Individual Racism Vs Institutional Racism

There is probably no more a sensitive topic in America than that of race and the bonds of inequality. It has been known for some time that being a minority in America could cost you more than you are willing to pay. As a generation of progressives and millennials, it is common to bring difficult conversations to the forefront and have open dialogue about desired outcomes. This time is no different. I have been tasked with writing an essay that will open your minds while closing the doors on systemic racism in America. Many believe systemic racism exists but there are no plans to correct or remove it from our society. As with most difficult situations that we encounter, it is never easy to demolish those ideals

African Americans have systematically been deprived of equal opportunities and fundamental rights in America since the establishment of slavery. Although the Civil Rights Act banned the implementation of segregation and racial inequality over 40 years ago, the overall concept of racial and cultural hierarchy still lingers at the forefront of today’s society. White America’s history of racially oppressing, isolating, and segregating African Americans have led to present-day issues surrounding the political and economic forces that intentionally limits Blacks access to and opportunity from social, economic, educational, and political advancement through the institution of structural racism.

Racism is a very touchy and common issue in society today. Many people react differently to racism. Some people think that other races should strive for power. They think it should be a race to prove that any of the races can do whatever they want. Some people are more likely to promote this idea of competition amongst races. This type of thinking does not inherently promote understanding between people. Other people are more focused on equality and understanding instead of competition and conquest. In the section Early Memory: The California Zephyr by Toi Derricotte the narrator is invited to sit down and eat a meal with a person who feels bad about being racist after he realized the narrator was a black woman. The narrator decides the man will learn more of a lesson by declining his invitation to eat with him (). Going and eating breakfast with the man would be a better way to promote understanding and heal racial divides than just letting him feel bad as a punishment.

One example of institutionalized racism that was demonstrated in 13th is the mass incarcerations of minorities. I think it is a problem not only because there is a disproportionate amount of minorities but also because people do not realize this is happening. It is institutionalized racism because after being in prison these minorities cannot vote or get a job and therefore puts them at a disadvantage. I think getting people to realize this problem is the first step to address it but I am not sure what should happen next.

Racism is the belief or idea of superiority of one race over another, often resulting in discrimination and/or prejudice towards people of the race. The ideology underlying racist practices often includes the idea that humans can be divided into distinct groups that are different due to their social behavior and their innate capacities as well as the idea that they can be ranked as inferior or superior. Since the late 20th century the notion of biological race has been recognized as a cultural invention, entirely without scientific basis.

Racism and segregation has a mass history in the United States which impacted our society greatly. There were many riots, boycotts, and strikes which occurred throughout the 1900’s. Many people simply wanted peace and to bring everyone together no matter what race or color and others wanted to be separated from people with a different skin color and race. Whites and blacks were being separated from bathrooms and even restaurants. This resulted in conflict between our society which left many killed and injured. It took so much power to bring our society together as a whole. Riots after riots occurred all across the United States and one of the known on which happened in 1919 was the race riots in Chicago. This riot simply caused families to

“ According to the National Association of Social Workers Web site, racism is “the ideology or practice through demonstrated power or perceived superiority of one group over others by reasons of race, color, ethnicity, or cultural heritage....” The definition further goes on to note that “racism is manifested at the individual, group, and institutional level.” (Blank, 2013)

Do you think America is institutionally racist? Who is at a disadvantage? Institutional racism means that there is a systematic way for certain groups of people to be put at a lower level or advantage than another group of people. There was definitely institutional racism in America about fifty years ago, and I know that because I can name specific institutions who were racist to the black minority. But in order for anyone to fight modern day institutional racism, you have to tell me what company is being racist, tell me why, and we can fight that together. Unfortunately for those who believe there is still racism in America, they can’t name a business and why. Running around and yelling “there’s racism in America” doesn’t solve the issue,

Racism is an issue that has occurred throughout history and consumed the population with the idea of a social ladder. There have been many instances in history, where people of an obsessed race have fought against their obsessor. This has been a pattern happening in every time period. The issues occurring today is an implication of history repeating itself. This past week, Donald Trump was elected our president. During his campaign, he has promoted the hatred toward those who are considered the other. In the novel, Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison, he writes about the placement of minorities in society dominated by whites where people are categorized by their skin color/race.

For individual discrimination, it is mainly that through our personal experiences and lessons learned and received in the past, to prejudiced another person. At the same time, institutional discrimination usually produce prejudice to the most of large institutions and organizations for part of the race and ethnic. In current society, individual discrimination is often released in the color issue today; we often are isolated by our own color. Sometimes, people who the white drive in the cars are easier to get forgiveness and understanding of police officers, but for other color race, these people usually tend to be suspects by other people. On the other hand, institutional discrimination is mainly manifested in several areas: economy, education,

The study of racism has a profound potential to become an ambiguous sociological endeavor. Incidentally, accounting for the multitude of factors which encompass this subject appear to make it the very heart of the matter and consequently the most time consuming. Although, it is my belief that all three of the main sociological theories (Functionalism, Conflict Theory and Symbolic Interactionism) should be integrated in order to achieve a legitimate and quantifiable outcome, for obvious reasons the “Conflict Theory” logically renders the best possible method to obtain a valid micro analysis of specific agents in this case. The oxford dictionary defines racism as being:

If you can take a moment to think to yourself, how many times have you been treated differently just because of your race? Maybe not at all, or maybe a lot. Understanding systematic racism may help you understand why. Systematic racism affects people’s lives greatly or just a little. If you want to learn about what Jim Crow started systematic racism and what it is, then read this essay.

Source: Boundless. “The Functionalist Perspective.” Boundless Sociology. Boundless, 26 May. 2016. Retrieved 13 Jun. 2016 from https://www.boundless.com/sociology/textbooks/boundless-sociology-textbook/race-and-ethnicity-10/sociological-perspectives-on-race-and-ethnicity-83/the-functionalist-perspective-484-6546/

This chapter explains the difference between race and ethnicity and how they came about. It also explains the advantages and disadvantages some have due to the creation of race. Race and ethnicity have strong foundations not only within countries, but between them. Globalization has increased the individual’s ethnic identities, but has also put some at disadvantages.

One of the most critical mechanisms of modern or new racism is that it is based on an ideological structure of dissimilarity and othering, meaning the major focus of the modern racism is uniqueness or the individuality of the person. In combination with existing leading white hegemonic supremacy, racism becomes a powerful strategy for maintaining a balanced way of power distribution.