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The Plight of Man
Racism has influenced society for centuries, shaping social interaction and dictating its direction. While progress has been made in addressing this issue, it still remains prevalent today. As global citizens in a multicultural environment, it is our responsibility to be tolerant and informed. Technology and social media have played a significant role in globalizing advances. In our modern world, which is a melting pot society, the concept of racism has no place. We are individuals who identify with the same social category, experiencing similar emotions and overlapping social circles.
Racial animosity leading to conflict within our community undermines the moral foundations of society, effectively causing a civil war. The population faces stratification with poorly distributed social rewards and burdens. These institutionalized mis-allocations based on race or ethnicity perpetuate prejudice and create a marginalized minority group lacking social power or authority. The term "Prejudice" refers to aversion and hostility towards a group solely based on their membership, assuming they possess objectionable qualities.In North American society, deeply ingrained racial prejudices lead to active racial discriminations and the arbitrary denial of privilege, prestige, and power to minority group members.
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The stigmas associated with certain cultures increase the potential for conflict and separation, as well as social and political stress. These prejudices are deeply rooted due to nationalistic tendencies, on both sides, to establish independent nations within an existing state. These tendencies shape the tone and direction of future social interactions. Immigration has been a long-standing part of our heritage in North America, with lenient immigration laws that allowed immigrants from Africa, China, and diverse faiths and groups to maintain their cultural identities and unique characteristics for many years.
The presence of multi-ethnic societies can lead to the assimilation or pluralism of different ethnic groups.
Assimilation occurs when distinct groups merge culturally and socially, while pluralism involves the coexistence of diverse groups with maintained boundaries. Pluralism can be practiced in two ways: Equal Pluralism, where ethnic members freely participate in political and economic institutions, and Unequal Pluralism, which limits minority groups' participation and may result in genocide. The global media provides insight into these social phenomena, as we witness instances like racist incidents in sports leagues, hate-driven attacks locally and globally, and the impact on public opinion and reactions.
When a particular race is subjected to discrimination, it poses significant challenges for individuals of that race to compete, survive, and thrive in society. This is because social benefits and opportunities are not granted based on an individual's merits, but instead on preconceived notions. This contemporary form of racism has various roots and influences, including the significant impact of upbringing. During our youth, we are highly impressionable and rely on our parents to shape our identity. Part of this shaping process involves adopting their attitudes and beliefs, even when it comes to forming opinions that we may not yet possess the maturity to develop independently. Consequently, children heavily depend on their parents' teachings and embrace them wholeheartedly, often without exposure to alternative perspectives. Unfortunately, this is where the issue begins. Racism establishes limitations for individuals with immense potential, preventing them from making collective contributions essential to a country's development and success. If certain groups of people are denied access to quality education, they are unable to contribute significant advancements in technology or medical fields within society. As a result, the denial of educational opportunities hinders a nation's economic progress.If we exclude a group of individuals and prevent them from engaging in cultural activities, we will not grasp and value the diversity and commonalities among us. Consequently, we will not progress or enhance our social growth.
The issues discussed here can be examined from various perspectives. Some people perceive society as a complex system comprised of interconnected and interdependent elements, each performing a role that contributes to the functioning of the whole. On the other hand, there are those who view society as a struggle for power over limited resources. Meanwhile, others perceive society as being built upon human interaction. Let's begin by exploring Functionalism, which focuses on dysfunction or disarray within the social system as a cause of conflict. According to the Functionalism perspective on race, it is believed that as immigration continues and our social circles overlap, there would be a consensus among different ethnicities and races. However, in order for this consensus to be achieved, minority groups would have to assimilate into the larger group. This would then enable them to become productive members of society who contribute to the advancement of the dominant ethnicity. At its core, Functionalism emphasizes harmony, yet functionalists acknowledge that ethnic differentiation diminishes consensus, increases the likelihood of conflict, and endangers societal stability. Racism disrupts the efficient functioning of the system and hinders the accomplishment of societal objectives. However, one positive aspect of this theory is its capacity to foster group formation and unity.The process of assimilation, in which a minority becomes absorbed into the dominant society -socially, economically, and culturally- implies willingness to participate and becomes part of the majority social circle. The Conflict Theory perspective involves different groups in society fighting among themselves for all available resources and opportunities for advancement or personal betterment. When a sub-population feels disadvantaged or is not receiving a sufficient share of resources such as money, power, prestige, or respected values, they work to overcome those perceived disadvantages. This theory is related to Marxist thinking and his famous "Class Theory" where these struggles for resources are limited to conflict between castes in society. Class-based conflict is argued to be an inherent and fundamental part of society according to this perspective.
Theory promotes the idea that racial and ethnic conflict is tied to class conflict, and reducing class conflict is necessary to reduce racial and ethnic conflict. Some cultures in the past have been bred out of War due to repetitive battles over assets, resulting in a tendency to behave in a conflicting manner. This conflict is related to ethnocentrism and racism in more ways than one. Symbolic Interactionism focuses on individuals' experiences and insights into meaning through interactions. The understanding that people have for one another is the primary determinant of behavior. Social problems and conflict arise in Symbolic Interaction when an influential group defines a social condition as stigmatizing or threatening to their values and disruptive to normal social expectations. For Symbolic Interactionists, society is a network of interlocking roles, and understanding one's role is crucial. Social order is primarily constructed through interaction, as individuals explore their social world through shared ground. Competition is the initial catalyst for Symbolic Interaction from a racial perspective, as it creates a niche for people by dividing urban space and provides a medium for analyzing the effects of racism on behavior.
Generally, the Functionalist perspective perceives society as a complex system, aiming to focus on various contributions to social solidarity and stability. Orthodox Functionalism does not specifically include critical analyses of race or ethnicity; instead, it views race as another element assimilated into the harmonious functioning of society. According to this perspective, societies can be regarded as finely tuned, interacting constructs that function like organisms. The different facets of this model continuously and unconsciously work towards social equilibrium. Despite its emphasis on equilibrium and harmony, the Functionalist perspective allows for specific analyses of race-related issues such as hate crimes, social power discrepancies, and overall racial conflict. It facilitates microanalyses that examine the individual's role in the socially constructed nature of race, as contemporary sociology predominantly focuses on individuals and identity formation. However, it is less effective in understanding individual discrimination and prejudice since it disregards the inequalities that generate tension and conflict.
Although the Conflict Theory accounts for tensions in a discriminatory world, it is too inclusive of all social classes to fully describe the racial tensions. However, it does provide a better understanding of racist behavior through its focus on competition for resources. On the other hand, the Symbolic Interaction Theory captures both the individualistic and social aspects of human behavior. Instead of simply reacting to actions, individuals attach meaning to each other's actions through interpretation and understanding. This can be done collaboratively in one-on-one interactions or through general attitude interpretation. The Symbolic Interaction Theory alone reveals the necessary relationships that define racism in today's society. While Functionalism offers a similar perspective, it lacks attention to the micro scale of society and the truly individualistic approach that humans take in understanding and exhibiting behavior, making its contributions incomplete in analyzing racism.The Symbolic Interaction perspective considers the Correspondence Bias and its inclination to overemphasize internal, dispositional factors as the cause of people's behavior, while simultaneously underestimating the influence of situational factors.
The relationship between biology and nature is deep and complex. Initially, it was believed that culture is influenced by biology to some extent. However, a more recent perspective suggests that human culture can actually impact human evolution, which is where we stand today. Racism exists in various forms, from small negative social interactions fueled by misinformation to tangible cultural elements. To achieve a functional society, we must strive to work together as a collective. Ultimately, humans are naturally competitive and will continue to be so. Nonetheless, we should try to step outside the societal and personal boundaries that confine us. Despite the Western focus on self-introspection, we are fundamentally social beings, emphasizing the importance of society in the end.
Bibliography
(Diana Kendall, 2008). Social Problems in a Diverse Society 2nd. Canadian Edition. Pearson
Augie Fleras (2005) Social Problems in Canada: conditions, constructions and challenges. 4th. Canadian Edition. Pearson/Prentice Hall
The Modern Plight of Racism. (2016, Feb 23). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/racism-and-sociology-essay
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