...Joan Didion: What is Home? In Joan Didion’s essay “On Going Home” she writes about leading a double life. She feels like one person when she’s with her husband and daughter in Los Angeles, and a completely different person when back “home” surrounded by her childhood family in the Central Valley of California. During this particular trip, she begins to reflect on her life in Los Angeles. Didion contemplates the fact that she often feels uneasy around her husband, just like he feels uneasy being around her family. At a crossroad, she must decide not only who she is, and the life she wants, but also the kind of life she wants for her daughter. Her life in Los Angeles has cleansed her from her youth—one that was dusty and full of useless trinkets. She ponders the time her husband wrote the word “D-U-S-T” on those useless trinkets and she remembers her feelings of sadness and indignation. She says, “We live in dusty houses…filled with mementos quite without value to him” (139-40). The dust-covered trinkets signify what is important to her, or what needs to be addressed in her marriage. Yet, these objects just lay there waiting for someone to see them—for someone to dust them off and care for them—not unlike how Didion wishes her husband would see her and nurture her in their marriage. Didion wonders which of her two homes is normal or if they are both flawed. When she and her husband are with her family, he becomes apprehensive about her behavior, “…because once there I fall...
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...I conducted three interviews with three different individuals; two men one black and one white and one woman. I asked them the same question and collected their answers. At the question what is racism according to them, they all gave a similar responses defining it as action and/or behavior displaying signs of segregation toward a specific group of people. My second question was relative to racism in Saint Cloud; the two male answer that racism was present in Saint Cloud while for the woman racism is not present. When asked to justify their answer, the two men said that they personally experimented or witness racism; the woman said that Saint Cloud is a multicultural city and that she never heard of any racism here. My third question was directly...
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...Racism happened earlier than the issue was considered to be such. Racism permeates the narrative of humankind. Mindsets of preceding cultures lacked reflection, therefore, did not address the logic or reasoning of their thoughts, feelings, or actions toward those deemed different. Unbeknownst to them, their attitudes reflected the acceptance of racism on a global scale for centuries. Nonetheless, the precise definition of racism only came into existence in the last one hundred years. What is racism then? The answer varies according to the psychological awareness and social progress of the culture defining. Hence the definition of racism has transformed over time. However, in today’s society racism describes an attitude arranged into three components comprising feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. Undoubtedly, the affective or feeling aspect of racism exposes the structural emotions of prejudice, condescension, and separation of a racism. The concept of liking someone is determined by our feelings. Racism acts on prejudice or “pre-judges” a separate race. Emotions of racism are arrogant enough they are construed for a fact, reality, or even in some cases divine truth, which created disdain toward the other races. The initial difference of people from Europe and the people from the “new world” were purely cultural. Unfortunately,...
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...Two hemispheres. Two continents. Two races. One ubiquitous word. Racism. According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, racism is the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and those racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race Merriam Webster Dictionary definition of racism. Julius Lester, a former professor at the University of Michigan, concurs in one of his papers, stating that racism is a race’s idealization of itself Find the paper written by Julius Lester. This statement portrays what racism is all about. Racism appears to be a race’s perception of themselves as superior due to a certain factor that does not truly represent superiority. The idea of racism is the attribution of a factor or characteristic as a symbol of supremacy. In George Mosse’s Toward the Final Solution: A History of European Racism, racists consider their beauty,...
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...racism | (rszm) n. 1. The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others.2. Discrimination or prejudice based on race.racist adj. & n. | → The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. racism (ˈreɪsɪzəm) or racialism n 1. (Sociology) the belief that races has distinctive cultural characteristics determined by hereditary factors and that this endows some races with an intrinsic superiority over others 2. (Sociology) abusive or aggressive behavior towards members of another race on the basis of such a belief ˈracist ˈracialist n, adj →Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003 rac•ism (ˈreɪsɪzəm) n. 1. a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usu. involving the idea that one's own race is superior. 2. a policy, system of government, etc., based on such a doctrine. 3. hatred or intolerance of another race or other races. [1865–70; < French racisme. See race2, -ism] rac′ist, n., adj. →Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. racism 1. a belief that human races have...
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...How do white people become white? The story of Americanization is vital and compelling, but it took place in a nation also obsessed by race. For new immigrant workers the process of becoming white and becoming American was connected in everything they do. The title is filled with irony. The term “white” in modern day society means privilege, education, and social status. If someone was defining a person based upon the characteristics of an ideal white individual they will be white. Yet if they are “white” based upon skin color the qualifications automatically disappear and they purely judge based upon skin color. "Whiteness" is a term that depicts the belief system of the individuals who have been racially distinguished as white. Whiteness, as with race, is a socially developed reality. As such, the importance of one's skin color and how it shapes a man's perspective and lived experience is not inborn in an individual but rather controlled by society. The definition of the white race has changed over time and has been determined by the people in power. Neil Foley states in 1980 U.S Bureau of the Census created two new ethnic categories...
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...Race, White Privilege, and the Gospel Pre-Presbytery Workshop Presbytery of Chicago October 12, 2010 David Esterline, McCormick Theological Seminary Jennifer Ikoma-Motzko, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship 1 Why work against racism? Theological foundations God created all people good. To deny some people (because of skin color or language) the privileges other have, is to deny God’s good creation. To allow this system—in which some receive advantages simply because of skin color—to go unchecked is to deny that God made all people in God’s own good image. 2 Race Race is a social and political reality, not a biological or genetic reality. There is widespread agreement among scholars that race, as understood in the United States, is a social construct – rather than an objective, scientifically or biologically consistent characteristic of a person or group of persons. 3 Race How is it that there is such certainty about a concept that is so poorly defined? There is no agreement among scholars about a biological or physiological definition that can be sustained. 4 Race “Present-day inequalities between so-called ‘racial’ groups are not consequences of their biological inheritance but products of historical and contemporary social, economic, educational, and political circumstances.” American Anthropological Association 2006 5 Race Rewards—indicators of well-being—in the U.S. are based on racial group more than on any other characteristic or association...
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...that I read was The Myth of a Racist Criminal Justice System by William Wilbanks and was published in 1987. It talks about the myths of having a racist criminal justice system. In this book the author does not believe that that the criminal justice system is racial but believes at times there is racial prejudice and discrimination within the criminal justice system that goes both ways between blacks and whites. According to the text this book is written in the belief that many aspects of the question "Is the criminal justice system racist?" have not been addressed by Criminologist. This book is intended to fill that void of not knowing. Wilbanks wrote this book basically to give us a better understanding of how sometimes what looks to be racism in the court system really isn’t but is looked at that way because of a high difference in number in the black/white ratio involved negatively in the court system. The book was written from a more general point of view in order to give a neutral understanding to both parties as to why the court systems are looked at to be racist but really aren’t.. The author also gives very interesting arguments of proof to back up his beliefs. There was a part in the book where Wilbanks says, “Thus the question of whether the criminal justice system is racist must not be confused with that of whether blacks commit crimes at a higher rate than whites because of discrimination in employment”. In this case Wilbanks is diverting the problem towards the...
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...Racism in America I have always believed that defining the term “race” is often impossible. After all isn’t race just another social invention? Humans cannot be categorized into being anything more specific than humans can they? Nowadays when people bring up race it is usually based on a variety of attributes including skin color, birthplace, religion and a number of others elements. The only issue is do these differences, things that we normally have no impact on, warrant enough evidence to create a taxonomic key that can be used to classify humans. The dictionary definition for race is, “a group of persons related by common decent or heredity.” Over the history of human existence, the human species has migrated and changed social characteristics so many times that we can also comfortably say that our races have changed as well. I have personally lived in five different countries and speak three languages, yet I am somehow classified into a niche that I must somehow fit. Pigeonholing people into races has never served useful to the population because that sense of national pride is forever lost if you cannot feel connected to those around you. Distinction between different people began very early on in human history, however it has carried over and is now this social stigma that we cannot get away from. The earliest views on ethnic differences may arose because of the ancient Egyptians. They tended to classify people based on skin color over other characteristics such...
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...Racism is not a new phenomenon for human being, and people suffering from discrimination in the past for centuries. Racism and discrimination have had a significant role in defining the health of Aboriginal in particular young cohort in urban area. The definition of racism is “a global hierarchy of human superiority and inferiority, politically culturally and economically produced and reproduced for centuries by the institutions of the capitalist, modern/colonial world-system” (Grosfoguel, 2011) There is no doubt that racism could affect the community structure negatively. Recent studies suggest that people who had experienced ill treatment as a result of discrimination between color and race are at risk for physical and psychological diseases....
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...The Role of the American Government in creating Race Wars and Racial Tension There has been a long standing history of cultural divide in this country. The United States of America was built upon this premise. Race has always been a defining factor of what position you have been placed in society. America was founded upon a revolutionary approach, and once America was conquered by Europe, they set their government up to only include Europeans. The system was developed by Anglo-Saxons as a self-serving mechanism that excluded all other races. The Native Americans experienced this first hand when their country was occupied by British, French, and Spanish crusaders. This, amongst other invasions, led to the first examples of racial wars and tension in American history. We have seen this play out throughout the generations of our ancestors, who have experienced this state of racial tension, segregation, and slave ownership on both sides of the equation. America has always had racial tension from its inception. Several Civil Wars have occurred on American soil, and race has been an issue in most of them. We have been taught in society that being a certain race can define your future and potential for success. This has been proven in every aspect of American life. The infrastructure of the United States was built by several different races, some by choice, and some through slavery, and this is the driving force behind the deep seeded tension experienced by current Americans today...
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...relation of the darker to the lighter races of men in Asia and Africa, in America and the islands of the sea. Every study has come to the same conclusion that biologically, there are no 'races', yet the social construction of race as a category is alive and well today. The classification system, which radicalized different groups - typifying them according to their skin color and/or other defining features has a long history. With the advent of colonialism, racism underpinned the different and negative valuations attached to skin color. The racism of today is much more subtle and is no longer the blatant discrimination based on the color or your skin. It exists within the institutions of our society. It is the combination of government, corporate and media institutional racism that is largely responsible for the inequities of today. Unfortunately, these divisions impact the way in which we live our life and how we advance socially. Race has always been a complicated subject and is inevitable. Although we have made tremendous strides to dismantle the foundations of racism, it is clear and evident that racism still persists within the institutions of our society. I believe that America is one of greatest countries on the earth and it is a land of opportunity for everyone. The American dream is alive and well and many people of all races have had tremendous success. With these positives in place, it is no wonder why there have been so many incredible achievements by African Americans...
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...Race is a group of people defined by genotype (genetics and inheritance) and geographic. Often race is based on appearance such as skin colour, features and other distinguishing characteristics. Ethnicity has many factors and is dependent on the individual identifying or defining themselves. Ethnicity is hard to describe as everyone has their own perspective. Because of race and ethnicity this has resulted in racism against these people and as a result of racism has meant they have suffered much discrimination.” Racism is the belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human racial groups determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to dominate others or that a particular racial group is inferior to the...
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...‘Race is a historically and culturally specific notion, embedded in a constellation of economic, political, and cultural discourses and uniquely linked to specific relations of power and authority’ (Hirschfield, 1998, p.34). It has been argued that race was an Enlightenment project that resulted from the desire to classify (Cohen, 1974, p.207). Racial thinking certainly existed before this period, but the modern concept of race is a more recent one that has developed from the encounter of more Europeans with other peoples (MacDonald, 1973, p.241). There is some disagreement as to when the construction of race took its current form. First, it has been suggested that the descriptions of race in ancient literature demonstrate that it originates in xenophobic beliefs (Hirschfield, 1998, p.34). The system of natural classification that developed in the Eighteenth Century is also seen as an important contribution (Hannaford, 1996, p.188). However, almost all studies agree that a distinctive development of racial thinking began to take place in the Nineteenth Century (Hirschfield, 1998, p.35). The Nineteenth Century saw the search for the historical and biological origins of race (Hannaford, 1996, p.235). It went beyond the simply classification of race and towards a more significant delineation of race into one that embodies characteristics, personalities and even mental abilities. Several key developments were relevant to this progression. These will be examined as follows: first...
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...when she was at school was used against her. Out of jealousy, the word was used as a curse or derogatory term to humiliate her. For that moment, the word nigger had a negative connotation. But, what about the times it was used positively like what I've mentioned above? Well, according to Naylor, the word itself is harmless but it is the consensus that gives power it. The collective opinion of people controls the meaning of a particular word. 2. Naylor explains what happens when a community decides to take over a word and renegotiate its meaning by giving us examples or a glimpse of her experiences with regards to the use of the word “nigger” in both positive and negative context. The word nigger did not become an internalization of racism for the black community because, according to her experience, they transformed the meaning of it. Those gatherings changed the meaning of it to signify the varied and complex human beings...
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