What IS racism??

[RenDaHai]

Hey Team,

Inspired by BaWang's comments in another thread;

There is a lot of confusion in the world about racism. Frequently people are accused of it when they were not at all and other times blatant racism goes unchallenged. I think this is from base misconceptions of what racism is.

So...what is it?

Is it only racism when white people use it?

Is Racism more about culture than actual race?



Lets have it out, and please don't call each other racist within the thread or compare anyone to hitler for their comments.

[MightyB]

Hey Team,

Inspired by BaWang's comments in another thread;

There is a lot of confusion in the world about racism.
So...what is it?

Is it only racism when white people use it?

Is Racism more about culture than actual race?



Lets have it out, and please don't call each other racist within the thread or compare anyone to hitler for their comments.

Where's the confusion? Just read BaWang's comments... he's definitely a racist.

[Syn7]

You only have to have ill will towards one race to be racist. Like saying all Arabs live in the stone age. You can have a dozen tokens and it doesn't change the fact that you're racist. You can have friends of all colors and cultures, but as soon as you generalize one race, you are a racist.

We are all racists in one way or another. Very few have never said or thought something that was unfair and overgeneralized. When I hear otherwise, I hear a liar 98% of the time.

[bawang]

Where's the confusion? Just read BaWang's comments... he's definitely a racist.

how am i a racist bro? i love all humans around the world.

[Faruq]

Yeah, I'd have to think that all humans are racist to a point. We don't all have the power to influence people's lives based on it, but that doesn't mean we aren't racist. And I think since the 50s or maybe the 60s until just recently here in the U.S. that's been a big misconception. Many underprivileged or disadvantaged people believed because they weren't in a position to decide the course of other people's lives or determine if they got loans, keep them out of country clubs or prestigious neighborhoods; they weren't racist. They may not have been able to enact discriminatory practices in those days, but that didn't mean they couldn't be racist. That caused a lot of hidden resentment in interracial dialogues.

But to address the name of the thread, isn't racism preference of one racial over another by a certain racial group? And then therefore wouldn't discrimination enacting policies whether overt or hidden determining what advantages or disadvantages groups were entitled to based on their race, (and thus to a point determining the trajectory of their lives) be racial discrimination?

[Kellen Bassette]

I think the notion that only white people are racist is ignorant and racist in itself.

I don't consider stereotyping racist at all. Stereotyping is making a generalization that may or may not be true most of the time. I think it's pretty well understood that there are exceptions to the rules; I think most people engage in some sort of stereo typing and in some cases, it is, indeed, accurate more often then not...if I say most Mexicans speak Spanish and have brown skin, didn't I just stereotype? Does that mean I hate Mexicans?

If I say most rural Africans are poor isn't that a stereotype? There are certainly exceptions, but if you base standards of living against the West, more often then not it will be true. None of that implies I hate Africans at all or am somehow ignorant. After all I made a statement that is, generally, true.

I kind of agree with some of what Bawang was saying about there being a difference between racism and prejudice.

A white man and a black man may work together and get along fine. They may have no problem hanging out, but the white man may have an issue with the black man dating his daughter. He doesn't hate the black man, they may even be friends...but he certainly harbors some sort of prejudice. He doesn't hate the black race and isn't going to lynch anyone, he has black friends, but he retains some prejudice feelings on certain matters.

Of course prejudice is bad too, but I wouldn't put it in the same category as true racism.

[wenshu]

Yeah, I'd have to think that all humans are racist to a point.

I agree. It's just a fact of life.

I think what is pivotal is the self awareness of an individual and whether or not that awareness is brought to bear to either diminish their own ignorance or to enable it.

[Syn7]

Well, although the word racism has negative connotations attached to it, in reality the word is very misunderstood. Racism is simply classifying by race, or believing that distinctive human characteristics and abilities are or can be determined by race.

[wenshu]

Well, although the word racism has negative connotations attached to it, in reality the word is very misunderstood. Racism is simply classifying by race, or believing that distinctive human characteristics and abilities are or can be determined by race.

The definition also includes a value judgement of inherent superiority or inferiority.

[Syn7]

The definition also includes a value judgement of inherent superiority or inferiority.

I think

believing that distinctive human characteristics and abilities are or can be determined by race.

covers that.

[Scott R. Brown]

Racing is when two or more people fix a specific task to be accomplished and compete to see who can finish in the shortest amount of time!

More come types of racing include, running, car driving, swimming, rowing, skiing, etc.

It is a perfectly harmless activity performed for fun, entertainment the for the acquisition of fame and fortune!

[RenDaHai]

The thing is I think these days the racism card is played altogether too often.

The definition also includes a value judgement of inherent superiority or inferiority. Believing that distinctive human characteristics and abilities are or can be determined by race.

i don't think this is quite enough. I think the definition for 'Racist' needs to contain malicious intent.

Thinking about things genetically the above is almost certainly true. Certain characteristics will vary predictably with race. That is the truth, and the truth is impartial not prejudice.

We have evolved to value our 'in' group more than other groups. There is a huge amount of psychological literature on the topic. So Racism is natural and even logical to some extent.

The problem is when someone plays the racism card the 'racist' gets lumped in with the whole range of racists from someone making a slightly racist joke to a full on member of the KKK.

I think it is important to redefine racism in such a way that separates those who use it with malicious intent.

How can we define racism that separates malicious racism from simple 'in' group 'out' group prejudice or someone making a joke?

[wenshu]

I think

'believing that distinctive human characteristics and abilities are or can be determined by race.'

covers that.

I'll concede that.

I think it is important to redefine racism in such a way that separates those who use it with malicious intent.

It's silly to call for the redefinition of a word just to make up for lack of common sense.

[RenDaHai]

It's silly to call for the redefinition of a word just to make up for lack of common sense.

But a lack of common sense is one of the largest problem that faces western society today.

I think we need to keep redefining everything we know in order to advance.

[hskwarrior]

some of you may not believe this but i'll throw it out there.

i read something that was saying racism was something engineered by the Illuminati, as well as "white mans guilt" over the slavery issue.

still, if you take a black, white, latin and asian child to the park they will play with each other regardless of ethnicity. its always someone else i.e. the parents who teach someone to be racist.