CHYS 1F90 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Trait Theory, Racialization, Hybridity

• School: Brock University
• Department: Child and Youth Studies
• Course: CHYS 1F90
• Professor: Shauna Pomerantz

Document Summary

Categorization using physical traits: skin colour, hair texture, facial features: lips, eyes, eye lids, nose, 99. 9% same genetic material, one species. Essentialism (grouping people together): physical traits deemed essential to identity. Idea that an entire group of people share essential traits: flattens out differences, generalizing a characteristic, any kind of trait personality trait, negative trait etc. Basis for fear, violence, racism: people have always fought back. Is (cid:858) a(cid:272)e(cid:859) eal: social, cultural, historical contexts, false link between biology/personality, un uses (cid:862)eth(cid:374)i(cid:272) groups(cid:863) since 1950, yet feels very real, very provocative question. If you can socially deconstruct race, then we can start to tease apart the way race is negatively influencing culture: racism is more politically charged, and a more personal aspect. Beco(cid:373)i(cid:374)g (cid:858)ra(cid:272)ed(cid:859): lear(cid:374)i(cid:374)g the (cid:858)ideal(cid:859, discourses of superiority/inferiority, country, family, school, peers, popular culture. Insider/outsider status: oppression is interlocking, we cannot judge people on one trait alone. 8th grader se(cid:374)t to pri(cid:374)(cid:272)ipal(cid:859)s offi(cid:272)e for (cid:858)poof(cid:455)(cid:859) hair.