Difference between Racism, Prejudice, and Discrimination - Coursework Example

THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN RACISM, PREJUDICE, AND DISCRIMINATION Introduction The prevalence of the evils of racism, prejudice and discrimination have several negative outcomes such as corruption and destruction of the basic fabric of society (Oskamp: vii). Racism is a belief in the concept of differentiating between various races as comparatively superior or inferior. It involves unequal treatment of those groups who are considered to be of a lower standing. Thus the three elements are linked to each other: racism is the basic concept which generates negative attitude in the form of prejudice, and results in behaviors of discrimination or differential treatment towards the marginalized group. This paper proposes to study the differences between racism, prejudice, and discrimination as described by sociologists, and the ways in which these three elements operate in society. Discussion Racism: Racism may be defined as an ideology of racial superiority; leading to an association between racism and political conservatism. Hence, the greater the political conservatism is: usually among the more privileged sections of society, there is greater support for the concept of white superiority and black inferiority. This has been found not only in the U.S., but in several other nations as well: “England, Holland, Australia, New Zealand and Sweden” (Sears et al: 198). Blacks confront higher levels of discrimination than other ethnic groups in America, and there is maximum white opposition to policies formulated to help them. Bonilla-Silva (p.8) states that whites and people of color conceptualize and view “racism” very differently. Most whites consider racism to be prejudice, and for most blacks, racism is systemic or institutionalized. Race being a socially constructed category, the ideas of racial differences are human creations rather than basic, eternal, or essential realities. One section of sociologists acknowledge that race is a constructed category, but insist that it has a social reality. The different ways in which racism operates are seen in the following examples. Racism and gender: One of the several ways in which women and girls are marginalized is through racism. For example, among United States prison population, the group which is increasing in number the fastest, is African-American women. Environmental racism: This occurs when by negligence of individual or institution, there is use of banned pesticides or drugs, location of hazardous waste facilities, polluting factories or mines near the housing areas of the marginalized groups. This shorten their life spans, cause higher mortality rates, birth defects, lower economic opportunities, and decreased quality of life. Race and Health: Racial and ethnic minorities in the United States suffer from chronic illnesses, and are also more likely to become severely ill, because clinical treatment is different for them, as compared to Caucasians. Blacks, Latinos and American Indians have two to three times the mortality rates of whites (Maran: 177). Deep-rooted racism is also manifest in Education: Resources, funding and all other aspects of education differ for the marginalized racial or ethnic groups, as compared to their white counterparts. African Americans form a large proportion of the students suspended or expelled. The Result of Racism on Poverty: Disproportionate poverty which is prevalent among the marginalized groups, is attributed to government policies which appear superficially to be race-neutral. Thus, “24% of African Americans, 23% of Hispanics, 10.7% of Asians, and 8.2% of whites live below the U.S. poverty level” (Maran: 178). Race and Criminal Justice: Behavior that is permitted for dominant groups, has historically been criminalized for minorities. For example, nearly 80% of drivers stopped and searched on a highway by police, were found to be Blacks; and death penalty more likely to be imposed for killing a white person, than a person of any other race. Migrants’ Rights: Racist violence and discrimination is found to be highest among migrants, refugees, and immigrants. Trafficking of millions of women and children for prostitution and labor from and within South East Asia is prevalent (Maran: 179). Prejudice: Prejudice is an attitude towards a category of people. “An attitude is an interrelated set of beliefs, feelings, and motivations about some object or class of objects” (Pincus & Ehrlich: 61). A group becoming a target of prejudice, and the nature and dimensions of the prejudice depend on social factors such as the state of relations between groups in society. Prejudice is observed to be nearly all-pervasive, spreading in a stealthy manner. It is experienced through non-verbal and verbal cues by particular population groups from a very early age. Hence both groups: those who are prejudiced and those who are the targeted sections, develop coping systems which lead to grouping behaviors. Self-categorization and the formation of self-concept and identity occur through relationships within the group. Prejudice is believed to be the outcome of a complex system of social relations (Eberhardt & Fiske: 47). Kenneth B. Clark has identified the heart of the American system of racial oppression as: residential segregation. The author argues that white society erects the invisible walls of the dark ghetto in order to confine and sustain the powerlessness of the blacks within these social, political and economic colonies. The inhabitants of the ghettos “are subject peoples, victims of the greed, cruelty, insensitivity, guilt and fear of their masters” (p.63). The public was forced to recognise the role of segregation in perpetuating racial inequality in the late 1960s by the riots that erupted in the ghettos. For most minorities, segregation declines with rise in socio-economic status. On the other hand, blacks are segregated at all income levels and social class, “no matter how much money they earn” because segregation is the outcome of white prejudice rather than objective market forces. In principle, whites may now accept open housing, but in practice they are averse to having black neighbours (Massey & Denton: 11). In contemporary America, a new concept of prejudice in the form of color-blind racism is observed to be prevalent. This is different from the overt enforcement of racism which occurred in the Jim Crow period. Bonilla-Silva (p.41) argues that in the post- civil rights era, the main racial ideology is color-blind racism with its peculiar characteristics: ostensible evidence of non-racialism, contradictory attitude or behavior, and evasiveness regarding the actual feelings towards the blacks and ethnic groups. These characteristics of color-blind racism are evident as whites’ avoidance of direct racial language, rhetorical strategies for safely expressing racial views and other methods that only serve to sustain prejudice. Discrimination: Discrimination refers to actions that deny equal treatment to persons who are considered to be members of a particular social category such as an ethnic group. The result of discrimination is the restriction of opportunities and rewards for the group against whom there is bias, while maintaining those opportunities and rewards for one’s own social group (Pincus & Ehrlich: 63). Mechanisms that reinforce segregation were found to operate in U.S. housing markets, restricting blacks’ access to housing units marketed by private landlords, allowing them access only to areas mostly populated by blacks, areas that were not threatened by black encroachment, or were further away from black concentrations (Fischer & Massey: 221). However, Massey & Denton (p.20) attribute this to a manifestation of the prejudice and discrimination in employment. Blacks were mostly relegated to a low economic status and consequent poor housing because of their systematic exclusion from skilled trades and non-manual employment. Social inequalities, exploitation and discrimination against ethnic minorities, women and the poor have been prevalent throughout U.S. history. In markets for jobs, housing and credit, African Americans have to confront discrimination. It is observed that women’s progress in the labor market is restricted only to the affluent and well-educated; low-skilled female workers are in occupations that offer little room for advancement. The anti-poor policies of the New Deal which includes anti-union legislation, more regressive taxes, lower federal minimum wage and decreased budget for social welfare spending: have tremendously increased the income gap between the richest and the poorest. Social disparities are due to privileged groups exploiting and marginalizing the minorities. Further, the poor have been deprived of their rights of citizenship as the numbers of immigrants and ex-prisoners increase in the population (Massey: 278). Conclusion This paper has highlighted the main characteristics of racism, prejudice and discrimination. It is evident that racism is the ideological concept of superiority that fuels the attitude of prejudice against a particular group of people. This in turn manifests as differential treatment towards those targeted as the inferior race. Discrimination against minorities especially blacks, occurs in every aspect: housing, resources for education, employment, and social inclusion. Equal rights and opportunities for minorities and ethnic groups are crucial for economic and social progress. Besides, there is a need for the formulation of specific pro-poor federal policies to help minorities achieve a better quality of life. This will also result in a more progressive society. Works Cited Bonilla-Silva, Eduardo. Racism without racists: color-blind racism and the persistence of racial inequality in the United States. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield, 2006. Bonilla-Silva, Eduardo. The linguistics of color-blind racism: how to talk nasty about blacks without sounding “racist”. Critical Sociology, 28.1-2 (2002): 41-64. Clark, Kenneth B. Dark ghetto: dilemmas of social power. New York: Harper and Row, 1965. Eberhardt, Jennifer L. & Fiske, Susan T. Confronting racism: the problem and the response. California: Sage Publications, 1998. Fischer, Mary J. & Massey, Douglas S. The ecology of racial discrimination. City and Community, 3.3 (2004): 221-241. Maran, Rita. A report from the United Nations World Conference against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance. Report from the United Nations, Durban, South Africa 2001. Social Justice, (2002): 177-189. Massey, Douglas S. Categorically unequal: the American stratification system. New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 2007. Massey, Douglas S. & Denton. American apartheid: segregation and the making of the underclass. United States of America: Harvard University Press, 1993. Oskamp, Stuart. (Ed.). Reducing prejudice and discrimination. New Jersey: Mahwah, 2000. Pincus, Fred L. & Ehrlich, Howard J. Race and ethnic conflict: contending views on prejudice, discrimination, and ethnoviolence. Colorado: Westview Press, 1999. Sears, David O., Sidanius, Jim & Bobo, Lawrence. Racialized politics: the debate about racism America. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000. Read More