Impact of Diversity on Racism - Research Paper Example

Impact of Diversity on Racism Introduction Racism refers to cultural ideologies that portray white people as more superior than people of other colors based on the color of the skin. Over the years, white people have received criticism as the perpetrators of racism and all the myths that relate to this vice. The myths held against people of other colors form the basis for the social and political dominance of some racial groups, especially the whites while people of other colors tend to be viewed as inferior and weak (Bowser and Raymond 159). Racism has an impact on human behavior; as it determines a person’s attitudes towards other people who may be belonging to other racial groups. This paper will explore the impact of racism on the behavior of individuals, and examine the role of teachers in reducing racism in the school setting. Moreover, the paper will address the benefits of diversity in reducing instances of racism in a school and classroom setting. Impact of Racism on the Behavior of Individuals Racial profiling and prejudices that accompany racism have an impact on human behavior in a number of ways. First, racism affects the behavior of individuals through leading to avoidance disorders. This emanates from the fact that racism can cause prejudice and stereotyping, which can make people withdrawal from social interactions. Persons subjected to racial abuse may avoid those who subject them to such abuse. As a result, symptoms of withdrawal and avoidance may become prevalent in persons being racially profiled. The second impact of racism on human behavior is that it may lead to high risk behaviors. For example, persons subjected to racial abuses may engage in behaviors such as suicide attempts with an effort to avoid instances of racial abuse. Such high risk behaviors may put the lives of the victims at risk since it may lead to their eventual death (Chin 201). The other impact of racism on behavior includes some habits such as drug abuse, which may take the form of alcohol abuse, as well as misuse of other hard drugs. In order to overcome the problem of racism, victims of racial abuse may opt to find solace in alcohol and other drugs. Persons engaging in drug abuse when faced with racism argue that this helps them to forget about the problem. However, this is not the case since substance abuse can precipitate the problem. For example, a person of the colors who is found drunk may be subjected to racial abuse more than a person who is not drunk. This can be the case when such persons are found to be drunk by the police (Chin 203). Racism also affects behavior as it leads to anxiety and depression, which may result when a person is racially abused. In most cases, persons experiencing racial abuses may be faced with depression since they do not feel as part of the entire society. Since racism leads to discrimination, victims may opt to isolate themselves from the rest of the society because they view themselves as not part of the whole. As a result, depression may set in, thus making them feel sad and encounter experiences of anxiety. Moreover, the victims may not trust other people, especially those who belong to the racial group that subjects them to racial discrimination (Hall 16). The behavior of minorities is adversely affected by racism since their social interactions and academic performance decline as a result of racism. In addition, the self-esteem of ethnic minorities is adversely affected by racism. To a large extent, the depiction of ethnic minorities by the media can be blamed for the impacts it has had on the self-esteem of ethnic minorities. This is because the media engages in stigmatization of the ethnic minorities by portraying them as persons with little intelligence. As a result, the minorities engage in self hatred, and this lowers their self esteem since they feel as not worthy member of the society. Children of ethnic minorities may internalize the stigmatizing messages passed on by the media. As such, they may live with feelings of self-hatred (Bonilla 2). Racism affects the members of the society who feel that they have some dominance and are more superior to others. For instance, the dominant members of the society live a distorted life since they believe they are more superior to ethnic minorities. This means that the dominant groups may ignore the opinions and disregard the views of ethnic minorities. As such, the dominant groups tend to have wrong perceptions about themselves since they view themselves with a lot of regard. The disregard towards other racial groups may have far-reaching consequences on the dominant groups since they may ignore some crucial contributions that can be made by ethnic minorities (Eberhardt and Susan 188). Another impact that racism has on behavior is that it may lead to violent behavior between the victims of racism and those who perpetrate this vice. For instance, ethnic minorities may resist against the racist abuses from the dominant white groups. This rebellion may take the form of actual violence, which may involve fights between the whites and the ethnic minorities such as blacks and Hispanics. As a result, hatred may crop in between these groups and resentment for each other may become the order of the day. In order to express their superiority, the dominant groups may also opt to use violence as a means of portraying how best they are compared to other groups. There have been cases where minorities have been beaten and subjected to violent attacks just because of their skin color (Verkuyten & Thijis 310). Racism can be associated with discriminatory behavior, especially in the provision of services such as education and healthcare. In healthcare settings, racism has led to discrimination of some racial groups with regard to their skin color. This is the case in hospitals where doctors and other healthcare providers may treat some patients with little respect because of the color of their skin. For example, psychiatrists tend to associate ethnic minorities with mental disorders. People of the Caribbean origin, for instance, are mostly associated with schizophrenia. This is a negative connotation held by psychiatrists, and it has led them to alter their behavior and attitudes towards ethnic minorities (Higton 62). Teachers’ roles and duties to reinforce diversity in the classroom and avoiding racism in the classroom Teachers have a role to reinforce diversity in the classroom in order to ensure that students can avoid racism. Teachers should be in the forefront in the fight against racism; as they should ensure that students do not engage in racial prejudices, which may compromise the lives of fellow students. The first role that teachers can play in the fight against racism includes the integration of literature from various cultures, especially when teaching English. This should encompass incorporating works from various cultures such as American Culture, Hispanic, Caribbean, as well as African American. This way, students will have an opportunity to learn about different cultures and reduce the tendencies to discriminate other groups. Consequently, students will learn to respect other cultures and treat other racial groups with a lot of respect (Eberhardt and Susan 192). The other role that teachers can play in promoting diversity and reducing instances of racism includes taking a strong stance and attitude against racism. Teachers should discipline students who tend to exhibit behavior that can be considered as racist. This is essential since it will let students learn that racism is not acceptable. Teachers have a responsibility to act quickly when they realize there are some students engaging in racist abuses. The other role that teachers can play encompasses educating students on issues that relate to racism, especially with regard to past issues that related to racism. For example, teachers can help students gain insights about the civil rights movement; as this will enable students know the impacts of racism. Teachers should facilitate students to know that racism does more harm than good. This will allow students to embrace diversity in the classroom and shun the evils of racism (Wodarski and Sophia 1). Teachers can also promote diversity in the classroom through forming a group of students who can start a group where they can start discussing issues related to racism. This can be done by realizing students who have an interest in stopping racism. Such students can be crucial in stopping issues that relate to racism. Forming a club where students can meet and devise ways of addressing racism can also be crucial. Teachers can help students create posters where they sensitize the public on the evils of racism and how to avoid this vice. Strategies that can be used in the classroom to prevent racism There are several strategies that can be employed to prevent racism in the classroom. One of the strategies that can be employed to prevent racism includes the use of cooperative learning groups. Such groups are essential in enhancing participation of students in classroom affairs, as well as in the elimination of racism that may present itself in the classroom. Through creating teams, students have an opportunity to relate to each other and interact in ways, which will enable them to break the barriers that may be caused by racism. Cooperative learning is essential in opening up students to ideas, beliefs, as well as experiences that can be essential in the achievement of a common goal, which in this case includes the promotion of diversity and prevention of racism (Morgan 1). Another strategy that can be utilized in addressing racism in the classroom encompasses the use of Reconstructionist philosophy to address the issue of racism. This philosophy is based on the belief that people should play their role as social activists. In addition, this philosophy stresses the need for people to make efforts aimed at ending harm, as well as degradation that may result from social evils such as racism. Materials used by students while learning should be closely monitored in order to ensure that they do not use books, which promote racism rather than preventing it. Educators ought to select texts, which do not promote racism, but instead portray the importance of cultural diversity in society. The curriculum chosen by education institutions should also portray the role that all cultural groups have played in the prevention of racism (Compton-Lilly 19). Benefits of Diversity and how it changes people’s behavior Diversity can be regarded as one of the crucial aspects in a school setting since it plays an essential role in changing people’s behavior. Educators have a role to play in ensuring that they create an atmosphere that makes all students comfortable while learning is taking place. Diversity is vital since it helps students realize the differences that exist between them, and why they should appreciate one another in whatever they do. Through diversity, students have an opportunity to understand the biases that exist in the classroom, as well as how they can avoid these biases. A positive classroom environment can be created when students learn the differences that exist between themselves. Diversity helps students learn how they can benefit from each other and the need to embrace one another in their daily activities (Morgan 3). Diversity also teaches students to respect the heritage of other people and accord them appropriate respect despite the beliefs, which they hold. With diversity, students can learn to respect the culture of other students, the origin of their classmates and the richness of the beliefs held by their colleagues. Consequently, a bond will be established in the school and students will associate with one another without any prejudices directed towards one another. Diversity also helps students tolerate one another and realize the need to unite for a common cause (Compton-Lilly 20). Conclusion In conclusion, racism entails cultural ideologies that portray white people as more superior than people of other colors based on the color of the skin. Racial profiling and prejudices that accompany racism have an impact on human behavior in a number of ways; for example, it can lead to avoidance disorders. Another impact of racism on behavior includes some habits such as drug abuse. There are several strategies that can be employed to prevent racism in the classroom. Diversity can be regarded as one of the crucial aspects in a school setting since it plays an essential role in changing people’s behavior. Educators have a role to play in ensuring that they create an atmosphere that makes all students comfortable while learning is taking place. Works Cited Bowser, Benjamin P, and Raymond G. Hunt. Impacts of Racism on White Americans. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 1996. Print. Bonilla, Silva E. White Supremacy and Racism in the Post-Civil Rights Era. Boulder [u.a.: Lynne Rienner, 2001. Print. Chin, Jean L. The Psychology of Prejudice and Discrimination. Santa Barbara, Calif: Praeger, 2010. Print. Compton-Lilly, Catherine. Confronting Racism, Poverty, and Power. Classroom Strategies to Change the World, 2004. Web. 27 June 2013. http://forum.fountasandpinnellleveledbooks.com/shared/onlineresources/E00607/chapter1.pdf Eberhardt, Jennifer L, and Susan T. Fiske. Racism: The Problem and the Response. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1998. Print. Higton, Mike. Christ, Providence and History: Hans W. Frei's Public Theology. London: T & T Clark Internat, 2004. Print. Hall, Ronald E. Racism in the 21st Century: An Empirical Analysis of Skin Color. New York: Springer, 2008. Print. Morgan, Richard. Eliminating Racism in the Classroom, 2012. Web. 27 June 2013. http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/papers/racism_morgan.html Verkuyten, Maykel & Thijis, Jochem. Racist victimization among children in The Netherlands: the effect of ethnic group and school. Ethnic and Racial Studies 25.2 (2002): 310– 331. Print. Wodarski, John S, and Sophia F. Dziegielewski. Human Behavior and the Social Environment: Integrating Theory and Evidence-Based Practice. New York: Springer Pub. Co, 2002. Print. Read More