The Pros And Cons Of The Racial Formation Theory

In Omi and Winant, Racial Formation the topic of what race is brought up. They bring up the question of "What is race?" Which lead to the use of pseudo-science to justify the physical difference that were observed. Race is later defined as a social construct which is shaped by broader societal forces.

The purpose of categorizing people into different racial groups can be how we see each other and the exterior traits. Exterior traits include their skin tone, type of hair and eye color. In “Rethinking the Color Line – Understanding How Boundaries Shift,” Gallagher mentions we tend to sort out the categories by skin color and then by cultural background. These racial differences have been predetermined by having the mindset of having a superior and inferior group. The superior group are to be the whites and inferior group are the minorities. These ideas have changed because of the major influences such as time, social and politics.

Society has a way of making assumptions based on one’s physical characteristics. Often at times we categorize individuals to a particular social group. In regard to society’ perception of an individual this however, contributes to the development of social construction of racism. Most people want to be identified as individuals rather than a member of specific social group. As a result, our social identity contains different categories or components that were influenced or imposed. For example, I identify as a, Jamaican, Puerto Rican and a person of color. I identify racially as a person of color and ethically as Jamaican and Puerto Rican. According to Miller and Garren it’s a natural human response for people to make assumptions solely

Humans define race by how they conceive and categorize different social realities. Thus, race is often referred to as a social construct. The differences in skin color and facial characteristics have led most of society to classify humans into groups instead of individuals. These constructs affect us all, and they often result in situations where majority racial groups cause undue suffering to those that are part of the minority. The understanding of race as a social construct is best illustrated by the examination of racial issues within our own culture, specifically those that have plagued the history of the United States.

The social construction of race is a topic that is worth discussing. In the United States the black/white color line has historically been rigidly defined and enforced. People have been stereotypical and afraid as long as I can remember. Labeling people as we think they should be based on the color of their skin or just thinking it’s in their biology so they must be this or they must be that. Race is socially constructed and is not a biological construct.

Racial Formation in the United States by Michael Omi and Howard Winant made me readjust my understanding of race by definition and consider it as a new phenomenon. Through, Omi and Winant fulfilled their purpose of providing an account of how concepts of race are created and transformed, how they become the focus of political conflict, and how they shape and permeate both identities and institutions. I always considered race to be physical characteristic by the complexion of ones’ skin tone and the physical attributes, such as bone structure, hair texture, and facial form. I knew race to be a segregating factor, however I never considered the meaning of race as concept or signification of identity that refers to different types of human bodies, to the perceived corporal and phenotypic makers of difference and the meanings and social practices that are ascribed to these differences, in which in turn create the oppressing dominations of racialization, racial profiling, and racism. (p.111). Again connecting themes from the previous readings, my westernized influences are in a direct correlation to how to the idea of how I see race and the template it has set for the rather automatic patterns of inequalities, marginalization, and difference. I never realized how ubiquitous and evolving race is within the United States.

For this week’s memo, I decided to read “Racial Formations” by Omi and Winant. The reading talks about the meaning of race as being defined and challenged throughout society in both collective and personal practices. It also suggests that racial categories are created, changed, ruined, and renewed. Omi and Winant explore the idea that the conception of race developed progressively, ultimately being created to validate and rationalize inequality. It began with the denial of political rights and extended into the introduction of slavery and other forms of forcible labor.

In the world of sociology, the theory of racialization is a widely known and occasionally frustrating topic. However, two sociologists have successfully been able to define and break down the essential information behind this theory. Within their own writing, Michael Omi and Howard Winant (1986) define racial formation as,” the process by which social, economic, and political forces determine the content and importance of racial categories” (Omi and Winant 16). In essence, this theory frames the very meaning of “race” itself. The stereotypes of race are rooted deep within the contexts of history, allowing these concepts to be subject to gradual change over time. In addition to the original standards of racial formations, there have been other writings that parallel very closely to the ideas set forth by Omi and Winant. Richard Wright, Pem D. Buck, and Karen Brodkin are three notable authors that have excellently highlighted the concepts set forth by Omi and Winant.

Ethnicity and race are ways to differentiate a group of person from another; therefore, in the 21th century this terms has acquired a powerful meaning in society. A few months ago, I learned how significant this terms are.

Think about how much race affects a person every day. Maybe today you disclosed your race on the SATs or were passed over for a job opportunity because your name is too “black”. Race exists in our culture, but racism should not. Everyone tries to get rid of it, but humans ultimately created it, because it is a construct of cultural. Every day we form judgements and fall into stereotypes. Our children watch this discrimination and let it carry into their own futures. Strangely, these judgements and stereotypes are not technically race, merely the creations of an ignorant culture. To begin avoiding this, people need to learn that technical race and our world view of race are very different, and that humans may be too unique for concrete groupings.

My pre-adolescent years were spent in a community thick with diversity. My friendships were as diverse as the environment in which I lived. It never struck me that racial and ethnic ideals separated people in society. However, upon moving to a predominately white upper-class community I began to question such racial and ethnic ideas. From my adolescent years through today I began noticing that certain people are viewed differently for reasons relating to race and ethnicity. As a result, the most recent community I grew up in has kept me sheltered from aspects of society. As a product of a community where majorities existed, I found myself unexposed to the full understanding of race and ethnicity. Prior to the class I had never fully dealt with issues of race or ethnicity, as a result I wondered why they would be of any importance in my life.

Michael Omi and Howard Winant's arguments from "Racal Formation" are about how race is socially constructed in society; therefore, the meaning of race varies within different cultures, and societies. Media, school, politics, history, family, and economy creates the society's structure of the race. To further dive into the racial formation, it's important to know what "race" is. The racial formation theory is used to look at race as a socially constructed identity, where the content and importance of racial categories are determined by social, economic, and political forces. It is the framework that has the aim of deconstructing race as it exists today in the U.S.

Race is an illusion. People have lived in the illusion of race for hundreds of years. When the concept of race is analyzed, it becomes clear that racial divisions

According to Michael Omi and Howard Winant racial formation is “the sociohistorical process by which racial categories are created, inhabited, transformed, and destroyed.” How as a society we can do this? Very simple: we create a sentiment on what a particular person is and began by assuming everyone is the same. Example: Mexicans. Almost everyone has heard at one point about immigration. Immigrants come and take our jobs and are here to drain the American society, etc. By creating a view that immigrants are bad to our economy, we begin to racially form this view. Television shows portrait Mexicans as dirty and uneducated. Jokes about Mexicans are spread among individuals. Some people may even argue the jokes or the advertisement is harmless. However, as we permit these type of situations to occur, we are forming the categorization of Mexicans. In reality, there are Mexicans, or even people from Mexican decent that are great contributors to our society. Doctors, lawyers, teachers, nurses, you name it. We cannot and should not judge anyone by their background. I’ve heard how people confuse any Latino, not necessarily Mexicans with labor workers. Movies even make jokes on how a very influential person gets confused by the main character of the film as a gardner, or a cook. These type of interactions, even they are not real, hurt the view of how Mexicans, or anyone that resembles them, such as other Latino decent are treated.

Racial identity is a part of a socially constructed hierarchy that identifies human beings based on their ethnicity and ancestry. Essentially, the only difference between race and ethnicity is that race is determined by the dominant ethnicity. Race has been a relevant topic throughout history, and racial conflicts still exist in the modern world. Judgements based on racial identity create prejudice and bigotry. The susceptibility of people to believe others’ predispositions is what causes prejudice and bigotry to grow. Racial identity has inhibited individuals’ opportunities for centuries due to predispositions formed from a lack of credible knowledge.