Race as a Social Construct

Running head: RACE AS A SOCIAL CONSTRUCT
Race as a Social Construct
Name of the student
Name of the University
Author note

1RACE AS A SOCIAL CONSTRUCT
The social prejudice prevailing has given birth to the concept of “race”. The hatred
and anger that white people have for the people of colour have been borne out of lack of
respect and humiliation towards the black people. It is not biological but the social norms that
have given birth to the ugly reality called “racism” (McGettigan, 2016).
The Angry Eye with Jane Elliot is like a social experiment that gives the opportunity
to find out how it feels to be on the other end- the white kids are placed on the receiving end
of the insult and discrimination. It is only by performing this kind of experiment that the
white people will be able to understand how the people of colour feel when they are subjected
to a bitter treatment in the society (Cruz, 2014). I did not empathise with the blue-eyed
participants as I feel that they should be able to feel what the people of colour go through
because only then they would be able to change their behaviour. According to me, this is a
valuable workshop that can teach about oppression as this will provide a practical view point
and provide people with enough scope for judgement.
My skin colour is an important aspect of my identity as it dictates how I will be
treated in the society. My brown skin colour defines why I am looked down upon by the
white people. The discrimination that is based on the colour of my eye has been constructed
by the society and my eye colour is indicative of the treatment that I will be meted out within
the social structure (Morning, 2014).
Statements like “I am not racist...I have a friend who is Racist” can often be heard of
within the social structure and everyone pretends to have an open mind towards the people of
colour. People in general are hypocrites and they pretend to be practitioners and followers of
the principle of social equality where discrimination is not based on the colour of eye and
skin colour. They tend to blame other people in the society for being racist and conceive of
themselves to be absolutely unprejudiced (Pierce, 2014). They act in a hypocritical manner