A Review of the Race Myth Written by Graves and Pager and Shepherd's Article on Racial Discrimination - Essay Example

Review paper Introduction Racial discrimination has an important influence on the people who encounter it, as well as the entire society. Studies conducted on racial discrimination indicate that there is a positive correlation between individual experiences of racial discrimination and an individual’s health, cognitive development and life expectancy. Apart from this, racial discrimination continues to be exposed in socioeconomic disparity and has taken a modern form affecting contemporary society in terms of employment, housing and education. This essay presents a review of The Race Myth written by Graves and Pager and Shepherd article on racial discrimination in housing, employment and credit marketers. The Race Myth written by Graves’ centers on crucial matters of racism in the American community. He presents in the book that American consider immigrants lazy and have genetic inheritance that affect their well-being. They even felt that these African Americans needed to work harder in order to save themselves as they did (Graves 122). He noted in his book that the Americans did not consider the African American oppression when giving these opinions about them. According to Graves, the American society provides support for racial oppression in the American society, and it is through racial discrimination that the African American experience health disparities (122). He felt that most African Americans still consider that there is some genetic legitimacy within the society that contributes to racial discrimination. However, this is not true because racism only emanates as a result of societal stereotypes. In this book, the author wants the readers to understand that racism is a socially developed concept aimed at overpowering African Americans instead of a genetic experience that explains racial differences in the society (Graves 123). Racial discrimination was started by the Europeans who made it extend in their communities. They accepted the concept of racial order that was widespread during that time. According to the author, the constructed racial discrimination helped the Europeans to control the continent (Graves 123). He presents a strong concept against biological arguments concerning racial discrimination because of genetic factors. Graves mainly points out social factors that contribute to racial discrimination, and he believes that only two percent of genetic interferences can contribute to genetic difference (124). Grave also questions the concept that there are genetic specific drugs for specific racial group used to reduce disparities in health related issues, though Graves’ voice on this matter is in the marginal group of individual. He presents questions concerning how racism has gathered much of the mass media attention. He also shows how people from the domineering group like the whites, used ethnic group to defend actions and statements controlling the political, economic, health, social and educational developments of people from their ethnic background. Graves felt that by understanding historical events, one will be in a position to handle racial discrimination within the society and how it fueled huge injustices (125). As a strength, the book presents the difference in health in the United States can be associated with environmental factors instead of genetic differences among the citizens. According to Graves, fifty three percent of waste materials are dumped next to African American residents and chances of these people moving out of place are minimal because of racial discrimination. This environment in turn affects their well-being contributing to health difference between the Europeans and the African American residents. The text cannot be considered an exclusively valued text mainly because it is full of repetition. However, the book has chapters that are important despite repetition in the text. For example, in one section he emphasizes on how questionable the concept race is explained. The major weakness identified is that the book did not explain further how social construct contributed to the wide spread of health disparities within the American society. However, the book can be used to explain how concept of racial discrimination can increase discrimination among the African American citizens, which in turn affects their well- being. Findings in the book can help people understand that, racial discrimination can lead to behaviors like violence and physical abuse. It can also directly exclude individuals from getting services or taking part in education, employment, social activities, as well as sports activities. The book can provide a lot of information on the effects of racial discrimination in a given society. Through the findings presented in the book, other researchers can form the basis for their research on racial discrimination. From the information presented in the book, one can also explain that racial discrimination can occur at universal or organized stages through rules, environments or exercises that are not suitable for some groups. Pager and Shepherd conducted a review on current information on racial discrimination, where they placed a lot of emphasis on ethnic discrimination ethnic in housing, education settings, markets and even employment (181). In the article, they started by defining racial discrimination and discussed relevant approaches of measurement taken to reduce racial discrimination (Pager and Shepherd 182). They also provided a summary of the main conclusions from previous studies conducted on racial prejudice in different areas of discrimination and, lastly, they discussed different mechanisms used to reduce racial discrimination within an organization. The article aimed at presenting the readers with the main arguments in racism within the American community and to a roadmap on how to reduce this postulate discrimination and promote equality (Pager and Shepherd 183). The article presents ways of how to gauge discrimination by examining variation in outcomes among groups instead of focusing on the feelings or perceptions. These perceptions can be associated with behaviors of racial discrimination, and the approach can be used to explain various racial discrimination in housing, employment as well as economic and social resources (Pager and Shepherd 184). They also noted that researchers can use comprehensive datasets to identify systematic inequalities between people and plan their outcome for some time. Using comprehensive and organized case investigations of individual organizations, researchers can also develop important patterns of racial discrimination within the community. The article is important because the researchers explained using their findings how racial discrimination affects housing, employment, market and client interactions within the market. Apart from these domains, literature reviewed presented information on discrimination based on gender, religion, health, court cases, and age among others. Furthermore, the researchers’ elaborated on other major factors that contribute to racial discrimination. These factors include intrapsychic issues, organizational issues, structural issues and current state procedures and practices. Though, the review did not examine the major effects of discrimination within the African American community. They mainly presented what other researchers discovered in their previous studies and not some of the limitations of studies reviewed. They do not provide a recommendation on how to reduce racial discrimination within the society. The researchers could have provided more information and recommendation on how to eradicate racial discrimination in housing employment, credit markets and client interactions. The article can be used to educate people on the effects of racism, and information obtained will help people learn not to judge others based on their color, but by their individual behaviors. Information obtained from the findings can help people promote equality within the community. Different people from different ethnic background can also learn to share ideas and learn from one another. Finally, the findings of the study can be used to a basis for future research, where researchers will obtain information of racial discrimination within the American society. Conclusion The book and the article presented issues on racism in the United States of America with the aim of elaborating the theme of racial discrimination. Both materials presented some of the factors that led to racial discrimination and provided solutions of reducing racial discrimination the American community. Works Cited Graves, Joseph. The Race Myth: Why We Pretend Race Exists in America. New York: Dutton/Penguin, 2004. Print. Pager, Devah and Shepherd, Hana. The Sociology of Discrimination: Racial Discrimination in Employment, Housing, Credit, and Consumer Markets. J. Personal. Soc. Psychol. 34. 1 (2008): 181–209. Print. Read More