The Concept of Racism
“Racial prejudices are indications of a disturbed and potentially unstable society”. The words of Kenneth Clark are fulfilling in explaining the meaning of racial prejudice. The topic of racial discrimination and racism, in general, have continued to rise in different aspects of life to the point that people have begun missing the common sense and, instead, come up with baseless explanations that do not create the intended meaning. Arguably, the messages that some scholars express concerning the understanding of the context of racial prejudice is quite off. Arguably, most people are losing the main focus of the explanation of racism in terms of its manifestations, and confuse them with the results of the creation of images of racism in the minds of the society. Ideally, evaluating the concepts of racism as presented in the article, Rethinking Racism: Toward A Structural Interpretation, and comparing it to Race Prejudice As a Sense Of Group Position, is likely to clear the path for a better understanding of the concept of racism.
Blumer, in his article, argues that racism is a feeling or a set of emotions that one race has towards another race. Arguably, this kind of argument stands firmly against common sense that racism is basically about the race of a person. Commonly, racism has always been known as the thought, instead of feeling that one race is superior over another and, as such, gives the allegedly superior race the ability or belief that they can do anything they want to the other race. When Blumer writes, “It is usually depicted as consisting of feelings such as antipathy, hostility, hatred, intolerance, and aggressiveness” (3), he is explaining the results of racism. Arguably, after a society sees that a particular group is incomparable to their group, they can decide to take advantage of the other, which according to them, is weak, or they can opt to hate or dislike. It does make sense to argue that it is at this point where the feelings come in. A good example is the relationship between African Americans and white Americans. Following the difference between races and the fact that the white community felt superior, they subjected the African Americans into slavery. It is from the act of slaving that the black community has begun developing feelings such as animosity, hatred, and even violence towards the whites as a response to how they were being treated.
Similarly, Bonilla-Silva argues based on racialized social systems, claiming that through this approach, he can establish a theory that makes sense with regards to conceptualizing racism. Racialized societies are those which are constructed by the organization in a manner that makes the society concentrated on a specific race. In this case, for instance, a particular race does not intermarry; neither do they engage in any activities that are associated with another race. It is, however, unreasonable to argue on this angle, since there will be nothing to compare it with. When Bonilla-Silva writes, “whether implicitly or explicitly, most analysts regard racism as a purely ideological phenomenon” (465), his main intention is to drive home a point that racism is based on ethnicity and not an ideology. As much as this is true, it is not reasonable to argue on the angle of the racialized social groups since it is the same as supporting that it is an ideology. In other words, if a society is constructed, believing that race is an idea. Therefore these people should be treated in a specific way, and then it is in support of race being an ideology. It is common sense, however, that for the concept to be referred to as racism, it must have something to be compared to. For example, there must be a black community that is different from the white community to make it racism.
Similarly, Bonilla-Silva argues based on racialized social systems, claiming that through this approach, he can establish a theory that makes sense with regards to conceptualizing racism. Racialized societies are those which are constructed by the organization in a manner that makes the society concentrated on a specific race. In this case, for instance, a particular race does not intermarry; neither do they engage in any activities that are associated with another race. It is, however, unreasonable to argue on this angle, since there will be nothing to compare it with. When Bonilla-Silva writes, “whether implicitly or explicitly, most analysts regard racism as a purely ideological phenomenon” (465), his main intention is to drive home a point that racism is based on ethnicity and not an ideology. As much as this is true, it is not reasonable to argue on the angle of the racialized social groups since it is the same as supporting that it is an ideology. In other words, if a society is constructed, believing that race is an idea. Therefore these people should be treated in a specific way, and then it is in support of race being an ideology. It is common sense, however, that for the concept to be referred to as racism, it must have something to be compared to. For example, there must be a black community that is different from the white community to make it racism.
Similarly, Bonilla-Silva argues based on racialized social systems, claiming that through this approach, he can establish a theory that makes sense with regards to conceptualizing racism. Racialized societies are those which are constructed by the organization in a manner that makes the society concentrated on a specific race. In this case, for instance, a particular race does not intermarry; neither do they engage in any activities that are associated with another race. It is, however, unreasonable to argue on this angle, since there will be nothing to compare it with. When Bonilla-Silva writes, “whether implicitly or explicitly, most analysts regard racism as a purely ideological phenomenon” (465), his main intention is to drive home a point that racism is based on ethnicity and not an ideology. As much as this is true, it is not reasonable to argue on the angle of the racialized social groups since it is the same as supporting that it is an ideology. In other words, if a society is constructed, believing that race is an idea. Therefore these people should be treated in a specific way, and then it is in support of race being an ideology. It is common sense, however, that for the concept to be referred to as racism, it must have something to be compared to. For example, there must be a black community that is different from the white community to make it racism.
Works Cited
Bonilla-Silva, Eduardo. “Rethinking Racism: Toward a Structural Interpretation.” American Sociological Review, vol. 62, no. 3, 1997, pp. 465–480. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/2657316. Accessed 26 Feb. 2020.
Blumer, Herbert. “Race Prejudice as a Sense of Group Position.” The Pacific Sociological Review, vol. 1, no. 1, 1958, pp. 3–7. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1388607. Accessed 26 Feb. 2020.