Lecture 7 April 29th Readings Bonilla Silva Chapter 3 Bonilla Silva Rethinking Racism Loveman Is Race Essential Bonilla Silva The Essential Social Fact of Race 1 What is color blind racism as described by EBS Is based on materialist interpretation of racial matters and this sees the views of actors as corresponding to their systemic location 2 According to EBS how does he describe racism Whites prejudice events moments People of Color it is systemic or institutionalized 3 According to EBS what is race Social Construct is socially constructed but has very tangible affects While constructed it has a social reality Produces a real effect on the actors radicalized as black white or Asian 4 According to EBS what is racial structure Radicalized social system awards systemic privileges to whites the totality of the social relations and practices that reinforce white privilege 5 According to EBS what is racial ideology Racially based frameworks used by actors to explain and justify or challenge the racial status quo How the racial structure is embedded and how the ideology reinforces the status quo The organizational map that guides actions of racial actors in society 6 What do EBS s frames do set paths for interpreting information how we understand society how we process outcomes how we explain stories depending upon the frame we can understand the context differently 7 Define Abstract Liberalism Racism doesn t exist because everyone in society has an equal chance Based on idea of a free market society Assumes meritocracy competition They earn lower wages because of lack of effort Anti affirmative action programs because they think whoever is most qualified will get the job argues it gives preferential treatment ignores fact that people of color are underrepresented Targets individual behavior versus ignoring the broader social context 8 Define Naturalization Allows whites to explain away racial phenomena by suggesting they are natural occurrences Think segregation is natural and it is just the way things are Suggests tat radicalized outcomes are a natural outcome Implies there are not intervening forces that cause racism it just exists because they do No institutions creating racism so no point in trying to change it because that s the way things are 9 Define Cultural Racism process associated with socialization among groups People brought up differently and are taught to act a certain way so they end up in different places in society they don t value education Culturally based argument to explain status of people in society Related to Culture of Poverty adaptations or lifestyle related to an ethnic or racial group that leads to various outcomes Certain outcomes exist because groups are just culturally deficient in some way 10 Define Minimization of Racism Discrimination no longer a major issue compared to the past Points to examples of successful people of color they made it so can you Based on notions that racism doesn t matter to you Points to class based analyses Frame that takes around acknowledging that racism is occurring 11 Summary of ESB CBR Frames 1 Abstract Liberalism definition notions of equal opportunity Frames the most qualified will get the job 2 Naturalization Definition outcomes are natural Frames people live work eat with whom they are most comfortable 3 cultural Racism Definition outcomes are about culture attitudes behavior and beliefs Frames They aren t successful because they don t value education or work hard 4 Minimization of Racism Definitions outcomes aren t related to race Frames racism isn t as bad today 12 Define Structural Racism The way governments and other private and public institutions systematically afford white people an array of social political and economic advantages embedded in every institution government market place education etc 13 Define prejudice The tendency of an individual to think about other groups in negative ways A prejudice person thinks about other groups in terms of stereotypes which are generalizations that are thought to apply to group members To attach negative emotions to those groups To prejudice individuals on the basis of their group membership 14 What are the two kinds of individual prejudice 1 Cognitive thinking 2 Affective feeling 15 Define discrimination 16 Define Ideological Racism The unequal treatment of a person or person based on group membership A belief system that asserts that a particular group is inferior it is the group of societal equivalent of individual prejudice 17 Define Institutional Discrimination A pattern of unequal treatment based on group memberships that is built into the daily operations of society whether or not it is consciously intended 18 According to EBS why isn t the study of racism and racism just about ideology Because it is a part of a larger racial system It is embedded in everything we do and everything is structured around race 19 Ex of raciailzed social systems economic political social and ideological levels structured around race 20 Define Racial Contestation Struggle of racial groups for systematic changes re their position 21 What are Loveman s three critiques of EBS 1 Confounding categories with groups Just because they are labeled a race doesn t mean that they take on that groups identity or associations Shouldn t look at groups already labeled but how people create boundaries and how boundaries are experienced 2 Reifying Race EBS says their socially constructed categories but treats them as real categories Needs to figure out group the ground up how people are acting 3 Maintaining the unwarranted analytical distinction between race and ethnicity We can never define racial categories without reference to race ethnicity race should always be abandoned as a category of analysis 22 What are Loveman s three overall arguments Race should be abandoned as a category of analysis Instead we should focus on boundary construction maintenance and decline Having a comparative sociology of group making 23 What are ESB s 4 main comebacks to Loveman 1 Race exists as a social phenomenon wherever a racial structure is in place always some type of racial structure in any society that you go to 2 race like class or gender is always contingent but is also socially real always context specific and informed by local contexts but is very real 3 Race Ethnicity similar constructions different histories race and racism are historically linked to colonial formulations and boundary making 4 Group