INTRODUCTION
Racism has existed throughout history and has been an important problem both now and always. It affects selected groups of people, discriminates their rights, and causes social distrust and disrespect. In spite of the fact that the most critical manifestations of racism in the United States has been left in past, in the modern world full of colored immigrants it still takes place and makes a conspicuous figure.
This research will look at the manifestation of racism nowadays, analyze its reasons and explain negative impacts, and try to find an answer to the question of how the problem of racism could possibly be solved.
In the modern society free of prejudices what would it take to become color-blind?
THE MODERN MANIFESTATION OF RACISM
Racism is a clash of different cultures.
Racism in the 21st Century: An Empirical Analysis of Skin Color. Edited by Ronald E. Hall (2010). Berlin: Springer. The book contains twelve papers; its first part reveals the manifestation of racism in the modern world, the second one states the cost colored people pay for not being whites, and the last one embraces the expansion of racism and people’s attitude to it. Hall writes about strong consciousness peculiar to Western people, and its impact on colored ones (Hall, 28). Western culture is the most widespread culture in the world, and, trying not to stand apart, colored people accept western thought about who they are and what place consume. He states, “the more they incorporate a negative image into their identity, the more they will be stigmatized in the perception of who they are” (Hall, 28).
Aversive racism.
Pearson, A. R., Dovidio, J. F., and Gaertner S. L. (2009). The Nature of Contemporary Prejudice: Insights from Aversive Racism. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 3, 1-25. The paper deals with the problems of aversive racism. The authors state that aversive racism is manifested indirectly and reflexively (Pearson, 1). They underline, “the challenge of aversive racism is that it represents a fundamental discrepancy between mind and action” (Pearson, 19). In mind, aversive racists think they are non-prejudiced, but their actions are consequentially discriminative; the importance of the recognition of aversive racism is essential.
THE IMPACT OF RACISM ON COLORED PEOPLE
The manifestation of racism in different social spheres and its effects.
Boyle, K. (ed.) (2005). Dimensions of Racism. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). New York and Geneva. Retrieved from http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/DimensionsRacismen.pdf. The volume consists of twelve papers written as possible teaching materials in order to preclude racial prejudice and develop tolerance. It analyses the manifestation of racism in different areas of social life: the media, education, employment, the administration of justice etc. Boyle states, “it seems ‘natural’ to ascribe negative meanings to differences . . . It is not, however, natural. It is something we learn and is therefore something we can unlearn» (Boyle, 1). He notices that the fight with racism starts with information and understanding of the consequences (Boyle, 1).
The impact of racism on health.
Williams, David R. and Mohammed, Selina A. (2013). Racism and Health I: Pathways and Scientific Evidence. American Behavioral Scientist, 57(8), 1152-1173. The paper analyses meanings of cultural and institutional racism and its influence mechanisms on health of colored people. The authors state that racism is one of the fundamental health factors affecting social status, intervening causes and reactions on them (Williams, 1157). Williams and Mohammed claim, “racism in its institutional and cultural forms have been and continue to be major contributors to initiating and sustaining racial inequalities in a broad range of societal outcomes that combine to create inequalities in health” (Williams, 1166).
RACISM AMONG CHILDREN
The importance of anti-racism advocacy among children.
Derman-Sparks, L., Higa, C. T., and Sparks, B. (1980). Children, Race and Racism: How Race Awareness Develops. Interracial Books for Children Bulletin, 11, 3-4. The paper contains information about children’s understanding of racial differences, the importance of guiding their anti-racist development, and the intussusception of racism at different age. The authors state, “children in the U.S. are aware, at a very early age, of physical and cultural differences among people, and they learn the prevailing social attitudes toward these differences” (Derman-Sparks, 2). They underline that the encouraging of healthy racial identity and anti-racism is an important part of the parental influence, and it should be avoided (Derman-Sparks, 19).
CONCLUSION
Racism has been remaining the global problem for centuries; it affects health and self-sentiment of colored people basing just on their belonging to another race.
Nobody can define his or her origin and, hence, should not suffer from it.
Racism can and should be unlearned.
Acceptance of existence of another races and cultures, and color-blindness could solve the problem of racism; however, the key to it is people’s mental perception.
References
Derman-Sparks, L., Higa, C. T., and Sparks, B. (1980). Children, Race and Racism: How Race Awareness Develops. Interracial Books for Children Bulletin, 11, 3-4.
Racism in the 21st Century: An Empirical Analysis of Skin Color. Edited by Ronald E. Hall (2010). Berlin: Springer.
Boyle, K. (ed.) (2005). Dimensions of Racism. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). New York and Geneva. Retrieved from http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/DimensionsRacismen.pdf
Pearson, A. R., Dovidio, J. F., and Gaertner S. L. (2009). The Nature of Contemporary Prejudice: Insights from Aversive Racism. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 3, 1-25.
Williams, David R. and Mohammed, Selina A. (2013). Racism and Health I: Pathways and Scientific Evidence. American Behavioral Scientist, 57(8), 1152-1173.
