Reflective Essay -Race and Racism

This course has made me re-evaluate my preconceptions about race and racism. It caused me to realize my comprehension of racism was incomplete, and what I thought I knew about race incorrect. By employing the sociological imagination I was able to challenge my old beliefs and gain a greater understanding of the social forces at work around me.

Racism has always been taught in a manner that ignores white privilege. We have been taught about the victims of racism, and how it puts them at a disadvantage, but never as something that puts White people at an advantage.  From elementary school onwards we are taught that racism is the malicious act of a few “bad apples”. The focus has always been on the victim, while ignoring the true perpetrators; our social institutions. As Peggy McIntosh said, “My schooling gave me no training in seeing myself as an oppressor, as an unfairly advantaged person, or as a participant in a damaged culture.” Racism is much more than a few hateful individuals, it is perpetuated by the system as a whole. Despite this, we are not taught to recognize that, we are not taught to examine our privileges or the system that keeps them intact. It becomes a vicious circle. By keeping silent about white privilege, those in power (white people) are able to oppress minority groups to ensure their continued dominance. “It seems to me that obliviousness about white advantage, like obliviousness about male advantage, is kept strongly inculturated in the United States so as tomaintain the myth of meritocracy the myth that democratic choice is equally available to all” (McIntosh 1989).

I always took it for granted that race was a real, tangible concept until I watched that video Race: The Power of an Illusion. It challenged my beliefs and helped me debunk the idea of race as a biological concept. The scientific evidence they provided demonstrating how there are no genes or genetic markers for ‘races’ made me realize how I had been mislead by the popular media, and societal attitudes who are insistent that race is a concrete and genetic. This is why myself and so many others have misconceptions about race.  Even though race is a social construction and not real in a biological sense, we have defined it as real. Thus, it still carries enormous weight and has become a very ‘real’ “figment of the collective imagination” (Quist-Adade 89).

I realized that these concepts had real application in my life. My family immigrated from Portugal, and we have held on to many of our traditions. I identify strongly with my cultural heritage and consider myself more Hispanic than white. However, even though I do not identify as white, I too still benefit from white privilege in situations in which others perceive me as white. Thinking about privilege, I realized how, growing up, I had inadvertently internalized white privilege. I used to avoid the sun, because I was terrified of my skin getting darker as other kids used to tease me and tell me I looked ‘Mexican’. Even as a young child I unconsciously realized that when I am seen as white, I am treated better and with more courtesy. This ties in to the theory of race as a social construction. How I consciously identify is irrelevant, my “race” is determined by others’ perceptions of me, and the judgments they then make based upon them.  

Race and Racism are interwoven threads, one an illusion, the other a painful reality. Only by confronting their irrationality can we begin to rebuild our societies and cast off the social hierarchies we assign to the concept of race. 

Racism and the Culture of Denial

Racism and the Culture of Denial - Affective Reading on Tim Wise’s article.

Tim Wise confronts America’s illusion of a ‘post-racial’ society and dismantles the racist ‘theories’ that attempt to explain the high poverty rates for people of colour by blaming them instead of tackling the issues of discrimination, unequal opportunities and economic dislocation. He provides examples of the institutionalized racism present in contemporary society, such as the prison system dealing harsher sentences to Blacks than White for the same crimes and mortgages for people of colour being rejected at two and a half to three times the rate of whites. He argues that racism is much more prevalent in our society than many white people wish to believe, and the only way to shake people out of their denial appears to be something drastic, such as the “emergence of a new Hitler”.

I feel that Tim Wise is correct in his assessment of America’s denial of institutionalized racism. While his metaphor about Hitler is a bit of a hyperbole, it speaks to the severity of the situation in North America. No one wants to acknowledge racism still exists, and instead push the idea of a ‘post-racial’ society. Of course, the idea of a ‘post-racial’ society is nothing but a myth. I think that many white people in North America are quick to deny that racism still exists as it is not overt, blatant racism such as during the Jim Crowe years. Although there are no longer “whites only” bathrooms and drinking fountains, our societies’ institutions are arranged in that manner. For example, The public education system is not immune to racism as poor neighborhoods generally have lower quality schools and have a significantly higher percentage of Black and Latino students. “Equal educational opportunity should mean something more than the equal opportunity to be born to rich parents.” I know that a lot of white people are insulated from the harsh reality of racism. This article, and other like it are an important step in recognizing the manner in which the oppression of minorities has become such an integral part of the system it goes unnoticed. I believe that this quote nicely sums Tim Wise’s point:  “The cry of “I’m not a racist, but…” could be a new stanza in the national anthem. It is America’s collective cliche. No one is a racist. Black and Latino poverty couldn’t possibly be the consequence of economic decline, wage stagnation, or discrimination. Everybody gets a fair shot so if they can’t cut it, the fault lies not in our institutions, but with theirs: their ghettoes, their penchant for Malt Liquor and crack cocaine, their lack of a work ethic, and now perhaps their defective, intellect-starved DNA.”

‘Dialectic Reading’ :Socilization

Socilization and the Young Child (Chapter 8, Anderson)

What Question did the chapter raise?

• Do human infants come pre-socilized, or are all ”basic categories of thought” and human behavior a product of social learning?

How Did the Text answer this question?

• The text examines the two contrasting theories. The first is Émile Durkheim’s theory of social learning. He believed that all human behavior is a result of socialization.
• “Through social imprinting, or internalization, the external (ie. the culture) bcomes internal (ie. the categories of thought used by an indivdual)” (193).
• This quote demonstrates Durkheim’s belief that humans aquire their beliefs and ‘mental categories’ through social learning, and are not innate.
• Studies d0ne on feral children [children deprived of human contact from an early age] have demonstrated the importance of socialization beginning at an early age, and the impact that social relationships have in the development of our sense of self and well-being.
• The second theory is that newborn humans come with a pre-packaged set of ideas and social skills.
• Extensive research has been done in this field and suggests this may be the case;
• For example, it has been noted that infants can imitate and recognize human faces, have basic addition and subtraction skills and posess space, depth and direction perception.
• These findings have led many scientists to conclude that the infant is not simply a ‘blank slate’ and are born with rudimentary mental categories already in place. “It would appear that humans are already born social” (195).
• The text concludes that we must take both theories into account if we are to fully understand the impact of nature and nurture in terms of socilization on human development.

How does the answer match our own ideas and experiences?

• The scientific evidence provided is evidence that babies are not entirely ‘blank slates’.
• However, I believe that much of our behviors and thought patterns are socially constructed, gender roles are a good example of this.
• I feel that the conclusion reached is reasonable, as there is evidence for both sides of the argument. While science has proven that infants come hardwired with a sense of self and the blueprints for socialization, it is clear that to become fully socialized requires social interaction and nurturing relationships from an early age.

 

 

 

 

Lessons from the Ghana Field School -Extra Credit Assignment

The Ghana field school colloquium was a very inspiring presentation because it illustrated the theoretical analysis we do in class transferred to real life. As Carl Marx said “Philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point is to change it.” The field school forces the scholar to descend from their “ivory tower” and transform classroom rhetoric into real experiences and actions. The importance of global citizenship is more vital than ever. Presentations such as these serve as a reminder that we live in a connected world with global economies and societies. In the West, this cannot be explained enough; we are trapped in our own cultural bubble, labelling cultures different from ours as savage or inferior. The pervasive thought pattern in the West is that it is white man’s “job” to go and civilize the poor, “undeveloped” nations, and by sending aid or building a school in Africa they are close to reaching martyrdom.  It is rare that people stop and consider that Africans might have something to teach us, that they have something to offer. A shift needs to occur in the West’s perspective of Africa if real change is to occur. Africa-tech is a part of that shift. They are a non-profit organizations that helps Africans build computer labs, libraries and schools. However, they don’t go in a build the school themselves. They work together with the people to plan the projects and employs local electricians and labourers. When the building is completed, Africa-Tech comes in and stocks the library or lab with donated books and computers. This is a much better way to help out as it gives the people an initiative instead of making them reliant on handout.

Biographical Sketch

Hello, my name is Alicia and I’m a first year student and majoring in psychology. I intend to transfer to UBC in my third year and complete my Bachelor’s degree. I would like my future profession to be research and education oriented.  My dream is to someday have my own laboratory where I study the nature of consciousness and the beautiful mystery of the human brain.

Some of my interests include creating and admiring art, herpetology, psychology (obviously!), intersectional feminism, Queer activism, reading- particularly non-fiction and science fiction, biology, role playing games, live music and (occasionally) writing poetry and short stories.

My understanding of sociology relies primarily on my own personal observations and frustrations with the roadblocks and societal ‘norms’ that impose on our collective growth as a species. (Such as, our culture’s internalized misogyny, classism, racism etc.) I’ve barely even scratched the surface and still have much to learn, which is why I am taking this course. I’ve never taken a sociology course before and I thought it could be an interesting, exciting and insightful learning experience.

To conclude, I will share a quote from a wise mystic and one of my favorite psychologists, Carl Jung:

“If there is anything that we wish to change in the child, we should first examine it and see whether it is not something that could better be changed in ourselves.” – Carl Jung

 

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