The Impact of Racism and Discrimination - Case Study Example

Paris Suburbs The suburbs of Paris are inhabited by ethic migrants from Africa and Asia. Reconstruction programs during World War II led to a housing shortage which led to the creation of shacks. Many workers from North and West Africa were welcomed to help in the rebuilding process. An estimated nine hundred thousand Frenchmen were repatriated from Algeria following the independence of the latter. This resulted in creating another housing problem. By the 1960s and 1970s, many suburbs which had been built for immigrants had transformed into ghettos. Faced with many problems, the suburbs of Paris have an unemployment rate which is twice or thrice higher than the national average in France (Allen, 53). The residents many of whom are Muslims complain of discrimination. Racism, discrimination and Islam phobia are on the rise in France as immigrants have responded by a series of riots and clashes in which many cars and public buildings were burnt. A state of emergency was declared by the French government in response to these events which was extended for three months. The riots were triggered by the accidental deaths of two children who were electrocuted while being chased by the police. The riots were the biggest riots since the student protests of 1968. This paper studies the impact of racism and discrimination as being the motivating forces behind the recent immigrant unrest. It evaluates government programs which have been launched to rectify the problem. It also looks at whether the government plans are in harmony with the views of the immigrant population in the suburbs. Officially France is a secular republic which does not discriminate on the basis of religion or ethnic group. However immigrants living in the suburbs complain of hidden racism which manifests itself in the problem of obtaining employment, house or entering a nightclub. Discrimination and racism is illegal in France, but a research study has found that people of Middle Eastern origin do not receive positive answers from prospective employers. Nightclubs have used abbreviations which refer to ethnic Frenchmen and immigrants. Many people who have graduate degrees are most affected by racism and discrimination. French companies do not enforce laws which prevent discrimination and even during few cases of enforcement, punishment is very nominal (Allen, 54). The residents of the suburbs are also subject to racial profiling by the police. Police can make unannounced visits to certain places where they ask for papers usually from non white people. There have cases of police officers receiving light punishment for brutality towards immigrants. Amnesty International reported in 2005 that the French system supports racially motivated violence by police (Camus, 65). Some organizations even report that it is unlawful for an Arab or African man to even look at a policeman during an identity check. Nicloas Sarkozy recently called the rioters as being subhuman and advocated the use of Nazi like tactics to cleanse the ghettos. Sarkozy enjoys support amongst French society for his cultural superiority statements. Racism poses a significant threat to French society as it is the reason that the suburbs have exploded to vent their anger and frustration towards the French system. North African immigrants are seen as being lazy by living at the expense of French workers. Some elements in the far right of France consider North African immigrants to taking advantage of the welfare state which is viewed as giving a privileged status by French natives. France portrays itself as a country with political freedom and human rights, yet many Frenchmen are questioning the policy of accepting immigrants. They believe that accepting immigrants is counterproductive because it is at the expense of the French nation. North African culture is witnessed as being incompatible with the values of France. Islam is considered an alien religion which advocates murder and violence towards non Muslims (Allen, 54). Muslims are accused of not learning the habits and customs of people. Racial rhetoric is not directed towards Muslim individuals but also to Muslim societies which are depicted as violating human rights and negating the value of human life. Children are accused of being manipulated to become terrorists and suicide bombers in Muslim societies while women are believed to have an inferior position in Muslim society. Some Frenchmen believe that Muslim immigrants have failed to assimilate with the culture of France. The solution according to them is either for Muslims to assimilate with society or they should be deported from France (Camus, 66). Arab or North African immigrants respond to racist rhetoric by point out that every person, religion or group has equal rights. They reject the stereotypes of Muslims being portrayed in the French media. Racism is directly or indirectly related to the high unemployment rates amongst the immigrant population in France. The low income rate for immigrants has been rising as the unemployment rate for immigrants is higher as compared with the national average. Racism becomes a major factor which directly results in a poor job due to job discrimination. Many immigrants work for low wages in temporary jobs which often lead to exploitation and poor working conditions. Qualified immigrants with degrees cannot obtain decent jobs and therefore are forced to work in low paying jobs. Youth unemployment in French suburbs is more than forty percent as compared with the fifteen percent national average in France. Discrimination whether individual or institutional in France appears a powerful factor in hindering the career prospects of minorities (Allen, 58). Minorities are focused on certain employment sectors which are linked to initial immigration and the settlement patterns that were formed due to the demand for labour at that time. The wide economic changes of the 1990s has caused a decline in manufacturing employment and growth of the service sector which has lead to significant changes in employment for many groups. Indirect racism also exists inside French organizations in dress requirements for certain jobs. This can be imposed on Muslims who cannot comply due to religious or cultural reasons. Many selection decisions inside institutions are based on using stereotypes which can lead to discrimination towards many immigrants. Institutionalized racism in employment poses a significant threat to reducing the tension and anger of immigrants living in the suburbs (Camus, 67). Another area in which racism plays a part in generating racial inequalities is housing. Many immigrants face difficulty in the housing market due to the decision of institutions like estate agents and social housing agencies. These organizations adopt a discriminatory attitude which leads to effective segregation of immigrants from the majority population. Racism is a major factor which continues to promote segregation and clustering of immigrants in the suburbs. Racism can be in the form of pressure to fill vacancies and to match properties to tenants which reflect some assessment of application worth. It is also the anticipation of racial harassment by white tenants. Government housing policies in France have a significant role in the enhancement of racial inequalities. They have played a structurally racist role in coordinating the institutional environment (Anthias, 65). Discrimination and racism within the education system is also a leading source of frustration and anger in the suburbs. It has promoted segregation as children of immigrants are given a future which is difficult and little chances of upward mobility or access to employment information. They become marginalized and excluded from the main stream. Stereotypes of immigrants are prevalent within educational institutions in France. These stereotypes can label and characterize the talents and skills seen to reside in particular groups. North African or Arab students have difficulty obtaining admission in higher institutions of learning because of discrimination and racism. Even if they obtain admission in universities, they can still face institutionalized racism. The conduct of the police towards immigrants also causes racism and discrimination. Reports of brutality and manslaughter against immigrants do not lead to punishment of police officers. Individual and institutionalized racism exists in the French police. Individual racism occurs when an individual policeman acts in a way which results in advantage or disadvantage based on color or ethnic origin. Institutionalized racism occurs when the police forces fails to provide an appropriate and professional service to people because of their color, culture or ethnic origin. Immigrants are vulnerable to police attention as they are linked to a common suspicion based on disorderliness and dangerousness. Racial prejudice among police officers leads to stop and search being legitimised as simply the policing of dangerous populations. The immigrant population in France is associated with the underclass and disorder. This has generated and sustained an occupational culture which supports racism (Anthias, 67). Institutional racism in the police force is related to power and social relations. The relationship between police and communities is linked to the perception of significant power groups in the population on both a national and local scale. French Muslims constitute the largest percentage of French prison system. The treatment of prisoners is bad and living conditions are torturous. Physical and mental violence is prevalent in the overcrowded prisons. An estimated seventy percent of the French prisoner population consists of Muslims. Further evidence of racism was displayed when Sarkozy called for using brutal police tactics to bring down the riots. The rioters were termed as being Islamists influenced by jihadist ideology. Almost two years after the violent suburban riots shook France, the current president Nicolas Sarkozy has launched an ambitious plan to improve the social conditions of the French suburbs. The plan calls for generating forty thousand new jobs for young people. It also aims at providing more educational and transportation opportunities. France is a rich country with a poor distribution of money which leaves many suburbs poor. Sarkozy was the interior minister when the riots broke out in 2005 and 2006. He advocated a zero tolerance policy towards urban violence. An attempt was made to link the rioting to Islamic radicalism, polygamy and illegal immigration. However despite the call for improving the social conditions of suburbs, the government has not made any significant steps to address the growing social exclusion and racism affecting the French suburbs. No parliamentary commission was formed to understand the riots and no major governmental policies were proposed to respond to the social problems associated with the riots. A year after the riots, the government aimed to give priority to employment, education, housing and fighting against discrimination. It created six deputy officers in departments which were affected by the urban violence to work with local elected representatives and voluntary sector on employment and providing educational support to immigrants in the suburbs. Fifteen urban enterprise areas were created to give tax breaks and incentives to business in the suburbs to bring back jobs. It was estimated that twelve thousand jobs would be created in the most deprived neighborhoods (Hargreaves). Between April and September 2006, an estimated one hundred and fifty eight thousand people visited the national employment agency in which counseling and guidance was provided to young people. French government sources say that fifty percent of them are no longer unemployed. A joint government-business initiative was created in Mureaux, suburb in the north west of Paris. Renault recruited an estimated two hundred and sixty people unskilled people for training. A new urban social cohesion policy was announced to simplify the administration of urban policy. These policies focus on improving housing and environment of the suburbs. They aim to provide educational and health care access to immigrants living in the suburbs. An estimated two hundred and one regeneration projects for three hundred neighborhoods was created for two million residents. One hundred and eighty thousand houses are being renovated by the French government. Another eighty four thousand housing units are being built. An estimated two hundred and forty nine colleges with students from low income groups have been identified and will receive more resources and teachers. A hundred thousand graduates program was launched in which students will be prepared for higher education courses in French universities. Urban policy is being focused in which urban neighborhoods will be improved and social inequality gaps will be narrowed in different areas. The national agency for social cohesion and equal opportunities was established with the aim of brining under one roof all the measures to help people integrate into society or workplace (Vidal, 14). Some Ivy League French universities have taken steps to increase equality of opportunity for students from low income groups. A program was launched in which students of suburbs from class twelve would receive extra support during the last three years of school. This would provide them with the opportunity to develop ambitious plans for their futures. An estimated fifty schools are pursuing the debate on equal of opportunity and achieving a wider social mix in higher education. The French government has also encouraged the setup of business using talents from the suburbs. The government also has a national competition which is aimed at supporting business start ups and developing businesses in the priority areas covered by French urban policy. The recent Marshall Plan launched by President Sarkozy calls for an urban renewal program for the Parisian suburbs. This program will be done in parallel with job training, access to employment, schools and transit. Some French policy makers have called for simulating the creation of jobs in the suburbs. The current policy of tax free zones has led to mixed results. Unofficial sources are quoted as saying that less than ten thousand jobs were created by the tax free zones. The government must make the program better focused and directed towards the causes rather than the symptoms. These policies satisfy the public’s demand for immediate action but do not solve the social problems of the poor people living in the suburbs. Another policy recommendation has been subsidizing low skilled employment and policies that allow children of immigrant to gain a diploma which is considered a key to employment in France (Vidal, 14). Another key step which some policy makers in France have advocated is the use of affirmative action programs like the ones used in the United States of America. Affirmative action polices are used to promote access to education and employment for non dominant groups usually minorities. These programs can be effective to address the disadvantaged positions of minorities in access to education and employment. Affirmative action can be promoted by using recruitment programs from applicants from the suburbs in Paris. Affirmative action programs could increase the representation of immigrants in college campuses and organizations. It can also help in decreasing the racial stereotypes present in society. The diversification of college and university campuses improves the learning environment of the college. An ethnically and culturally diverse group of students offer different experiences and perspectives which enrich a college campus in many ways. Racially diverse colleges help prepare students to enter the workforce and aids in life preparation. Until the chronic gap is closed, affirmative action policies remain the best factor in ensuring a racially diverse student body. It is clear that limited social reforms will not address the issues of the suburbs in France. There is a need to reinvent the welfare system, create new system of redistribution and more open policy towards minorities and cultural identities. Stronger measures must be taken against racism and discrimination. The participation of marginalized minorities into the economic system must be ensured. The French government has responded to critics by insisting that sixty two billion dollars have been spent on social programs in the past four years, but critics say that it has only helped individual neighborhoods (Felouzis, 14). There are no easy solutions for any of the problems of the suburbs. Successive governments have tried hard to curb poverty and unemployment but have met with little success. Progress can be achieved in years not in months according to social reformers. Fighting discrimination which has led to high unemployment rates could be a first step towards reducing the problems of the suburbs. The French government recently announced a series of steps to improve the educational and employment opportunities for residents of the suburbs. A new umbrella agency was also created to assist city officials in fighting crime, poverty and discrimination. However most of these measures do not address the reasons of the disease. Unrest in the suburbs was a major factor in persuading the Socialist led government of Lionel Jospin in 1997 to address the issue of discrimination. Most measures taken by successive French governments against discrimination have been half hearted (Silverman, 23). Racism and discrimination must be effectively tackled because these are the reasons for some of the social problems in the suburbs. Even though each French citizen has equal access to education and employment, discrimination remains a barrier for immigrants to improve their social status. Most French companies do not return calls for job postings by immigrants. Police are routinely heard of harassing and intimidating immigrants. Many immigrants see bias, prejudice, racism and xenophobia directed towards them. Some immigrants have been attracted to radical interpretations of Islam which could pose a security threat to France. Works Cited: Allen, C., Nielsen, J.S (2006). Summary Report on Islamophobia in the EU After 11 September 2001, European Monitoring Center on Racism and Xenophobia. Camus, J (2005). The Use of Racist, Anti-Semitic and Xenophobic Arguments in Political Discourse, European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance Anthias, F (2006) Institutional racism, power and accountability Hargreaves, Alec G. . "An Emperor with No Clothes?." SSRC. Nov 2005. SSRC. 11 Apr 2008 . Silverman, Maxim. Deconstructing the Nation: Immigration, Racism, and Citizenship in Modern France, Routledge, 2007. Felouzis, Georges and Perroton, Joëlle. The trouble with the schools, Le Monde diplomatique, December 2005 Vidal, Dominique. The fight against urban apartheid, Le Monde diplomatique, December 2005. Read More