Racism is a controversial and sensitive topic because of our cultural paradigm. The thing is, if we leave things the way they are without heavy intervention, inequality will rampage the streets. Why is that? Is inequality meant to happen?
Well, not really. In our modern society, punishment and condemning is very popular. Society loves to burn people at the stake for making a racist comment, a sexist remark or even sharing their unpopular political views. We just dismiss it as “wrong” or “bad” behavior. We blame that individual for “choosing” to think that way and then look for a way to hurt them for thinking in a way we don’t think is appropriate.
Environment is the key Stimulant
Racism, sexism and all forms of prejudice come from some environmental conditioning. Before September 11th, 2001 not many American’s had a problem with middle eastern folks. After the attacks, however, there was a sense of resentment. It wasn’t just the attacks, it was the media showing people in those regions celebrating. A lot of people from then on began resenting the middle eastern culture and developing ideas about them.
Its easy to say “well, they should just remember that it’s not all of them!”. The problem with that statement is that they still think it’s some of them. So when they come across one, there’s a potentially possibility that he or she are “one of the bad ones”.
The racist behavior was a response to an environmental stimulus. It comes from the attacks of 9/11 and everything negative from that region surrounding them.
The non Conscious Racist
The biggest thing that people get wrong about racism is that cultural appearance is more powerful than anything else. People make associations with what they believe the person’s behavior is going to be like based on how they carry themselves. If someone saw a white male wearing a turban and is chanting prayers while handling beads, they will most likely judge them based on how they judge and perceive whatever culture they think his behavior is from.
Same if they see a young Asian male with a durag on, smoking weed and listening to rap. People will associate this young male with the culture he’s representing and what comes along with it.
How about getting on the subway and seeing an African American who’s wearing a suit and tie, reading a news paper with a briefcase on his lap. What associations will you make? Remember, these associations aren’t made consciously. Our brains would need to be twice as big if we had to make all these decisions actively and consciously.
Childhood Associations
Think about touching the stove as a kid. When you do it once and your brain makes that association with the stove and pain, you will remember it for a lasting period of time. When you touch the stove by accident, even while it’s off, you will involuntarily flinch. Once an association is made with a race or culture, involuntary reflexes will begin to emerge UNLESS the previous conditions are consistently being proven otherwise.
If you turn on the stove once and get burned, your brain will remember to avoid touching it or you’ll flinch when coming in contact with it without even trying. Now, imagine afterwards, you turn it on, touch it and it’s cold. If you do that a few more times, that non conscious development will occur again. Your brain will override the last conditioning.
It’s not about race, it’s about Culture
At the end of the day, when we look at people, we immediately start drawing conclusions about the general person. We will do so by looking for visual cues to associate with a preconceived ideas we have. The skin color, clothing, mannerism, etc.
Clothing and mannerism are a lot more of a factor when we make an assumption about a person than their skin color or physical features. If someone is gay, they may behave and dress differently to represent the lifestyle that they are comfortable living. How about a Muslim woman? She may very well wear a headpiece and avoid making eye contact with men. If you take that same woman, put her on the beach in a swimsuit playing volleyball and she will definitely be perceived differently.
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