preview

The Importance Of Modern Racism

Decent Essays

Throughout the years, our views on ‘old fashioned’ racism have gradually changed, and been replaced by a form of prejudice, called ‘modern racism’, which was developed during the 1950s, as a form of racism against African Americans, built on the belief that ‘Blacks’ violate traditional American values (Henry & Sears, 2008).

Old-fashioned racism refers to statements that are clearly, unashamedly, and deliberately offensive and racist (Stires, 2013). For example, the belief and ideas that ‘black people are inferior to and lesser than white people’, that ‘black people should be isolated and separated from white people’, etc. (Stires, 2013). The rate of old fashioned racism has continued to decline dramatically since the Civil Right Movement (Henry & Sears, 2008). A reason for this would most likely be they are the opinions of the older generations, and the fact that it has become socially unacceptable to be openly prejudice or report racist beliefs and attitudes in a survey (Stires, 2013).

The purpose of this study is to examine the correlation and impact psychological and cognitive influences, such as Personal Need for Structure (PNS), have on modern racism, more commonly known as the Modern Racism Scale (MRS), a research process used to classify modern racism (Lawrence & Kelcher, 2006). Many areas of modern racism have yet to be explored, however studies have found there is a correlation between personal need for structure, and modern racism (Lawrence & Kelcher, 2006).

Get Access