Understanding Racism: Exploring Tensions and Intersectionality
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This article delves into the issue of racism, discussing its origins, impact, and tensions. It explores the theory of intersectionality and its connection to racism, highlighting the need for understanding and combating racism in society.
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Master of social work1 Master of social work Name Course Professor Institution Date
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Master of social work2 Introductions Racism is one of the contemporary issues that would address the aspect of difference and diversity. Racism refers to the discrimination of an individual of a certain group of individuals due to their race (Acosta & Ackerman-Barger, 2017 p167). The racists normally have the belief that their race is usually better than another race. Racism is usually very common in a setting containing more than one race. The setting could be a place of work or even at a social place like in the club. The individual from the “inferior” race is usually treated differently and in most cases denied some of the privileges that the individual is entitled to. Intersectionality theory is a vast concept which is still debated within the community of the feminists (Bakan & Abu- Laban ,2017 p.50). Intersectionality tends to give an explanation as to how various aspects of political and social discrimination would overlap with gender this theory focuses on institutions within a society which are oppressive or discriminative. It therefore defined as the study of oppressive or discriminative institutions. This term was coined to protest against the violence that women of lower class and color faced. In my paper, I intend to highlight the issue of racism and also give an explanation to how this concept can be understood through highlighting some of its main tensions. I would also give my own view about racism and finally connect racism, its main tensions, and my views to the theory of the intersectionality. Identity of a social issue Racism in itself can be understood from various points as it is normally observed in many places. It is common at the workplaces, in courts, health care facilities, and in the education center (Kivel, 2017, p.55). Some examples of incidences of racism include when an individual is
Master of social work3 denied a chance to pursue a certain career in a certain school or even denied a promotion in a certain company due to the color of the individual’s skin. In a court room, unfair judgments may be passed to the individual because of the race of the individual. Racism has brewed hatred among people and has even caused unrest within the individuals (Bastos, Harnois & Paradies 2018 p.123). This has further led to the limitation of progress within a society and above all, it has led to making reducing unity among the individuals. This form of practice gained momentum from the time of slavery and sadly, traces of it can still be identified in this time and age. Summary of the issue Most individuals practice racism subliminally. This is due to the lack of knowledge of what racism is and how it could be understood. When living in a society composed of different individuals of different races, we should be careful of how we interact with each other. Racism can be understood in a number of ways. We can for example understand it by its origin. Racism finds its way back to the historical times. Some of the incidences happened over a hundred years ago and left wounds that could not be forgotten even by the modern man. This has racism to become a contemporary issue that rises in a society of people. In the United States for example, the issue of racism finds its roots to the period of slavery where the blacks used to work for the whites as slaves and were being mistreated. This continued to a time where the citizens of the country who were black were not allowed to participate in political decision making through being denied the opportunity to vote for their own leaders. Another example that would explain the origin of racism in Australia where the Aboriginal Australians were looked down by other Australian citizens who viewed themselves as superior to the Aboriginal Australians. This is because Aboriginal Australians were facing some difficulties that were not common to the other
Master of social work4 Australians. Some of the difficulties included, a short life expectancy, lower employment rates and also higher chances of committing suicide. This made the Aboriginal Australians feel marginalizedandgenerationsaftergenerationlivedtoremembersuchmistreatmentand marginalization (Gillborn 2015, p.280). This made the concept of racism to grow deeper roots as ever generation carried with them the hurt and humiliation that they faced as a community. Another way of understanding racism is through the observing the activities of various institutions. In the current world, the institutions are one of the major ways in which racism is practiced and the concept is spread. Some of the major institutions where racism is perpetuated include the organizations like the churches, schools and the court of law. This is because these institutions tend to serve a variety of people and this does ton exempt the possibility of the institutions serving people of different races.Chances of racism occurring are therefore very high as some of the individuals who head the institutions might be tempted to discriminate others based on their races (Schaffner, MacWilliams& Nteta ,2018 p.43). Institutions have also aided deeply in shaping the policies of racism in a number of ways. For examples, policies of racism are shaped through occurrences like the increased deaths of the Aboriginal Australians in the custody of the police. Another example is the arrest and killing of the black youth by the police before even undergoing a fair trial. Unexplained firing of Abnormal Australians citizens form companies is also another way as to how institutions have contributed to the promotion of racism within the society. Another way in which racism could be understood is by looking power imbalance based on the race. This would give an explanation as to why some of the words considered as racist when used by a particular race to another while when the same words are used by amongst the
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Master of social work5 members of that same race, they are considered as perfectly normal. This would therefore enable an individual to where to draw boundaries while carrying out conversation or while interacting with individuals from different races (Davids & Matebeni, 2017 p.189). My views in relation to some of the tensions in which racism could be understood In my point of view, it is important for us to embrace the history of racism. Embracing history would make us understand the reason as to why racism is hurtful and also the reason as to why the practiceiswrong. It would also enableusto understandthe feeling of being discriminated against due to our race. The knowledge of the history would also serve as a way of reminding us the consequences and therefore enabling us to refrain from the act of racism. However, I also feel that the knowledge of the history would spark more hatred and also promote racism especially when it would serve as a way of unburying the pains of the discriminated. They current generations of the inferior would feel the need to revenge (Grosfoguel, Oso & Christou, 2015 p.45). Therefore, according to me, the knowledge of the history of racism is a double-edged sword. Observation of the activities of various institutions according to me is the best way of understanding racism and also the best way of reducing its effects from within our society. For example, the schools could teach the children on the effects of racism and also its disadvantages. The school could impose the children with skills of fighting racism and also teach the children on the importance of fairness and unity amongst each other (Gee 2016, p.2). Through this, a generation which will be resistant of racism would be raised. Institution such as the court of law
Master of social work6 could also aid in eliminating racism through the ensuring that fair judgments are passed despite the race of an individual. Connection between the theory of intersectionality, racism, tensions of understanding racism and my position to the tensions of understanding racism The theory of intersectionality is connected to racism in that the there is a connection between racial discrimination and gender inequality. This therefore explains the fact that an individual who is discriminated due to gender is also likely to face discrimination due to the race of the individual (Collins & Bilge, 2016p.54). Intersectionality of the inequality of the gender can also be used to explain the origin of racism. For instance, one could conclude that black males were preferred by the whites as slaves for they had the strengths to perform difficult tasks such asploughinga large piece of the farm. In India also, the source oppression is usually caste based. Caste in Indian is normally based on their religious system. For example, women from poorer families find it difficult for them to marry or even get into relationships due to their inability to raise dowry. In most third world countries however race is normally the source of oppression (Lewis &Grzanka 2016 p.76). I can also connect the theory of intersectionality to the view of acknowledging roots of racism. The theories would enable us understand other races better making us to become tolerant to one another therefore acting as a tool of reducing racism within ourselves (Pugach, Gomez-Najarro & Matewos 2018 p.78). Conclusion Racism is oppression against the humans and therefore it is very important to minimize or even eliminate it so as to ensure that we live in harmony within the society.
Master of social work7 References Acosta, D. and Ackerman-Barger, K., 2017. Breaking the silence: time to talk about race and racism.Academic medicine,92(3), pp.285-288. Bakan, A. and Abu-Laban, Y., 2017. Intersectionality and the United Nations World Conference Against Racism.Atlantis: Critical Studies in Gender, Culture & Social Justice,38(1), pp.220- 235. Bastos,J.L.,Harnois,C.E.andParadies,Y.C.,2018.Healthcarebarriers,racism,and intersectionality in Australia.Social Science & Medicine,199, pp.209-218. Collins, P.H. and Bilge, S., 2016.Intersectionality.Journal of racism ,7(89),78. Davids, N. and Matebeni, Z., 2017. Queer politics and intersectionality in South Africa.Safundi, 18(2), pp.161-167. Gee, G.C., 2016. Racism as a social determinant of health inequities.Leveraging the Social Determinants to Build a Culture of Health,6(78), pp.1-2. Gillborn, D., 2015. Intersectionality, critical race theory, and the primacy of racism: Race, class, gender, and disability in education.Qualitative Inquiry,21(3), pp.277-287. Grosfoguel, R., Oso, L. and Christou, A., 2015. ‘Racism’, intersectionality and migration studies: framing some theoretical reflections.Identities,22(6), pp.635-652.
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Master of social work8 Kivel, P., 2017.Uprooting Racism-:How White People Can Work for Racial Justice,7thedition. New Society Publishers Lyton. Lewis, J.A. and Grzanka, P.R., 2016. Applying intersectionality theory to research on perceived racism.Journal of racism ,5(78),67. Pugach, M.C., Gomez-Najarro, J. and Matewos, A.M., 2018. A Review of Identity in Research on Social Justice in Teacher Education: What Role for Intersectionality?.Journal of Teacher Education, p.0022487118760567. Schaffner, B.F., MacWilliams, M. and Nteta, T., 2018. Understanding white polarization in the 2016 vote for president: The sobering role of racism and sexism.Political Science Quarterly, 133(1), pp.9-34.