Kamila Hilal
The question at the center of this article is whether or not children between 5 and 6 years of age (in comparison to adults and children between 10 and 11 years of age) consider race to be a stable over time. This concept is important in understanding both the change in cognitive development of children as well as the significances of difference in social groups as a factor in understanding race. This controlled experimental study used white children ages 10-11, white children ages 5-6, white adults, and children (ages 5-6) of a racial minority. All participants were shown pictures of a young child as well as two grown ups and asked which of the two that young child will grow up to be (with both emotion and race of the images
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I believe the design is very reasonable and it is able to address the question well though perhaps within each of the four tested groups, the participants themselves could have been selected from various socioeconomic groups (white children ages 5-6 from different socioeconomic backgrounds, children ages 5-6 of a racial minority from different socioeconomic backgrounds, etc...). The experiment shows an implication that although there is a cognitive component with developing the understanding that race is stable, there is a great social component that is presented by the difference between the two 5-6 year old groups. Is it because children of a racial minority may be more likely to be educated by their parents on the concept of race? Is there also a socio economic component to this understanding. The article stated that the participants were "recruited from the same region" though a region is ambiguous. It would be interesting to see diversity of socio economic backgrounds within each of the groups (of course, new groups would need to be created in order to test for a socio economic factor). Does the socio economic background of a child from each of the groups affect their understanding of race in comparison between groups and/or within the group members? In addition, it would be interesting to further divide each group of children by
In America, a culture of sustained racism and sexism influences foreign policymakers, which results in colonialism and imperialism, the desecration of nations, and militancy. The authors of the articles, Michael L. Krenn and Laura McEnaney, with differing skill sets, provide evidence of racial and gendered bias in foreign policy. In “The Adaptable Power of Racism,” Krenn expertly examines the history of racism within foreign policy; how racism adapted in the face of religious and scientific challenges, and the overall effects of racist foreign policies.1 McEnaney, in “Gender Analysis and Foreign Relations,” provides a lackluster account of the application of gender analysis to foreign policy, specifically in relation to the policies of the Cold War and Spanish-American War.2 The history of racism and sexism in America provide a blueprint for foreign policymakers, where racist militancy and sexist excuses override basic human rights.
The race is an indefinite term, which has not been created from science or research, but more so the idea of what it is. Essentially, race is all about perception. One person may separate races based on a certain category of traits while another person uses totally different guidelines to define what races there are. Race has ultimately been created socially, therefor has no biological components until people connect the two terms. This paper examines the connection between society and race while taking you through America 's history, and explains the social construction of race.
The meaning, significance, and definition of race have been debated for centuries. Historical race concepts have varied across time and cultures, creating scientific, social, and political controversy. Of course, today’s definition varies from the scientific racism of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries that justified slavery and later, Jim Crow laws in the early twentieth. It is also different from the genetic inferiority argument that was present at the wake of the civil rights movement. However, despite the constantly shifting concepts, there seems to be one constant that has provided a foundation for ideas towards race: race is a matter of visually observable attributes such as skin color, facial features, and other self-evident
A popular notion says a child is born “color-blind” and remains color-blind until they reach adolescence. The problem with this concept is that people believe it to be a positive idea. However, it actually presents a damaging ideology – it suggests that race should not be a factor when trying to determine the type of person an individual is. I see it as an unsophisticated approach to view people because race is a vital part of our existence. Race is an attribute that makes individuals differ from one another, and the problem is not the differences in the colors of our skin. The problem is that we attempt to detach ourselves from the reality of being racially different. Racism will seem to inevitably exist, and in order to even try to end the malice, parents should begin teaching children about racism the right way.
I would like to focus my response to the reading in Gabbidon & Greene, Chapter 1, generally around the idea of social construction. Furthermore, I would like to specially provide responses to discussion questions number one and two as posed in the conclusion of chapter one. Discussion question number one asks to “Explain the origin of race and its implications for race and crime.” Discussion question number two asks “Do you believe there are distinct races?” I will also provide perspective on issues surrounding the term “minorities”.
In a historic 2008 election cycle, Barack Obama became the first African American president of the United States of America, but only two years later a repeated study on the racial preferences of children correlates powerfully with the original study in 1947. While a majority of all child participants, especially the younger children, in the recent 2010 study identified darker skin colors negatively, they were unable to provide justification for their answer beyond the restatement of the
Sociologists argue that race is a social construction because they believe that passively everyone automatically makes assumptions. They argue that race impacts daily life even if we are not aware of it. This can be seen from different people and races around the world such as Caucasian, African, and Asian. Someone might automatically assume a trait that someone has by just looking at him or her. On the other hand, determining race can be different in each different country. For instance, In the United States, someone who is of darker complexion might be considered black. In a country further south, they might not be considered dark at all. In my opinion, I think that this also has to do with the type of tendencies
Race and ethnicity are two terms which are crucial in understanding a person’s familial and personal identity. These terms are misunderstood by most Americans, and many do not know the difference. There have been major societal implications to the changing populations of groups of race and ethnicity in the US. Minority groups and immigrants have struggled with discrimination, poverty and other issues partly due to historical impacts such as slavery and segregation. Economical and political oppression has had a strong effect on the structure of Black families in the US, leading many families to an “extended household” structure. Latino families tend to exhibit familism, which may have slowed their integration into American life, but may have also helped their growth in the US.
A few studies have pushed outgroup studies further and looked out how it affects perception of race. For example, Simpson et al. (2007) conducted a study to test if blacks were really less trusting than whites. They found that people were more likely to trust those in their own race; whites trusted whites and blacks trusted blacks. Researchers have built off this study to look at how race affects prosocial behavior and
Whether it’s filling out forms for the doctor, financial aid, or even job applications, the one question that we almost unconsciously answer is the question of race. Race is a prevalent and influential part of our everyday life that surprisingly many do not even understand. What is race? For years race has been used as a tool in the subjugation of human populations on the perceived notion of biological superiorities. Race by definition is a population “that develops distinct characteristics differing from other populations of the same species”, while these variations may have social and cultural implications, genetic evidence suggests race has no biological significance (Biology-online.org, 2014).
A race is a group of people who see themselves, and are seen by others, as having hereditary traits that set them apart (Hughes & Kroehler, 2013, p. 213). People naturally make judgements about a person based on their looks, especially when they don’t share the same hereditary triats. I have judged a person based on what they looked like without even knowing them. You have to make a conscious effort to change the way you think. You truly can’t judge a person until you know who they are, which means looking past their outter apperance. In our book they talk about a little boy named Gregory who had the outer apperance of a white person. Later people found out that his father was actually black and because of that he was then viewed as black (Hughes
Race, gender and class defines our experience. Studies have shown that, even though, these three aspects define who we are, they are interwoven. Each of these three aspects affects our decisions which could be either positive or negative. Class, race and gender as an individual is determined by our parents and If any of these changes, it would automatically change every aspect of the individual.
Furthermore, let 's take a dive into race; Does race really matter? Obviously race doesn 't matter, however, the world population has a stationary concept that physical differences as well as geographical origin and shared culture do matter. Biologically no pure distinct race exists. Humans have migrated across continents exploring new territories as well as encountering different races, therefore, genetics have over time overlapped. From here on, research has been conducted to determine whether characteristics are inherited among minority groups. Intelligence test have been trialed on different races in order to dictate whether this theory is accurate. Intelligence tests are one prime example in an attempt to unveil whether traits are inherited. As a result, psychologist Richard J. Herrnstein and social scientist Charles Murray published “The Bell Curve.” In “The
The inferiority of the black race has emerged since the times of slavery, and it continues to affect the construction of a black identity. The girls used in this experiment were pre-schoolers who had not developed self-conscious of race and its meaning or value. Yet the results of the experiment showed how the innocence in the mind of young African American individuals has being shaped by white ways that are rooted in the western white thoughts and their beliefs of superiority. It demonstrates the consequences of segregation which started to shape the social levels and the values for each race in the country. As African American families were growing and raising their kids in a system which marked them as inferiors, the internalization of racial issues began to develop. The experience of African American individuals in America has always been one of inferiority and that must be dominated by the white supremacy in the country. This experiment shows every aspect of colorism on it, even African American people are supporting the devaluing of the black race in the country, as they support the white model as the good one.
Another example of how home language or race has impacted children and families is in a classroom that shows in group bias. In group bias towards the groups in which people are members (Patterson & Bigler, 2006). What could happen in an instance such as this is as the children become more aware of societal norms that favor certain groups over others, they will often show a bias toward the socially privileged group (Winkler, 2009). A study showed that children of color as young as five years old show evidence of being aware of, and negatively impact by sterotypes about their racial group (Hirschfeld, 2008). This is evident in a classroom where the children start taking on the bias role of the teacher. In a classroom, children are questioning the skin color of another child. Instead of the teacher stopping to talk about how we are all the same, just different colors, the teacher ignores it. This silence will force children to come up with their own biases, prejudices and assumptions about races other than their own.