Racial essentialism and Racial constructivism - Term Paper Example

How do the notions about racial essentialism and racial constructivism play into American racial prejudice? How do the notions about racial essentialism and racial constructivism play into American racial prejudice? Introduction Racial essentialism is a phenomenon that explains some forms of out-and-out racism that solely articulate disregard for the members of other religious affiliations, ethnic groups, and minorities. Such a phenomenon cannot attract any form of justification since it propagates racial slurs. Racial essentialism can also be described by disgraceful examples such as the comparison of the black race to apes. The fundamental argument that racial essentialism poses is that some biological differences in people such as skins color and race deny other people belonging to a different race as part of them. Thus, the growth of such kind of behavior can cause grave implications on the peaceful coexistence of people from different races such as the black and white races. On the other hand, racial constructivism is a phenomenon that explains the position that a society holds by labeling people as belonging to certain racial groups based on their differences in opportunities, resources, or well-being. Racial constructivism does not hold any biological foundation as the basis of people belonging to a particular racial group. For instance, racial constructivism is what explains Africa as a common identity not based on race but shared a history in terms of slavery and colonialism by whites. Racial essentialism and constructivism thus affect many countries in the world. In this case, the focal point of discussion is the role notions about racial essentialism and constructivism plays in American racial prejudice. Discussion Racial essentialism Racial essentialism is a malady that affects the American population from pre-historic times to the modern world. The American population is largely divided into two races, which are the black Americans and the whites. The notions that hold the phenomenon of racial essentialism purport that some races are better than other races, a factor that mostly triggers war between the white and the black people in the United States (James, 2008). The genesis of the racial segregation can be traced to the colonial times when the whites used to enslave Africans in their plantations as workers. The deep-rooted racism has not waned since most whites and blacks have been enemies in all spheres of life. America has been experiencing a subtle war between the two races for the longest period. There have been different cases of assassination of white people by black police or black people by white police. The underlying reason that propagates such atrocities is racial essentialisms notions. The most striking notion that propels such outrageous acts is that whites feel more superior to the blacks. On the other hand, blacks are vengeful since they believe that they are as superior as the whites in terms of intelligence, physical attributes, and work productivity and so they deserve equal treatment. The war that transpires between the two races occasionally is akin to a battle for race superiority. Thus, the reason is still coalesced into the notion of race or skin color (Berg, 2011). The war against racial prejudice in America has thus been growing under waters because of the historically planted hatred between the whites and blacks. Children that are born in racist families are influenced negatively as they grow up to develop animosity against members of another race without fathomable reasons. For instance, some white kids who are born from racist families mostly interact with white kids and isolate black kids based on their skin color. A kid thus grows knowing that he or she should not associate with black people without an inkling of the reason behind it. The notions that surround racial essentialism are manifold such that the American population that perpetuates racial prejudice is cultivating a horrible situation of existence for the white and black people. Racial prejudice in America is so deep-rooted that some states participate in occasional violent protests against the other races. For instance, the recent demonstration in St. Louis state in America where a young black boy was shot dead by white police in the street for no apparent reason (James, 2008). The resultant protests were so terrific that violence ensued between whites and blacks. Blacks demanded the rightful conviction of the white police officer who had killed the boy while the whites reiterated that the black boy was guilty, and he deserved to be shot. Racial constructivism Racial constructivism is the circle of notions that people have, enabling them to construct particular racial lines just by appearance and outright “labeling.” In the United States, racial constructivism has occupied the minds of racists as depicted by the labeling of people as either "blacks" or "whites." The racial prejudice that undergoes in the United States is principally a division of two races, the blacks, and the whites. For instance, the Africans who live in the United States are mostly grouped as blacks by racial constructivists since their skin color is black. The categorization of people into certain races through racial constructivism has made some racists in America to propagate their atrocities in different spheres of life (Kirkpatrick, 2013). In the job market, some white employers are usually hesitant to employ a person with black skin color. The reason in such cases is just skin color, which shows that the employer declines the person employment because he or she is from a different race. Such scenarios are many since racial discrimination has been a prolonged malady from the historic times. Racial constructivism extends to economic opportunities among different races. America is a great country with an economic base that minimally faces financial crunches. However, whites own a bigger part of the economy, a factor that also propagates racial prejudice in the region. Racial constructivists have categorized whites as being more affluent than the blacks. This is due to the factual statistics that show Americas economy as being controlled largely by white citizens and investors (Berg, 2011). In essence, racial constructivism is a brain-washing phenomenon that uses categorization to program the minds of people along racial lines. The outcome is creating a scenario where a certain race feels more superior to another race. In the United States, racial constructivism has gravely managed to divide most whites and blacks along racial lines through the evidences of economic capabilities, education levels, and general well-being. Conclusion Racial essentialism is a phenomenon that has cost the United States of a peaceful coexistence among whites and blacks. Segregating people along racial lines such as color and race are the main problems that have cultivated hatred in the vast region of America. Some states have a deep-rooted animosity between whites and blacks from pre-historic times to date. On the other hand, racial constructivism has given birth to a myriad of evil products of racial segregation in the American community. Categorization of people along racial groups to assert superiority and capability in economic power has fuelled the racial war between blacks and whites. References Berg, M., & Wendt, S. (2011). Racism in the modern world: Historical perspectives on cultural transfer and adaptation. New York: Berghahn Books. James, M. (2008). Race. Plato.stanford.edu. Retrieved 3 December 2014, from http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/race/ Kirkpatrick, Dennis L. (2013). American Racism!: The Big Weapon of Mass Destruction. Trafford on Demand Pub. . Read More