Systemic Sexism And Systemic Racism

One common theme throughout the reading is that “…systemic racist attitudes and negative depictions of people of colour by whites persist” (Feagin & Elias, 2013, p. 937). The historical trajectory of research methods are deeply rooted with systemic forms of racism, which is reflected in literature that was published centuries ago and can still be found in current literature today. Some of the articles that were assigned reference opinions and other forms of literature that state that white Americans believe that race and racism are a thing of the past, while others continue

Ruth Wilson Gilmore’s “Fatal Couplings of Power and Difference:Notes on Racism and Geography” speaks honestly of the current state of systemic racism in America and its possible causes using past historical trends. He argues that because racism is so ingrained into the defining moments of our past and so deeply rooted in our political, economic and social systems that it cannot be solved by the short-run remedies being offered. Gilmore accused geography of being the cause of racial issues in America, saying that, “a geographical imperative lies at the heart of every struggle for social justice,” (Gilmore 16).There is so much truth in this statement because without borders or normative behavioral practices there is no differential treatment

The social perception of racial equality is still a topic of debate today; however, it is in stark contrast to the perception forty years ago. In fact, the media still portrays many situations where black people are discriminated against and are not treated equally. Sadly, one often misinterpreted notion has

Wise’s examination of the inconspicuous character of racism 2.0 dovetails fittingly with our course’s recurring theme of institutionalized racism. In class lectures we have defined institutionalized racism as the discriminatory practices that have become regularized and routinized by state agencies, organizations, industries, or anywhere else in society. Although such practices might not be intentionally racist, they end up being racist nevertheless as consequence of the systematized and unspoken biases that have become increasingly convoluted and entrenched within society over time. It also doesn’t help white people to recognize these discriminatory practices considering they have been unconsciously tailored to be consistent with white perspective and mentality. In her article, White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack, Peggy McIntosh examines not only how white folks often consider themselves to be a normative figure within society, but also how they are carefully taught not to recognize the advantages they gain from the disadvantages that impair people of color. In the article, McIntosh acknowledges the reality of her own white privilege and expresses, “In my class and place, I did not see myself as a racist because I was taught to recognize racism only in individual acts of meanness by members of my group, never in invisible systems conferring unsought racial dominance on my group from birth” (McIntosh 4). In fact, even if white folks do not believe themselves to

Systemic Racism is a system of inequality based on race. This has been relevant in our country not only since slavery but even in today’s standards. Another way to word systemic racism is systemic privilege, or “white privilege”. The concept of privilege refers to any advantage or ease of living that is unearned, exclusive, and socially bestowed. For instance, white people are generally assumed to be law-abiding citizens until they show signs that they aren’t. While people of color are predominantly assumed to be criminals or potential criminals until they show that they are not. To further explain, when it comes down to being

The idea of racism has evolved and has become less prevalent throughout the last century. Schools and public areas are unsegregated, voting rights, racial slurs being considered as unacceptable behavior etc. American sociologist and race theorist, Howard Winant states that’s “The ensuing approaches increased recognition of racial injustice and inequality, but did not overcome the discriminatory processes” (Winant,2000)Although the United states has come a long way to try to end racism, one cannot ignore the fact that it still exists. It is something that may seem invisible in society, but everybody knows that it still thrives and that it’s racial attitudes affect the way our society functions. One of these invisible forms of

Systemic oppression requires great scrutiny in order to critically analyze the elements that underlie the complex and impactful process. Furthermore, it is imperative to examine its relation with the governing ideology of the white dominated capitalist society of North America. Through this framework, racism is transformed into an implicit, or symbolic form, which functions outside the parameters of legality and condemnation (Bona-Silva, 1997); ), generating a paradigm where explicitly racist attitudes are fostered and are allowed to surface into society. Consequently, racism enforces the deprivation of status and power of visible minorities, allowing the power and privilege of the dominant group to remain unchallenged (Chaney & Robertson,

It has become common to live in an environment where people think white people are superior to people of color, or that there is only privilege for whites. Other factors that are causes to racism are, peer pressure, upbringing, stereotypes, personal experiences, and unfamiliarity. Many of these examples occur when we live a system that is constructed in a way that supports these beliefs. As far as institutional and individual racism, there is demographic data that explains the division society along the lines of white and people of color (Pearson, 53). In todays society we see many people being discriminated due to these factors, leading to poverty, poverty programs, and income maintenance (Pearson, 88). It is vey common in our society to be structured to follow institutional racism. Without personally having power or being culturally aware that they have power or that they are in a situation of privilege. The result in today society based on racism in America, most Americans naturally

Many people in the United States society believe that people of all cultures, races, and ethnicities are now on an even playing field. People with this belief support their logic with the argument that since equal rights for people of color and women have been required by law for some time now, we are all inherently as equal as claimed in the Declaration of Independence. Many believe that race is no longer an issue, a viewpoint frequently referred to as color-blindness. National polling data indicated that a majority of whites now believe discrimination against racial minorities no longer exists. (Gallagher, 96) Color-blindness allows a white person to define himself or herself as politically and racially tolerant and then proclaim their

Inequality is evident in the United States through the many riots, police brutality incidents, and shootings happening across the nation. 50 years ago on July 12th, an African-American named John Smith was arrested. He was arrested for tailgating and driving on the wrong side of the road. He was also accused of speaking offensive language and physically assaulting the police officers. John Smith had done nothing wrong, yet he was beaten by the two white policemen in Newark, New Jersey on July 12th 1967. Nothing more should have to be said to determine if that is equal or not. “There were violent clashes between the rioters and the National Guard, who were instructed to use their weapons whenever necessary”, (Zelizer, 2017). People

The last hundred years have brought the world many valuable things; computers, better sanitation conditions, understandings of diseases, vaccines, surgery, education, and so much more. But there are so many social constructs that have made little progress such as racism, sexism, and homophobia. In reality vaccines and sexism are manmade, a vaccine is a manmade invention and sexism is a manmade idea. Neither would exist without human beings backing the idea that they are necessary. Racism is “prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one’s own race is superior (Oxford Dictionary).” Racism over the last hundred years has been directed towards Blacks, Hispanics, and Asian’s. Looking at the past in relation to racism in the United States, reveals that racism is still alive and well in 2015 just as it was in 1915.

Sexism, is a prejudice plain and simple. One of the earliest forms of violence directed toward women was the Witch Hunt Trials of the Middle Ages. Bishops debated whether a woman was really human at all. If her nose were too long, she had red hair, a humped back, or if she was exceptionally beautiful, she was thought to be a witch and was burned at the stake. There was an estimated nine million women burned during the Witch Trials. During the “Women’s Liberation Movement in the 1960’s, feminist theorists explained that oppression of women was widespread in nearly all human society, and spoke of sexism instead of male chauvinism. Male chauvinists were usually individual men who expressed the belief that they were superior to women” (Napikoski). By the mid 20th century sexism was established and began to appear in advertising. Between the 1970’s and 1990’s women began to feel more equal to men until the 1980’s where they were portrayed as sex symbols on national television (The Origin and History of SEXISM). There are two main types of sexism, benevolent and hostile, and their definitions are opposite from one another. Hostile sexism is what most people perceive as sexism today as it seems sexism is occurring more and more often and is, notably, more vulgar. It is the notion that women are inferior or not as worthy; a belief that males are intrinsically superior. For many years women have been degraded and looked down upon with the idea that their place is in the kitchen with

These people are correct in a sense; loud and public acts of racism are no longer prevalent in the US as they were in the past. However, today racism is stealthy and unspoken, and often deftly covered up with fabricated cover stories to legitimize the discrimination. This new breed of racism is perhaps even more difficult to fight against than its more egregious past self; its subtlety allows its perpetuators to claim ignorance of any discrimination, and its lack of media attention lulls Americans into complacence and acceptance of the current system. Further disturbing is the prevalence of “covert racism”, also commonly called “subconscious racism”. Many white Americans may actively stereotype and discriminate against blacks without even being aware of their actions and thought processes (BlackYouthProject). This phenomenon is a sad consequence of being raised a subtly racist society which perpetuates discrimination, even if never openly. Many subconscious racists may also be unwittingly subscribing to “symbolic racism”. In J.H. Moore’s book Encyclopedia of Race and Racism, Henry Sears characterizes symbolic racism as the endorsement of four specific beliefs:

Black women are thereby more decimated against simply for being women. In each of the black and white cultures, there is also the blatant gender racism between those of the own races, because men see women as weak; followers. That the heads of the BLM movement are women – black women – only shows that the times are changing. These women aren’t just fighting for the equality of the races, but for equality of the

Systemic sexism is an epidemic. It is a spreading monstrosity that plagues our systems. It is by definition the discrimination of one's gender in a professional setting, usually of women. It is the infamous wage gap and the poor representation of women in media. It is the imbalance of women in politics and in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields, just because they are stereotypically “male careers”. Systemic sexism has such a large spectrum, yet few people seem to be concerned about it.