SOCY1050 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: White Privilege, Scientific Racism, Aboriginal Tent Embassy
Lecture 2B
Race, Ethnicity and Inequality
RACE – Social Constructivism
Race is social construct, not a biological concept
oGreater genetic variation between individuals than between ‘races’
oBlurry boundaries and different notions of ‘race’ in different contexts
Concepts such as nationality and ethnicity often blending into ‘race’
Historical and cultural context important
Racial labels often result in disadvantages and stereotyping
Racial and/or ethnic identity
oWhat defines cultural belonging?
Historically definitions based on biology are replaced by those stressing culture and ancestry
RACE vs ETHNICITY
Race commonly divides people on the bases of essentialized traits
oCategorization imposed by others
oOften (but not always) visible or physical characteristics, such as skin colour
oStudy of implications for life opportunities of individuals not actual ‘race science’!
Ethnicity characterizes groups sharing a common cultural, linguistic or ancestral heritage
oOften self-identification, belonging to a community with shared traditions
oLess visible but significant markers of identity
oNot constant but ever-changing subject to social, economic and political forces
Direct ‘competition’ and complementation with other notions of identity and belonging, for
example national identity
oMultiplicity of sources for identities (gender, class, sexuality, etc.)
RACISM and (Post)-COLONIALISM
Three assumptions of racism (Graves 2004):
1. Races exist
2. Each race has distinct genetic differences
3. Racial inequality is due to those differences Assumptions can be easily disproved
‘Scientific Racism’ coincides with European colonial expansion in the 19th century
Civilizing Mission ‘White man’s burden’
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WHITE SUPREMACY
A socio-political system that historically created and perpetuated white privilege. Developed
within U.S. American context (Mills 2004):
Economic: racial exploitation accumulation of “white” wealth (settlement) from “red” soil
(genocide) by “black” labour (slavery)
Political: forging of different social groups of “whites” into one ruling class
Cultural: systematic bleaching of all elements of civilisation Epistemological: “white
normativity” with whiteness as the supreme ideal
Metaphysical: separation of superior white “Herrenvolk” and non-white “Untermenschen”
Somatic: - Racial embodiment and alienation of non-white bodies
Dark skin also is associated with lower class affiliation: working outdoors as opposed to
indoors, rural work
INSTITUTIONAL RACISM
Notion of ‘race’ as a biological concept discredited due to these manifestations of extreme
human rights violations
‘Race’ as a social construct continues to impact the life chances of individuals in all social
spheres
oIncreasing importance of understanding racism as ‘institutional’ rather than
‘intentional’
Practices and structures of marginalisation and exclusion
oRacism is built into social institutions and state bureaucracy
oIndividuals do not need to hold racist beliefs or prejudices to benefit from a ‘racial
premium’
‘wages of whiteness’ (Roediger 1990) critical whiteness research
NEW RACISM(s)
New Racism
o‘Cultural turn’ in studying racism; arguments based on cultural rather than biological
difference
oOften promoting selectively restrictive immigration policy
oTaboo of expressing racist beliefs overtly
“I’m not racist, but …”
Islamophobia
oAftermath of terrorist attacks 9/11 2001
Asylum seeker debate
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Document Summary
Race is social construct, not a biological concept: greater genetic variation between individuals than between races", blurry boundaries and different notions of race" in different contexts. Concepts such as nationality and ethnicity often blending into race". Racial labels often result in disadvantages and stereotyping. Historically definitions based on biology are replaced by those stressing culture and ancestry. Race commonly divides people on the bases of essentialized traits: categorization imposed by others, often (but not always) visible or physical characteristics, such as skin colour, study of implications for life opportunities of individuals not actual race science"! Ethnicity characterizes groups sharing a common cultural, linguistic or ancestral heritage: often self-identification, belonging to a community with shared traditions, less visible but significant markers of identity, not constant but ever-changing subject to social, economic and political forces. Direct competition" and complementation with other notions of identity and belonging, for example national identity: multiplicity of sources for identities (gender, class, sexuality, etc. )
