Hey there! Today's blog is going to be about Racism. Almost all of you might have heard this term before and for those who have not, Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to physical appearance and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another.
Racism has existed throughout human history. It may be defined as the hatred of one person by another — or the belief that another person is less than human — because of skin color, language, religion, customs, place of birth, or any factor that supposedly reveals the basic nature of that person. It has influenced wars, slavery, the formation of nations, and legal codes. During the past 500-1000 years, racism on the part of Western powers toward non-Westerners has had a far more significant impact on history than any other form of racism (such as racism among Western groups or among Easterners, such as Asians, Africans, and others). The most notorious example of racism by the West has been slavery, particularly the enslavement of Africans in the New World (slavery itself dates back thousands of years). This enslavement was accomplished because of the racist belief that Black Africans were less fully human than white Europeans and their descendants.
Who is a racist?
A racist is a person who shows or feels discrimination or prejudice against people of other races, or who believes that a particular race is superior to another.
If going into details, there can be distinguished 4 types of racism:
Historical racism – believes in common origin in historical aspects, but not speaking about a population with a specific biological character. It is expressed by national symbols.
Scientific racism – believes that some nations should be under the control of others. The existence of racial hierarchy.
Institutional racism – it is reflected in wealth, income, employment, education, political power, and some other issues.
New racism – relies mainly on the manipulation of different ideas using mass media. It can be described as indirect racism.
Racism is always awful. But, still, it happens in many different ways.
It is racism when people:
Play jokes about some particular ethnic group
Express their negative comments concerning another nation
Intimidate people because of their race
Leave bad comments online on social platforms
Exclude people from groups because of their nationality, religion, caste, and creed.
How violence and racism are related, and why it all matters.
Symbolic violence is a form of “othering”, defined as
the process of perceiving or portraying someone or something as fundamentally different or alien.
Sociologist Pierre Bourdieu explains how this ascribes inferiority and superiority. The case of school rules about hair is an example. Galtung argues that symbolic violence justifies and legitimizes structural, psychological, and physical violence.
Racism in History.
Following Germany’s defeat in World War I, that country’s deeply ingrained anti-Semitism was successfully exploited by the Nazi Party, which seized power in 1933 and implemented policies of systematic discrimination, persecution, and eventual mass murder of Jews in Germany and in the territories occupied by the country during World War II.
In North America and apartheid-era South Africa, racism dictated that different races (chiefly blacks and whites) should be segregated from one another; that they should have their own distinct communities and develop their own institutions such as churches, schools, and hospitals; and that it was unnatural for members of different races to marry.
Racism was at the heart of North American slavery and the colonization and empire-building activities of western Europeans, especially in the 18th century. The idea of race was invented to magnify the differences between people of European origin and those of African descent whose ancestors had been involuntarily enslaved and transported to the Americas. By characterizing Africans and their African American descendants as lesser human beings, the proponents of slavery attempted to justify and maintain the system of exploitation while portraying the United States as a bastion and champion of human freedom, with human rights, democratic institutions, unlimited opportunities, and equality. The contradiction between slavery and the ideology of human equality, accompanying a philosophy of human freedom and dignity, seemed to demand the dehumanization of those enslaved.
By the 19th century, racism had matured and spread around the world. In many countries, leaders began to think of the ethnic components of their own societies, usually religious or language groups, in racial terms and to designate “higher” and “lower” races. Those seen as the low-status races, especially in colonized areas, were exploited for their labor, and discrimination against them became a common pattern in many areas of the world. The expressions and feelings of racial superiority that accompanied colonialism generated resentment and hostility from those who were colonized and exploited, feelings that continued even after independence.
Despite constitutional and legal measures aimed at protecting the rights of racial minorities in the United States, the private beliefs and practices of many Americans remained racist, and some groups of assumed lower status were often made a scapegoat. That tendency has persisted well into the 21st century.
Because, in the popular mind, “race” is linked to physical differences among peoples, and such features as dark skin color have been seen as markers of low status, some experts believe that racism may be difficult to eradicate. Indeed, minds cannot be changed by laws, but beliefs about human differences can and do change, as do all cultural elements.
Nowadays, in our society, racism problems only increase. It is presented almost all over the world. The reason why mankind is so influenced by the racism issue is ignorance and lack of knowledge. People are not so different. The only differentiating thing is the color of the skin. Nothing else. In fact, we are all humans. All of us should be treated equally in all spheres of life regardless of origin, religion, nationality, and skin.
Certainly, there is no perfect solution to the racism problem. Maybe it will exist for a long time now. The only thing we can do is to limit its extent and expansion. The best way is to be not indifferent and start being well-educated. We have to think twice before saying something offensive concerning race, nationality, etc. Only tolerance and mankind's intelligence can help to tackle racism issues.
Big thanks to Umar for such a great recommendation!❤
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