Racism has the potential to ruin our relationships as well as our personal integrity. While few people admit to being racist, most if not all people hold racist beliefs in the form of stereotypes and prejudices. Not all stereotypes equal racism but stereotyping can lead to racist attitudes and beliefs. For example, the stereotype that Asians are bad drivers leads directly to prejudicial thoughts about Asian people, to lump all people of Asian descent into a category and not allowing for individual differences. Stereotypes, even seemingly innocent ones, can cause feelings of resentment, anger or even hatred. When those feelings are discussed openly and gossiped about in certain social groups, a combination of psychological and sociological factors can turn simple stereotypes into racism. Needing to fit into with an in-group, an individual may get on board and criticize members of different races without ever having encountered an individual from that race. Stereotypes and prejudices take on a life of their own like a fantasy story and can easily lead to widespread racism within a society.
Moreover, stereotypes create self-fulfilling prophesies that can also perpetuate racism because each time a person notices a bad driver who happens to be Asian he or she will feel justified in holding the belief. When prejudices get out of control and are viewed as truth rather than as fantasy or over-generalization, racism can result. Racism itself can lead to violence or social cruelty. In the schoolyard, children may be teased and in the workplace, individuals may be passed by for promotions or higher pay.
Racism also results from an attitude of "us vs. them," in which all differences are viewed as negative. in-group solidarity may be a necessary part of human nature but it is also possible for people to overcome their racist prejudices by contentiously refuting stereotypes and making a point to view each person as an individual. Judging a person on the basis of race or culture prevents the development of meaningful friendships and continues to breed racist attitudes. Racism can also be perpetuated by the media. Portrayals of African-Americans, Asians, and other minority groups on television or in movies are often stereotypical. Often stereotypes reflect realistic characteristics of various ethnic and racial groups, but stereotypes are just generalizations and can too easily become prejudices and biases.
Racism as One of the More Relevant Causes of Poverty Executive Review The prime objective of this paper is wholly that it will address racism as one of the more instrumentally causal factor for the prevalence of poverty. The exceptional advancement and development that we have attained within the contemporaneous parameters of the societies within which we survive and interact is something that is reflected within virtually all existing platform. It is quite
Also, selective scholarships and empowerment of some Blacks, in a world where most Blacks are still, continually not recognized as full citizens, can be divisive rather than empowering to a marginalized community. Even the forms of Black enfranchisement can be reinforcing of stereotypes. The experiences of the Invisible Man, who has been given a scholarship by the school not for the excellence of his mind, but more for the prowess
People who are guilty of personal attacks on Obama that challenge his birthplace, or equate him with Adolf Hitler, "…have been influenced to a major degree by a belief that he should not be president because he happens to be African-American" (CNN, p. 1). "It's a racist attitude," Carter asserted. And for this paper, it may be more like "modern racism" that does not embrace the "N-word" but does
Racism and Mental Health Issues in Juvenile Justice Systems It seems that, not only are juvenile justice systems deficient in mental health services, and not only is there a disparity between services for whites and African-American youths - but some juvenile facilities may even be contributing to the deterioration of kids' emotional and mental well-being. This paper looks at racial prejudice in the administration of juvenile justice from the point-of-view of
" Quirk and Fort (1992) These definitions should be balanced by the popular notion that it is good for a league and all of its teams if the teams from the larger markets are relatively dominant, but not at the expenses of competitive balance: "The optimal level of balance in a sports league is a function of the distribution of fan preference, fan population base, and fan income across host cities. "The
Racism Personal anecdotes related to the experience of prejudice are usually the most effective means of convincing an audience that prejudice exists, and that it is painful. Moreover, an effective author connects the issue of prejudice to broader issues that all readers can relate to regardless of their personal experiences. Thus, it is important to show how the society suffers from prejudice too. African-American authors are in the position of sharing
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