Friday, May 19, 2006

Racism

Congratulations to the Seattle Public School system for their helpful cut out and keep guide to all forms of racism.

Racism:
The systematic subordination of members of targeted racial groups who have relatively little social power in the United States (Blacks, Latino/as, Native Americans, and Asians), by the members of the agent racial group who have relatively more social power (Whites). The subordination is supported by the actions of individuals, cultural norms and values, and the institutional structures and practices of society.

Individual Racism:
The beliefs, attitudes, and actions of individuals that support or perpetuate racism. Individual racism can occur at both an unconscious and conscious level, and can be both active and passive. Examples include telling a racist joke, using a racial epithet, or believing in the inherent superiority of whites.

Active Racism:
Actions which have as their stated or explicit goal the maintenance of the system of racism and the oppression of those in the targeted racial groups. People who participate in active racism advocate the continued subjugation of members of the targeted groups and protection of “the rights” of members of the agent group. These goals are often supported by a belief in the inferiority of people of color and the superiority of white people, culture, and values.

Passive Racism:
Beliefs, attitudes, and actions that contribute to the maintenance of racism, without openly advocating violence or oppression. The conscious or unconscious maintenance of attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors that support the system of racism, racial prejudice and racial dominance.

Cultural Racism:
Those aspects of society that overtly and covertly attribute value and normality to white people and Whiteness, and devalue, stereotype, and label people of color as “other”, different, less than, or render them invisible. Examples of these norms include defining white skin tones as nude or flesh colored, having a future time orientation, emphasizing individualism as opposed to a more collective ideology, defining one form of English as standard, and identifying only Whites as great writers or composers.

Institutional Racism:
The network of institutional structures, policies, and practices that create advantages and benefits for Whites, and discrimination, oppression, and disadvantages for people from targeted racial groups. The advantages created for Whites are often invisible to them, or are considered “rights” available to everyone as opposed to “privileges” awarded to only some individuals and groups.



Continues for some time (hat tip to this guy), but suffice to say only one group is capable of racism. On the subject of race kookery a lot of people have been linking to the Guardian's Joseph Harker:

Flag-waving patriotism before the World Cup is fair enough, but is the BNP secretly smirking?
If they aren't smirking after reading that tripe then they must be the only ones.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

The byline of the Guardian's writer is Joseph Harker not Jonathan Harker, though I agree some of these commentaries can be scarier than anything in Bram Stoker's output.

A warm welcome from me; I cannot think of other formerly blogless regular commenter from whom I was keener to hear.

Ross said...

Ah right, I'll do a stealth edit