The aspects of Race, ethnicity, and inequality

The aspects of Race, ethnicity, and inequality

The aspects of Race, ethnicity, and inequality have always appeared in different aspects of the social world. Considering the human being is a social being, it is not surprising when the concepts mentioned above become the base of establishing connections and peace in societies. Race refers to the idea of grouping individuals depending on their physical characteristics. Some of the features that are commonly used in this kind of classification includes the skin color, the hair texture and the color of their hair in some cases. Ideally, the idea of Race, constructing the concept of racism in society, has yielded different impressions in American society. A large part of the American history points to specific aspects of societal unrest that stems from the perceptions as well as the feelings that were created in the American society. Closely related to Race is ethnicity. Ethnicity refers to the aspect of belonging to a specific social group, who share the same nationality with the individual. For instance, if a person is originally from China, the person is referred to as a Chinese. The word Chinese in this case is the ethnicity of this individual. Lastly, the aspect of inequality has proven to be a factor that affects both the ethnicity as well as Race in American society. Inequality is used to refer to the aspect of difference that is noticed trough different aspects of the social world. The treatment of items or people differently effectively posits the meaning of inequality. Some of the most common examples of bias that have been identified in the social institution include variation in the employment sector, it is also noticed in the economic, and the most commonly addressed is the gender inequality that has continually crowded the headline of magazines. Throughout the course, these three concepts have proven to contribute in no small part of the enlightenment process. After reading the text, Recognizing Race and Ethnicity: Power, Privilege, and Inequality, by Kathleen Fitzgerald has proven to be useful throughout the course in enhancing the research as well as the aspect of improving our knowledge about the three concepts, Race, ethnicity and inequality. Arguably, conducting conceptualization research on the course, in the light of identifying the construction and the receptions of the aspects of race, ethnicity, and inequality, is essential in that it will act as a gauge of the knowledge that was acquired through the course.

Personal Reflection Questions

Chapter 7, Q2. Concerning my educational experience, I have not only benefited from cultural capital but also social and community wealth that can be readily accessed in my community.  First of all, I have benefited from the availability of a learning institution that has enabled me to access education without having to go out of the community. Through my learning process, I have acquired knowledge about the construction of American society during the 20^th century. Ideally, the rate of racial inequality was significant to the point that most of the minority in the community could not gain access to schools. For the few that managed to join school faced segregation as they were secluded in different classes and were taught by minority teachers. After learning about the difficulties that these people faced in their attempts to gain knowledge,  I feel so lucky to be in a society that allows me to go to school and gain understanding. I have also been able to acquire specific skills that I am positive will be impactful in my life in the future. For example, I have gained practical communication skills, and I am currently able to conduct not only an interview but also a long conversation about different topics. Before joining the school, I had a significant weakness of communicating to people, especially on a one on one basis. Following my confinement on the internet and my room, I had thought that being an introvert was fashionable, and I did not socialize, except on social media. Through taking this course, however, I have learned various aspects of communication and have managed to improve my communication skills tremendously. Most importantly, I have learned to be careful when conversing about sensitive topics such as LDBTQ, racism, immigration, and religion. Through this opportunity to learn the society has elevated my thinking to learn to incorporate sensitivity in whatever I address.

Moreover, in the light of social capital, I have improved my networking ability both at school and society at large. For instance, I have learned that in an organization, people need one another. As such, whenever an individual needs help from me, I help willingly, fine print that the tenant is my role in society. Through these interactions, I have also come to understand that one can learn about the different professions of different people and thus know who to approach when in need. On the light of the community wealth, my friends and have managed to create groups in which we collect funds from the community through fundraising sessions and start-up projects that eventually create employment for the youths. Ideally, my society has been supportive in ways that cannot go without mention, especially when talking about the person I have grown to become.

Chapter 8, Q1. The racial construction in the community where I grew up is diverse in the aspect of minorities. Ideally, the society was made up of Latinos, the whole Hispanic groups were represented in the community, and there were also African Americans who were not so many, but they dwelled downtown, where gangs and drug dealing were the order of the day. There were too few Chinese individuals residing in this society, most of who had migrated in search of employment and a better life. Growing up in this neighborhood, I came across unpleasant personalities, most of which depicted the nature of the community. Even so, the most common factor in this society was that everyone was a minority and probably inferior, explaining why this was the only place they could afford. Similar to present America, housing was expensive, and most of the minority groups had to live in the most affordable towns since most of them did not acquire employment. Acquiring employment during these times was only on the individuals who had educational qualifications, which most of the people in my neighborhood did not have. As such, most of the people were working as househelps and nannies in the houses of the white majority, and they were paid so little that it barely supported the families. Due to the scarcity of jobs, the neighborhood was always dirty and had so many old buildings, some incomplete while others cracked. The rates of crime in the community were high, and as a child, I saw and experienced several unpleasant surprises. Even so, this opened up my eyes to see the importance of education and engaging in activities that would change the community. I later came to learn that some of the factors that were contributing to the construction of such a society were the abandonment that the community was facing. Ideally, the policies that had been formulated were all working against the minority communities. The environment was poorly bred, and this place seemed to be where garbage was dumped and the air was not pleasant. Fitzgerald argues that “The location of such toxic and polluting industries has not been random; instead, minority communities are targeted”(310). The community leader, in an attempt to protect the community, filed reports of the various strategies that were used to clear the various dumping sites through soliciting the youth, and the progress reports never indicated any forms of progress.

Chapter 9 Q1

Media coverage in the united states has always been racialized, and this has been seen through the fact that the minority communities, accurately the African American community have always been depicted as the propagators of crime in the community. Arguably, crime victimization has been put on the white, and anything that has occurred on the contrary is always associated with the minority groups. Fitzgerald supports that “The perceived link between crime and young black men is pervasive in American culture” (350). The stereotypic construction about a typical African American man is instilled in the american society to the point that it has become an angle through which the society views the African Americans. Fitzgerald further explains that African American men have become the target of the police. He explains that as early as grade school, the African American men begin to be eyed by the police. A common way of associating the black community with crimes as propagated by the media is the depiction of images that contain the various attachments that portray the Africa Americans to criminal activities.  Additionally, the author points the readers towards the direction of slogans and phrases that link the black community to illegal activities. For instance, Fitzgerald takes note of a sentence that was commonly used sometime back, “Fear of the black male”.  Such kinds of publications shape the minds of society to associate the African American communities to crime. Pinning crime on the minority community is a way of propelling the racial inequality that is already deeply rooted in society. Arguably, several other criminal activities are carried out by individuals who have been noted to be white. For example, the massive shooting of innocent citizens that have occurred mainly in the America communities in the recent past was mostly done by white individuals. Even so, whenever there is a crime that has happened in a particular place, the black community will always be the first suspect.

Chapter 9 Q2

Before reading the chapter on the topic of the drug war, I had prior knowledge of the racialization of the drug war. Ideally, research-informed that the number of drug abusers in the black community was slightly similar to that of the white community. Other minority communities were, however, left out of the survey since their rates of drug abuse as well as the use was low.  The racialization of the drug war can be effectively analyzed whether the government has begun taking action towards the increasing rates of drug use in the country. Ideally, the government invested in promoting the construction of prisons that were to be used to keep the people found in possession of drugs. After the prison’s, however, the number of African American males that were incarcerated was three times as much as the white males. Ideally, the construction of the prisons was a new form of racial discrimination, and the African Americans were taken out of the streets, leaving their women to fend for their families. This, among many other factors, can be attributed to the poverty that later struck the African American communities. While the white population was busy building their community, the African American men had been incarcerated, sent away on possession charges, and the time they were serving were long that coming back home was never guaranteed.

Chapter 10

1. The minstrel show: I loved the minstrel show as it was among the funniest shows. It also offered many other aspects of entertainment, including singing and dancing. Its creation can be traced back to the 19^th By this time, I was young, and all I could see when watching this show was the aesthetic aspects that were incorporated in the show. This show mainly displayed characters of African descent and, as such was associated by the African communities. Through the show, the common stereotypes governing African Americans were projected, including that they are foolish, lazy, and superstitious. The performance of this show was mainly done by white characters who used makeup to disguise themselves into looking like African Americans.
2. Friends is yet another TV show that has all-white characters. This show is a direct depiction of the concept of African disapproval by the white community in the entertainment world.
3. How I met your mother is yet another TV series that propels white characters. The series does not leave any room for the incorporation of minority races in acting.

In Video games additionally, Race is presenting the aspects of Race through character developments. Most commonly, the characters that take part in masculine activities such as fighting and carrying heavy loads are, in most case, black. Furthermore, the intelligent individual in video games is associated with white individuals. These characters do not spend a lot of time-fighting or engaging in activities that require a lot of energy; instead, they are always dealing with machines such as computers. They are the ones who invent new devices that are powerful enough to cause significant changes in the community. Also, there are the little characters who are always sharp and quick at solving problems. They are also maters in using computers and every time they are still very determined. These individuals are, in most cases, from Asian descent.

Chapter 11, Q1.

Racial minorities, specifically the African American community, have been deemed sport-oriented. The most common sporting activity that the African American communities have been associated with is basketball. Arguably, the ability to play basketball has been directed to the African Americans to the point that this perception has shaped the construction of the contemporary African American communities. As much as the sport is currently diversified and it is common to come across a white or even Caucasian once in a while, it is still dominated by the African Americans who have proven to be swift and good at playing the game. The data presented in the chapter give a new account of the sporting activity, especially for baseball concerning the African American community. In my defense, the African Americans should register high numbers of baseball players since that has been the case all through and even in the present times. The data, however, shows that the white community has registered a high number of baseball players as opposed to the African Americans. On the contrary, the white sports players have always been associated with American football and hockey. Ideally, their interest in baseball has begun developing in the recent past.

Chapter 12 Q 1

I have experienced political socialization through religion. Being a Muslim in an era where terrorists’ attacks have heightened is something that most people do not want to experience. Despite being innocent, the community will always look at you with questioning eyes. Ideally, it is a bad thing to kill innocent lives and associate it with the Islamic doctrines. Arguably, there is so much about the beliefs of the Muslims that are misguided through the delivery in society. Ideally, there are no religious doctrines that might teach people to kill others. Even so, I have come to live with the doubts, and the questioning looks whenever we are. Following this, I have taken it upon myself to enlighten my friends about my religion, which I have made known to them that I am very proud of. As a family, politics has proven to be an essential aspect since it controls the way people relate to one another and the fate of immigrants, which affects us directly. Coming from a minority community, my society has always supported a leader that fights for the rights of the minority; most of the time, such a leader must have a personal relation to the minority, immigrants, or a particular group that he or she advocated for. Following this, the family discussions about the politics of the land, particularly the ones that affect us directly appeal to us. Most of the time, if our parents who that they have faith in a specific leader’s ability to change the situation, he is the one who will be voted in by the whole family.

Q2.

Arguably, the idea of reparations may seem morally right, but it is unrealistic in its implementation, thereby making it a bad idea. Following the facts that might arise in the reparation process, the question that everyone wants to understand is on what basis will the African Americans to be compensated selected? Logically, there was no way that the government of the United States was going to repay a whole lot of the African American communities. Furthermore, concerning the period of the slavery and the contemporary society, it is evident that the group that is to be compensated for the evils of the slavery period was not affected by the slavery directly. Lastly, talking or paying the African American communities will create an opening to other minorities such as the Chinese who were also affected by the discrimination. All in all, the idea of reparations is not a good idea since it will open up old wounds.

Critical Thinking Questions

Chapter 7, Q3. Despite understanding that Race is a social construction, individuals in American society are still concerned with the performances of the standardized tests. This is because, according to the American society, the conclusions that are made through the standardized tests are a propagation of racial inequality. As such, the obsession about the standardized tests are conducted in response to the efforts to change the perceptions that contribute to the construction of the society. To a certain extent, the use of the standardized tests is a reflection that aspects of racial inequality are still existing in the community and white supremacy is always depicted in most aspects of the construction of the society. In support, Fitzgerald explains that “From a sociological perspective, most schools are racialized spaces, more specifically, white spaces, places where cultural biases influence perceptions of the space as belonging to whites and where people of color feel unwelcome”(229).  This explains why instead of focusing that all the children in the American society perform way below the average regardless of Race, the community is more concerned about proving the existence of racial inequality that’s shape stereotypes and the construction of the society. In comparison to racism, the issue of gender inequality is not addressed with the same intensity. This is because the disparity in the gender was an active part of the community since time memorial and other than denying the women the chance to explore their abilities and decide for themselves, it did not directly cause deaths through lynching and hard labor as it was in slavery that stemmed from the racial inequality. However, similar to the topic of racism, gender inequality should be addressed with a lot of seriousness since it also leads to deaths, though unintentional, most of the time through female genital mutilation. It is also a form of oppression to the females and, thus, should be addressed with the same energy as that which is put in racism.

Chapter 8, Q2.

The Civil rights movement was a revolutionary aspect to the minority communities. Other than improving the societal construction and eliminating the increased racial segregation, it also impacted on the economic status of the individuals of the minority group. Getting rid of the racial inequality, they allowed the minority groups the opportunity to get employed, and this meant that they could begin fending for their communities and construct their society. As such, most of the places where the minority communities lived improved in terms of the structure since the commercialization of the place was necessary, and opportunists took advantage of the situation and created businesses. In effect to promoting the aspect of racial equality, the civil rights movement created diversity in the society, and people were able to live in any place of their choosing. As such, the civil rights movement beat the conventional construction of a racially segregated community. Fitzgerald explains that “The New Deal and the GI Bill both helped create and maintain residential segregation by providing government-backed low-interest home loans with specific restrictions” (306). The construction of the society after the civil rights movement propagated economic equality in every aspect that is presented.

Chapter 8. Q3.

The state of the economy, slightly, the financial status of an individual, directly impacts the ability of the person to afford education. Arguably, most of the communities that were affected by economic inequality created aspects of inequality in the education sectors. This is because most of the people in these communities could barely afford the basic need of food. Education was not something they were going to choose over food. As such, most people in the racially discriminated communities did not go to school, or if they went, the schools were of low quality where teaching was done without any reference materials, and this affected the education of these communities. Fitzgerald points out that “poverty and low wages are more pervasive for uneducated black workers than for uneducated white workers” (284).  Ideally, the economic weight that is placed on the minority communities is the reason why educational performances are low as well as the reason why affording an education is not an easy thing in these communities. Ideally, the government should intervene in the issue because progressively, the construction of the society is being inclined towards creating a vast class gap, racial roots drive that. The intervention of the government through the creation of learning facilities and offering loans to the individuals in these communities’ scans aid in uplifting the minority groups to gain access to education as well as a better economy. The government can also create employment opportunities through investing in these areas and encouraging people to work and get paid so that they can build their marketplace.

Chapter 9 Q1

Arguably, the criminal justice system that has been implemented currently reflects the new Jim Crow laws. Related to the Jim crow laws that openly discriminated against the African American communities, the current criminal justice system embraces and propels the discrimination that is done against the Black community. This is in response to the mass incarceration of the African American communities. According to Fitzgerald, “Some have argued that the evolution of the prison system has been more strongly influenced by racist attitudes than by crime rates” (337).  Other than just being subjected to mass incarceration, the ex-offenders are stripped of their rights. Also, confinement has been constructed to be a political tool that is used to prevent sufficient voting of these communities. For instance, the felon-disenfranchisement laws currently prohibit a total of 13% of African Americans from casting their votes.  Through these laws, it is evident that the justice system is suppressive in that it denies people from fulfilling some of their roles towards the country.

Chapter 10 Q1

The Marxist ideology refers to some of the dominant ideologies that are common through a large part of the community. The minstrel shows are a good example that fulfills the Marxist argument of general relations. Arguably, the concepts that were projected through the minstrel shows were the current events and the daily activities of the society. Most of the people in the show must have come across the various ideas that were talked about in the show. Ideally, the community benefited from the show since they were more comedies that were shared with the community so that people can laugh and also create an aspect of cultural practice. The plays were mainly performed by white actors who disguised themselves into black men by using makeup, and they presented phrases that the African American men use in their daily activities, and people would laugh at the jokes. Through these shows, the American community could find a way to relate since it presented facts that the whole community is it the white or the black, were aware of.

Chapter 11

The differences that exist between that attitudes towards interracial marriages and the perceptions about the marriages are propelled by the racial factors that limit the community constriction regarding the issue of Race. Interracial marriages have been subjected to a series of criticism since the offspring of this kind of marriages have no race where they can be categorized into. Fitzgerald explains that “Mixed-race individuals have long been portrayed as deviant and mentally unstable, as lacking identity, as longing to be white, and as lonely, being perceived as rejected by both blacks and whites” (416). As much as the perceptions on marriages do not raise the same tensions that the attitudes directed towards these marriages, it is an issue that has proven to be of concern in the contemporary society. Arguably, the new Race that is created through this interaction has no name, and people do not want to imagine a situation in which the African descent, or the white community is no longer existing as there is a new race that has been created. Unlike the shows, rap music was a tool for propagating racism since the topics that were discussed through the lyrics could only relate to the African American communities.

Chapter 12 Q2

Talking of the future of the race issue of the United States in the next fifty years is an exciting topic yet challenging at the same time. This is because contemporary society as depicted right now is composed of several immigrants who currently form the minority groups. Even so, the community has experienced several instances of intermarriages that is gradually rising. If the trends of the intermarriages continue to increase, then American society is likely to be leveled in the future. By level, I mean that the new Race that is yielded through interracial marriages is expected to dominate the country in the next fifty years.  Furthermore, the fight for racism that has propelled in contemporary society has created hopes for the future, promising equality. Fitzgerald explains that “Many organizations are in the business of fighting hate and bigotry and seeking justice for those victimized by extremists. Two examples of such organizations are the Southern Poverty Law Center and Race Forward” (471). With the fight of equality intensifying, there are hopes of the future being driven by the ability of the individual communities to see other aspects of life such as personality and professionalism other than the color of the skin.

Work Cited

Fitzgerald, Kathleen. Reorganizing Race and ethnicity. 2nd ed., Routledge, 2017.