Race, Ethnicity and Migration in Australia and South Africa - Essay Example

Race, Ethnicity and Migration in Australia and South Africa Surname, Name Professor Course Institution Date Introduction Most sociologists in the present world discredit issues of race an ethnicity and migration, considering that the world is now a global village, where diversity is appreciated and encouraged. However, the disturbing question is why people from different societies still find many differences among themselves, and why the minority groups in the society still regard themselves as frustrated by discrimination. This question cannot be answered from a biological view; research shows that there are no biological disparities among people of different races or ethnic groups. Therefore, it is undisputable to confirm that the issues of race and ethnicity are constructed on social blocks among different societies. Race and ethnicity are related topics, although, each of them is independent (Andersen, & Taylor, 2007, p. 99). Race is a form of identity where people group themselves according to color and their origin, which may be black or white. On the other hand, ethnicity refers to different classifications that are usually assigned to people due to their religion, pigmentation or culture. Migration has a significant effect on race and ethnocentrism because it stirs different races and ethnic groups by compounding them with diversity (Fleras, 2009, p. 76). Australia and South Africa are among the principal countries that have been on the spotlight of scholars and sociologists, over the issues of race, ethnicity and migration. This essay, will discuss the key issues of race, ethnicity and migration in the two countries from a critical and analytical point of sociology. A Sociological Comparison of Racial Discrimination in Australia and South Africa Australia and South Africa are both multicultural societies, which are hosts to people form different parts of the world. Australia has a history of intense, open racism and ethnicity, which was stimulated immediately after their independence (Lie, Furze, Brym & Savy, 2011, p. 349). This was a time when the former colonizers of Australia were extremely insecure about their future in the country, after colonizing and frustrating the aboriginals; who were now exceedingly bitter with them. The aboriginals, the indigenous inhabitants of Australia, had developed an extremely negative and ill perception of foreigners in their country. They hated them with passion, and their hearts were filled with a burning ambition for revenge. They were acutely bitter because the immigrants of Australia had left them poor and without land. Because of this fear that the colonizer had, they decided to take measures that would ensure that they remain respected in the country. They wanted to make sure that they are recognized and given a strong and respectful identity. They viewed the aboriginals as their former slaves, and hence could allow themselves to be identified the same way as their former slaves. This was the epitome of racism and ethnicity in Australia; the immigrants, who had not fully handed over the government to the aboriginals, came up with discriminatory strict laws and policies that would for ever protect their interests. All these laws were Anti- Aboriginal, which means that they were going to hurt the aboriginals, despite the fact that they had gained independence. Other minority societies like the Asians did not also want to associate with either the aboriginals or the colonizers. This led to a condition where each group of people thought themselves better than the rest and looked for more recognition that the rest of the groups. The aboriginals were openly discriminated and humiliated until they began disavowing their identities to pick up other identities that did not face a lot of discrimination (Fleras, 2009, p.80). The present world Australia has a government that is trying to fight with the issue of race, ethnicity and migration; it has set many laws and policies that condemn the same (Andersen, & Taylor, 2007, p. 104). However, research shows that a majority of people still regard themselves as better that the rest (Lie, Furze, Brym & Savy, 2011, p. 351). The main problem arises when new immigrants go to live in the country, and when they migrate to different locations, within the same country, seeking for employment or education. They usually face a lot of discriminating treatment from the aboriginals. The aboriginals look at them as inhibitors who want to disrupt peace and exert pressure in the limited resources that they have. The greatest challenge for the government is to deal with this issue. However, until the government accepts openly that Australia still faces intense racism and ethnicity, it will not be able to solve this issue. The government represents Australia in international and local conferences as a multicultural country that loves diversity and has eradicated racial and ethnic bonds. On the other hand, South Africa is well known for apartheid rule that was once prominent in the country. It was a rule that ensured that people of different races used their separate resources, and there was no sharing. The indigenous could not use roads belonging to whites, and their children could not share schools with their colonizers’ children (Collins, & Solomos, 2010, p. 24). Unlike Australia, there were shops for different races and even clothes to differentiate people of different races. South Africa managed to do away with this rule. In the modern era, the government of this country has tried to make sure that there is brotherhood in the country and that people learn to treat each other with ultimate dignity. After independence, South Africa did not have professionals operate their industries and people to run their administrative systems; they had to seek for labour force from the international world. This is different from Australia, which had the labor. In Australia, however, the immigrants were keen to suppress Aboriginal labor so that they would not get power to rise against them (Collins, & Solomos, 2010, p. 27). South Africa received a large number of many foreigners, who were willing to help it in economic stability (Collins, & Solomos, 2010, p. 31). In the present, the country’s indigenous settlers have undergone education and have developed professional skills. However, most of them are unemployed since immigrants still hold key positions in the employment sector. This is the leading cause of racism and ethnicity in the country. The immigrants are viewed as people who have left their own countries so that they can deplete resources of the indigenous, who are left to do small tasks that do not pay well. They are left to live in slums and low class areas, while the immigrants live in the posh estates. The immigrants view the indigenous as a threat to their positions; to curb this situation, they have to intimidate them so that they can have little power to control them. Considering the above comparison of Australia and South Africa, it is evident that one sociological cause of the problems of race, ethnicity and, migration is the scramble for resources. This is viewed both in Australia and South Africa. When the whites settled in Australia, they took over the aboriginals’ land without engaging in any agreements with them. The aboriginal felt bitter because their most valuable resource, land, had been snatched away from them. They resented the whites and began killing them, this created significant discriminatory differences among these two races. Racism in South Africa is also founded on the “platform” of scramble for resources; the indigenous people of South Africa are poor, yet their country produces gold and is also an economic stronghold in Africa (Kramer, 2006, p. 111). They hence believe that their resources are being used by the immigrants, since they are the majority of the country’s wealthy population. The immigrants, who depend on these resources to survive, frustrate the aboriginals so that they will never be strong enough to take over key position in the country. In this context, people cannot migrate to places that have other races and ethnic groups apart from their own. Racism and ethnicity has been particularly strong in South Africa; indigenous hold regular strikes and demonstrations against settlers (Gunaratnam, 2006, p.209). Racism is South Africa, started mainly due to the struggle for limited resources, with each group looking for key identities that would make them benefit more than the rest. However, despite being involved in the scramble for resources too, Australia developed racism due to the issue of identity and revenge. Their former colonizers had the fear that the aboriginals would turn against them, if allowed to take power. They hence made rules and regulations that would protect them from revenge of the aboriginals, who wanted to be recognized as the owners of Australia. A common cause of racism and ethnicity in both countries revolves around social ties (Chua, 2011, p. 91). When human beings move to new locations, they usually look for people from their societies so that they can live around them; this prevents social integration, which in turn promotes discrimination. Sociologists also relate the racism and ethnicity with the fear of the unknown (Kramer, 2006, p. 118). They maintain that another issue, which makes people of different races and ethnic groups show hostility towards each other is the fear that new people may be evil. When people move to a new area, they usually expect to meet new acquaintances and develop a respectful relationship with them. However, despite the expectation to meet lovely people in their new destination, they usually face uncertainty about the new people that they are going to live with. They hence develop more fear than the expectation to meet lovely people in their new destination. This fear of the unknown is the prime factor that pushes people of the same cultures and origin to settle at the same places. They find comfort in their kinsmen and would rather stay with them than meet new people who would eventually turn to treat them with hostility. In Australia, for instance, the white’s after colonizing the country were never comfortable living in any other areas of the country apart from the Southern part of Australia. That was the only place that had many whites, and they were sure that they were secure because most of them lived in the South. The aboriginals, who were under a lot of discrimination also had to live in societal groups that guarantee their security. This confirms the sociological idea of fear of the unknown. This fear usually makes people behave in a defensive manner, which later results to discrimination of new people who believe in different religions and cultures, as well as people who have a different color. Conclusion Issues of race, religion and migration are as old as modernization (Chua, 2011, p. 107). Although there are no biological or significant genetic disparities among human beings, it has been difficult for sociologists to find the root, and the main cause of racism and ethnicity. Many theories have been suggested, but they are only an attempt to try and explain the myths behind these issues. However, it is definite that one cause of the problems of race, ethnicity and migration is the physical, social and minor biological differences between people. The only sure way to solve these problems, therefore, would be to create equality among all human beings. However, this can only be true in theory or rather, fiction movies. The fact that the world has diversity is not only useful, but also inevitable. The best way to solve these problems, therefore, would be to launch a strong world wide campaign to educate the human race about brotherhood. The campaign should also convince the world that every human being is the same, despite the minor observable differences that they may have. Just like a blue and green vehicle of the same model, all human races are equal. References Andersen, L. M., & Taylor, F. H. 2007. Sociology: Understanding a Diverse Society. California: Cengage Publishers. Chua, L. W. 2011. Racism in Australia: The Causes, Incidents, Reasoning, and Solutions. Bloomington: Balboa Press. Collins, H. P., & Solomos, J. 2010. The Sage Handbook of Race and Ethnic Studies. New York: Sage Publishers. Fleras, A. 2009. Unequal relations: an introduction to race, ethnic, and Aboriginal dynamics in Canada. Michigan: University of Michigan. Gunaratnam, Y. 2003. Researching Race and Ethnicity: Methods and Power. London: Sage Publishers. Kramer, M. 2006. The Emerging Monoculture:  "Model Minority." West Port: Greenwood Publishers. Maesevic, S. 2009. Ethnicity, Modernization and Social Integration. London: Sage Publishers. Read More