Scientific Racism Definition

Racism has been around since the early times of civilization and has many names describing it. The word “racism” first came into common usage in the 1930s when a new word was required to describe the theories on which the Nazis based their persecution of the Jews. As is the case with many of the terns historians use, the phenomenon existed before the coinage of the word that we use to describe

Racism is the belief centralized in the idea that a certain race is considered to be superior or inferior to another. It is a belief that labels a person’s worth, social, and moral traits based on his/her inherent nationality or biological features (Anti-Defamation League). This mentality has been around for centuries and still exists today. There are several theories about how such came about and why it continues to thrive. Racism can only be thoroughly studied by tracing its roots and history. Knowing the relevant events prior to and after the peak of a racist manifestation in the society during a certain period of time is one of the keys in understanding the nature of racism. It is important to note that the attempt to understand the nature of racism is not necessarily equivalent to the attempt to justify it. The main purpose of racism studies should be directed towards the attempt to lessen, if not eradicate such mentality. The Holocaust, the infamous racist manifestation which took place in Germany is a great example of what happens when racism is not stopped or prevented. Taking such infamous racist events in history under an extensive look, reveals some of the major arguments/concepts/causes of racism that could lead to understanding racism as a whole and thereby help address this issue in the modern-day society. Extreme ethnocentrism, rivalry for supremacy, and people lacking information are some of the causes of racism deemed to be important in studying

As groups continue to use science against one another, stereotypes are taking over the world and creating negativity within society. As women are being told they are not smart, African Americans are being told they are unequal, and Muslims are being told they are all terroristic by nature based on the science that claims their inferiority and stereotypes; peace cannot prevail and war cannot contain. Scientific research and social correlations are not viewable through the same ideas, or else stereotypes continue to rampage on claiming proof through science; and ultimately groups will continue to prove their stereotypes wrong through violent and hysteric means. Inaccurate scientific research is encouraging the social beliefs of the inferiority of certain groups, and creating an unjust and socially biased

The prejudice that members of one race are intrinsically superior to members of other races; discriminatory or abusive behavior towards members of another race, is the definition of Racism, according to Webster’s Dictionary. Today the use of the term “racism” doesn’t just fall under one single definition. Racist practices often include the idea that humans can be subdivided into groups that are different in their social behavior and innate capacities and that can be ranked as inferior or superior.

In the United States, one of the earliest forms of racism was the use of slavery. [how did slavery start]. By the 1800s, slavery had become a major part of

While racism is a more modern term, the prejudice beliefs behind it have been apart of history since the beginning of time. In the 15th and 16th centuries Spain enacted one of the most studied inquisitions in history. The Spanish Inquisition consisted of some of the darkest days in Jewish history and contains some of Christianities most shameful chapters. Extensive research has revolved around this particular inquisition in the attempts to understand how a seemingly tolerant society could take such a radical turn. There are numerous ongoing debates as to

According to the Lopez, children should be raised to be color blind, where they are not taught how to stereotype people on the basis of their race. Further, this chapter expounds the major developments towards the reduction of racism in the nineteenth century

Racism is the belief that some races of people are better than others. This was mainly shown in the twentieth century in the Southern States. At that time, whites thought that they

In the 19th century scientific racism was developed, in relation to the Civil War. Scientific racism was lead by people like Morton who measured brain cavity in multiple skulls and determined from these measurements not only which skulls were bigger, but also if that meant a person was smart, civilized, and various other traits. These conquered with racial stereotypes, placing whites as the most civilized on top, with blacks and Indians on the bottom (The Stories We Tell). His work convinced many people, including leading scientist who hadn't seen race as biological Louis Agassiz, that race could be proven scientifically (The Stories We Tell). The need for this scientific justification of racism came as a byproduct of the Civil War where slavery was abolished, but racism was still firmly entrenched in people's mind, this science was a way to legitimize people still clinging to their racist beliefs (Roediger, How Race Survived U.S. History, pp. 101-103).

The video “Forgotten Ellis Island” was very interesting to watch. It helped me understand the selection process and hear the stories of some of the immigrants who came through there. Most of my great grandparents are Irish and Polish. So as I watched it, I wondered if they went through Ellis Island. Learning about the children in the hospital was interesting. Although it was sad that they had to be separated from their parents, it was nice to know people were trying to care for them and make them happy.

In conclusion, there is an opinion that racism has existed since the BC era. Despite this, it is believed it actually commenced in 1619 when slavery arose in the US. During this period, people were enslaved and discriminated on the basis of their color type. However, there are different types of racism, and they include new racism, historical

Many Victorians not only looked upon blacks as slaves or booty in war but they truly believed there were physical as well as mental differences between them. The Victorians believed that blacks were uncontrollable and salacious. The life of Sara Baartman (The Hottentot Venus) was used as evidence in support of these allegations ("The Life and Times" 1). Sara Baartman was a black woman from South Africa during the 1800's that had a steatopygia or enlarge buttocks ("Exhibiting" 1). She was displayed naked first in France and then throughout Europe because of this. Many other parts of her body were said to larger than the "normal" size. When she died at age 26, scientists dissected her body and found that, "Baartman's oversized primitive genitalia was physical proof of the African women's primitive sexual appetite'" ("Exhibiting"). This contributes to the belief that there were no virtuous black women, which meant they could not be gentlewomen like the ladies of the Victorian period.

The study of prejudice, stereotyping, and racism has been a major theme in social psychology reflecting concerns of society (Jost & Kay, 2010). History of colonization contributed to Europeans’ prejudice against people of color (Tuffin, 2004). For centuries, racism was used to justify the advancement of European nations. In the 18th century, the

Racism is a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others. This trend has been around for a long time, from slaves, to discrimination, etc. Although in many cases, people in the time period

There are many theories that attempt to identify the precise origins of racism. The three articles that were designated for reading each try to answer the question of what are the sources of racism. Of the three, I found that both Loewenbergs and Allports arguments combined best explain where racism stems from. By using the aforementioned articles I will assert my opinion of the subject, and use past and current class readings to support my argument. In doing so, some light may be shed upon what are the actual derivations of racism.