Racism

Racism
We will start with a short presentation about the history of racism. Early
psychological theories of racism justified the domination of one race over another
because of Charles Darwin's concept of survival of the fittest. It was theorized that
there was some survival advantage to being racist. Whatever the history of the
psychology of racism is in the United States, the actual history of racism is that
White people have been and continue to be afforded benefits in society because
of a system that was set up for their benefit.
Many people misunderstand and confuse the definitions of racism and
prejudice, but they are different. Prejudice is a negative preconception or attitude
toward members of a group based on shared characteristics such as race,
ethnicity, sex, sexuality, age, religion, language, class, or culture. Prejudice can be
racial, but it can also be sexist, ageist, or classist, for example.
In contrast, racism is directed at a particular racial group and is based on
systems of power and oppression. Racism is often seen as being a problem with
individual racial prejudice, but it is important to recognize that it is much more
multifaceted and systemic. In this way, racism is embedded in the reality of
everyday life. Racism isn't just about individuals demonstrating racial prejudice or
engaging in direct acts of racial discrimination; it is often less immediately obvious
and much more insidious, affecting institutions like the justice system, in which
Black defendants regularly face harsher sentences than White defendants for the
same crimes, for example. Decreases in overt expressions of racial bias might
suggest that racial prejudice is less extreme in modern America; however, many
psychologists suggest that racial bias has gone underground
In reality, our institutions are not so far removed from the years of colonialism,
slavery, and segregation, and racism is still ignored, condoned, or even actively
supported in many facets of American life.
The dominant American culture's discomfort with race and racism continues to
result in harmful beliefs and sentiments that promote ignorance about racism.
Ignoring racism doesn't make it go away. Rather, it perpetuates it, effectively
shutting down the possibility of moving forward by not having important
conversations about the problems and possible solutions.
We will show you the possible psychological explanations for why racism exists.
1. Personal Insecurity
It's true that those who lack an identity and struggle with insecurity may seek
group membership. Consequently, after finding a group, members of the group
may start to alienate non-group members. People tend to think and behave more
like the people they surround themselves with. It becomes much easier to attack
others when you're among people who share the same viewpoint. Racism comes
in when groups are formed based on characteristics like race.
2. Lack of Compassion
Alienation of others eventually leads to less compassion for those who have been
ostracized. People begin to only show compassion and empathy for those they
regularly associate with. This dismissal may or may not be overt racism, but it
begins with a lack of empathy.
3. Poor Mental Health
Poor mental health may make a person more likely to hold racist beliefs or
engage in racist behaviours. But it's important to recognize that racist beliefs and
actions are certainly not limited to people with mental health disorders.
Factors That Contribute to Racism

Those factors are the following:
1. Categories
Humans learn to group people into categories based on race from a young age.
Category labels can support a belief that category members have a shared
identity, which promotes stereotypes. This categorical grouping and the concept
of shared identity later lead to factions.
2. Factions
Categories lead to factions in which people are assigned to a racial group and
begin to strongly identify with their racial ingroup. In this way, group members
can also begin to show hostility toward other groups as a result of real or
perceived competition or threats to their self-image, values, or resources.
3.Segregation
Being segregated from other racial groups greatly influences attitudes and
feelings about race. Lack of contact with other racial groups tends to narrow and
harden a person's beliefs and opinions about others and offers few chances for
negative beliefs to be challenged. That is why segregation by race early in life can
influence the development of racist attitudes.
4. Media
The media plays a role in sustaining racism. On one level there is simply
representation. When media consistently portrays a mostly White cast of actors
in magazines, television shows, and movies, it makes the White culture the
"dominant" or "normal" American culture.
5. Passivism
Passivism is the most important. It is the passive racism that results from
ignorance, apathy, or denial. People do not need to be actively racist in their
beliefs and actions to support racist systems— they simply need to do nothing to
change those systems.
Other factors include hierarchy and power.
Combating racism
There are things you can do on an individual level to influence both interpersonal
racism and systemic racism, such as :
• Build a system of equity in which all communities are equally engaged.
• Direct attention to the problem of racism instead of sweeping it under the rug
or pretending that it does not exist.
• When you hear racist attitudes, challenge them; ask people for the reason
behind their thinking and encourage them to consider alternative.
• Teach children inclusion and empathy from a young age so that they grow up to
be adults who can identify racism and challenge it.
Strategies to Help You on Your Anti-Racism Journey

1. Acknowledge Modern Day Racism Exists
It’s important to acknowledge that minorities are still facing ongoing
discrimination. Recognizing that racism exists is the first step toward creating
positive change.
2. Recognize Your Prejudice
If you think things like, “I’d never do anything racist,” you might want to check
yourself. Research shows people who claim they’re never prejudiced are the most
likely to be prejudiced. People in privileged groups are more likely to deny the
existence of bias. And among young people, there’s an impression that racism is
“not that bad anymore” or that it only occurs in extreme circumstances. It is
important to remember that our brains are wired to recognize differences, which
evolved to protect against the general threats of the world. The biases we have
are still running on this same internal system.
3. Learn About Yourself
You might think your anti-racism journey should start with learning about others.
But developing more self-awareness first can be key to helping you gain insight
into your beliefs. It can make you more aware of your own biases while sparking
curiosity about other cultures and races.
4. Learn About Other People
Educate yourself about other races as well. Learn about the history of racism and
discrimination, and strive to learn more about what other people are
experiencing today. Learn from many different people, and you’ll see there are
many ways to tell the same story.
5. Interact With People of Different Races
Talking to people who are different from you, working with people of other races,
and interacting with them in all sorts of circumstances can help you gain the most
insight. You’ll learn a lot when you listen to people.

Racism

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Racism

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Racism

Factors That Contribute to Racism

Strategies to Help You on Your Anti-Racism Journey

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