. As a result, this can lead to racism. Winant describes the new idea of racial hegemony as one that “operates in societies and institutions that explicitly condemn prejudice and discrimination” (128).
He illustrates the rise of the “black perspective” and its effects on the serious social scientific study of urban poverty (Wilson, 99). Wilson continues his article and highlights both the structural and cultural factors that have led to a rise in single-parent, female-led households in the black community. While he notes that this rise is also true in other ethnic groups (130), he points out that it is radically more pronounced among urban black communities (100-103). In his next chapter, Wilson argues for a new framework to understand this phenomenon with both structural and cultural factors (144). He adds that the two factors are ultimately intertwined and recommends that policy makers need to address the problem through this lens to effectively