My Problem Definition and Analysis
This definition is a big-un, and is more my thoughts than what exactly my peers were stating on the wiki. Those thoughts are here, but that is not my focus. (Hey, if Jacob said that there is no wrong way to do this, then I am taking him at his word!)
As I understand it, racism is a perspective and understanding of the world that uses an assignation system to categorize people through racial labels. This commonly used mode of stereotyping maintains that race is a biologically determined category, one that is usually manifested through physical characteristics such as hair, skin color or facial features. Exhaustative scientific research has proven this to be false. Still, this concept remains in our general psyche.
History proves that society maintains and perpetuates myths and misgivings about race to set up power structures and social orders. It manifests itself through public policies and practices that marginalize certain groups and rewards others based on their participation in these predetermined external definitions. In other words, you are either part of the hegemonic middle to upper class society, (which is tenuously accessed through monetary wealth, but can be lost through non-compliance to the societal norms of that community) or you are excluded from that group altogether. Often those lines are drawn, not with an inclusive pen, but one that asks,"What do we not want to become?" Whiteness, as an example, is a generic term that does not consider the variances in cultural practices, languages, and experiences in its definition.
This mode of thinking seeps into many areas of our daily lives from the subtle interactions we have with others in our communities, to the beliefs that our religions dictate to us. These beliefs cause such fear and trepidation that it is not uncommon to find entire communities consisting of one racial group. As a result, there are children being raised in a society that may offhandedly teach the basic tenets of racial equality, but does not live it through example. Still, even in these communities, I maintain that racism exists, but covertly operates through class. We are all familiar with the terms "white trash", "trailer trash" or"Hillbilly" to describe members of the lower class white community. If we stick to our overarching theme of racism working by protecting whiteness, then these individuals should not belong to a bottom class of any sort. They should be working members of our ruling class. Yet, they are ostracized and excluded in similar ways to other racial groups. I believe this is because they are not considered as belonging to that specific definition of whiteness. If you recall the discussions of President Bill Clinton, many poignantly called him "The first black president". His lower class (trailer park-esque) upbringing by a single mother placed him in a different class than virtually all of his political peers, but through his participation in elite circles, his Ivy League education and accumulation of wealth, he was delicately accepted enough to eventually gain a position of considerable leadership.
I also want to bring up the viewpoints of those who do not choose to use race or recognize race. There is a burgeoning group of critics that adopt the race as a social construction model, to the point of ignoring the ways that race still functions in society. Their efforts are noble, in seeking to adopt (on an individual level) that race does not exist in their lives. However, the reality remaining that race still operates in everyone else's' lives and will not disappear by turning a blind eye to the issue. These critics believe that class and capitalism are the fundamental issues at work, and not race. While certainly true on macro levels, it ignores too much of what is actually occurring on the micro levels of our lives. South Africa is an excellent case study to see how the removal of racial labels has caused significantly more harm than good.
The solution is as complex as this definition requires introspection. I recognize that I hold some racist beliefs. I believe that everyone does, on some levels. To change this, you must self reflect and interrogate your own beliefs and understandings. By choice, I do not live a segregationist life. I am uncomfortable being the only one of a particular race or gender of a whole group. My approach to shrinking these gaps is to invite others into my community to share experiences and not settle with being a consumer of other cultures (ie., through folk-life festivals or "world beat "music) but as a active participant in each others' lives (family dinners and holiday celebrations). The hope is that through continued interactions with others of difference that others will also find a dissatisfaction with hegemony in their own lives. For the last three years, my family has celebrated Kwanzaa at my home here in Champaign. But each year, our house is always filled with many friends from diverse backgrounds who learn and share our differences on a micro level. And each person finds many more similarities than differences upon the conclusion of our festivities. Artistic spaces are generally excellent venues for these interactions. Congo Square in New Orleans was a great example of how barriers were dropped in the spirit of public celebration of art and music. These are concepts that we may want to explore.
As I understand it, racism is a perspective and understanding of the world that uses an assignation system to categorize people through racial labels. This commonly used mode of stereotyping maintains that race is a biologically determined category, one that is usually manifested through physical characteristics such as hair, skin color or facial features. Exhaustative scientific research has proven this to be false. Still, this concept remains in our general psyche.
History proves that society maintains and perpetuates myths and misgivings about race to set up power structures and social orders. It manifests itself through public policies and practices that marginalize certain groups and rewards others based on their participation in these predetermined external definitions. In other words, you are either part of the hegemonic middle to upper class society, (which is tenuously accessed through monetary wealth, but can be lost through non-compliance to the societal norms of that community) or you are excluded from that group altogether. Often those lines are drawn, not with an inclusive pen, but one that asks,"What do we not want to become?" Whiteness, as an example, is a generic term that does not consider the variances in cultural practices, languages, and experiences in its definition.
This mode of thinking seeps into many areas of our daily lives from the subtle interactions we have with others in our communities, to the beliefs that our religions dictate to us. These beliefs cause such fear and trepidation that it is not uncommon to find entire communities consisting of one racial group. As a result, there are children being raised in a society that may offhandedly teach the basic tenets of racial equality, but does not live it through example. Still, even in these communities, I maintain that racism exists, but covertly operates through class. We are all familiar with the terms "white trash", "trailer trash" or"Hillbilly" to describe members of the lower class white community. If we stick to our overarching theme of racism working by protecting whiteness, then these individuals should not belong to a bottom class of any sort. They should be working members of our ruling class. Yet, they are ostracized and excluded in similar ways to other racial groups. I believe this is because they are not considered as belonging to that specific definition of whiteness. If you recall the discussions of President Bill Clinton, many poignantly called him "The first black president". His lower class (trailer park-esque) upbringing by a single mother placed him in a different class than virtually all of his political peers, but through his participation in elite circles, his Ivy League education and accumulation of wealth, he was delicately accepted enough to eventually gain a position of considerable leadership.
I also want to bring up the viewpoints of those who do not choose to use race or recognize race. There is a burgeoning group of critics that adopt the race as a social construction model, to the point of ignoring the ways that race still functions in society. Their efforts are noble, in seeking to adopt (on an individual level) that race does not exist in their lives. However, the reality remaining that race still operates in everyone else's' lives and will not disappear by turning a blind eye to the issue. These critics believe that class and capitalism are the fundamental issues at work, and not race. While certainly true on macro levels, it ignores too much of what is actually occurring on the micro levels of our lives. South Africa is an excellent case study to see how the removal of racial labels has caused significantly more harm than good.
The solution is as complex as this definition requires introspection. I recognize that I hold some racist beliefs. I believe that everyone does, on some levels. To change this, you must self reflect and interrogate your own beliefs and understandings. By choice, I do not live a segregationist life. I am uncomfortable being the only one of a particular race or gender of a whole group. My approach to shrinking these gaps is to invite others into my community to share experiences and not settle with being a consumer of other cultures (ie., through folk-life festivals or "world beat "music) but as a active participant in each others' lives (family dinners and holiday celebrations). The hope is that through continued interactions with others of difference that others will also find a dissatisfaction with hegemony in their own lives. For the last three years, my family has celebrated Kwanzaa at my home here in Champaign. But each year, our house is always filled with many friends from diverse backgrounds who learn and share our differences on a micro level. And each person finds many more similarities than differences upon the conclusion of our festivities. Artistic spaces are generally excellent venues for these interactions. Congo Square in New Orleans was a great example of how barriers were dropped in the spirit of public celebration of art and music. These are concepts that we may want to explore.
posted by R. Kiah Morris at 3:56 PM
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