953107
Racism in the UK
- Prejudice is a fact of life in Britain, meaning that individual merits and qualities are overlooked
- INDIVIDUAL RACISM can be distinguished
from INSTITUTIONAL RACISM (systematic bias)
- also between BIOLOGICAL RACISM (physical
differences) and CULTURAL RACISM
- in media
'Polish take
all our jobs'
- in media
'Polish take
all our jobs'
- eg. in S. Africa institutional
racism is now illegal but is
imbedded within society
- eg. ex-pats in
Spain favour
British
businesses,
tradesmen etc.
- also between BIOLOGICAL RACISM (physical
differences) and CULTURAL RACISM
- INDIVIDUAL RACISM can be distinguished
from INSTITUTIONAL RACISM (systematic bias)
- Two main factors
are: ignorance (lack
of knowledge on
which to base
opinions/judgements)
and stereotypes
- Cashmore, 1987, researched attitudes and
found age, class, and location variations
- MC whites in
diverse areas
expressed
concern about
housing and
jobs
- those in less diverse areas
feel less threatened, but as
likely to have stereotypical
views, especially the elderly
who equate immigration
with social decline
- those in less diverse areas
feel less threatened, but as
likely to have stereotypical
views, especially the elderly
who equate immigration
with social decline
- younger, WC, 2nd or 3rd generation
immigrants did not percieve
minorities as 'alien' or a threat
- however, prejudice can even
exist in established minorites
being suspicious of newcomers
- however, prejudice can even
exist in established minorites
being suspicious of newcomers
- MC whites in
diverse areas
expressed
concern about
housing and
jobs
- Cashmore, 1987, researched attitudes and
found age, class, and location variations
- Racial prejudice refers to attitudes,
and racial discrimination refers to
behavior/actions
- Under British law prejudice is not illegal unless
it is acted on when it becomes discrimination
- Discrimination
outlawed by
1976 Race
Relations Act,
and religious
grounds
added in 2003
- Discrimination
outlawed by
1976 Race
Relations Act,
and religious
grounds
added in 2003
- Under British law prejudice is not illegal unless
it is acted on when it becomes discrimination
- Racial categories defined as "physical variations
singled out by members of a community or
society as socially significant" Giddens, 1997
- differences are mostly PHENOTYPIC reactions to the
environment, much greater GENOTYPIC or genetic
diversity exists within races than between races
- race is a SOCIAL
CONSTRUCT
based on
superficial
physical
differences in
appearance
- CAUSES OF RACISM
- psychologically, racism
is a product of evolution
- fear of the
unknown is
ADAPTIVE and
psychological
processes such
as
STEREOTYPING
evolved to
protect from
potential threats
- racism is also statistically linked to disturbed
childhoods and AUTHORITARIAN PARENTING
- sociologically, racism is
amplified by inability to
understand other
cultures and by
competition over scarce
resources, Giddens, 2009
- moderated by
contact and
exposure, creation
of common culture
with common
purpose, Vasta, 2009
- moderated by
contact and
exposure, creation
of common culture
with common
purpose, Vasta, 2009
- sociologically, racism is
amplified by inability to
understand other
cultures and by
competition over scarce
resources, Giddens, 2009
- racism is also statistically linked to disturbed
childhoods and AUTHORITARIAN PARENTING
- fear of the
unknown is
ADAPTIVE and
psychological
processes such
as
STEREOTYPING
evolved to
protect from
potential threats
- Cashmore argued racism
caused by NATURAL
CONSERVATISM or
suspicion of outsiders
- psychologically, racism
is a product of evolution
- CAUSES OF RACISM
- race is a SOCIAL
CONSTRUCT
based on
superficial
physical
differences in
appearance
- differences are mostly PHENOTYPIC reactions to the
environment, much greater GENOTYPIC or genetic
diversity exists within races than between races
- Ethnicity "denotes the sense of belonging to
a particular community whose members share
common cultural traditions" Bilton et al, 2002
- ethnic differences are mostly cultural but can
be RACIALISED and seen as biological or innate
- this social construction is difficult to sustain as most
ethnic groups are culturally and genetically diverse
- this social construction is difficult to sustain as most
ethnic groups are culturally and genetically diverse
- ethnic differences are mostly cultural but can
be RACIALISED and seen as biological or innate
- RACISM has NO UNIVERSALLY AGREED DEFINITION
- appears to be rising:
studies between 1983
and 1991 considered
3% very prejudiced and
30% a little prejudiced,
in 1995 a poll found 2/3
admitted being racist
- varies according to age, class,
gender and education with younger
white female MC graduates least likely
to express prejudices, Hello et al, 2006
- often limited to hatred of a particular
group eg. immigrants, or certain faith
- often limited to hatred of a particular
group eg. immigrants, or certain faith
- varies according to age, class,
gender and education with younger
white female MC graduates least likely
to express prejudices, Hello et al, 2006
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