Race and Racism

Race and Racism

Chernega (2015), in Let’s Talk about Race, “talks about the issue of race and how it is a socially constructed concept that is based on physical traits like hair texture, skin color, eye shape, and hair color.” Race is attached to key importance, so much so that one’s race determines where they live, how much they earn, their educational opportunities, health risks, and income or employment opportunities. Race is an uncomfortable topic in most countries, and individuals, including researchers, tend to shy away from addressing it in their studies. Chernega (2015) recommends that racism can only be combated by individuals acknowledging its existence and then talking openly about it to learn different ways of combating racism.

In agreement with Chernega’s (2015) concept of race, Tyler (2020) claims that various studies have shown that race is more socially constructed than a biological concept, as more physical differences exist between races than within races, as insignificant DNA differences are observed among members of different races. Such races are based on social categorizations used to drive discrimination, prejudice, and inequality concepts. According to Tyler (2020), social categorization is common among human beings.

People categorize others based on their race, gender, or age and respond to them as members of these social groups instead of individuals. Through these categories, individuals form stereotypes about members of the group. For instance, common stereotypes among African Americans are that they are loud, aggressive, and pleasure-loving. Categorizing individuals is likely to cause discrimination and prejudice, which is the primary cause for the high percentage of African Americans receiving poor health care, poor housing, low employment opportunities, and general poverty (Tyler, 2020). Social categorization based on race has resulted in significant racism and discrimination, and the inequalities are evident in health, education, and income.

References

Chernega, J. (2015, July 7). Let’s Talk about Race. TEDx Talks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rf8q-8gbfrw

Tyler, S. (2020). Human Behavior and the Social Environment I. University of Arkansas Libraries.

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Race and Racism

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