This article really struck me as pretty much putting a slight spin on the way prejudice is looked at through race. Written in the late 1950's, it was probably pretty groundbreaking for its time in that it really looked at race through the eyes of any race and not just talking about how the white man is putting everyone down, although there are some implications of that.
Blumer's main point of argumentation that he feels truly exemplifies himself from the rest of the sociology pack is the fact he looks at Race prejudice as the relationship between groups rather than the individuals point of views of race. The collective process is an important staple in Blumers way of viewing every race group and the way in which they perceive other race groups and in this perception is where the prejudice is produced.People love being surrounded by what is comfortable, and the easiest way to find some commonality is through our race. Whether you're consciously or subconsciously doing it, people generally congregate with their own race. In doing so, they create a group identity not only for themself, but also for how they perceive the other groups. The four types of feelings presented through the collective process is pretty much what you would expect for anytype of prejudice topic. Although, his idea of putting space between groups was interesting. Putting a group down by discriminating them and putting them away through alienation I felt was really an innovative way of explaining prejudice.
As a group, people do not like others that are strange or different than themselves to encroach on what is comfortable for that group and definitely do not like when a foreign group may threaten their current status. The though of the unknown is a scary thing for people and if the group in power is the one who is being encroached upon, you can sure bet that the incoming group is going to be estranged and put in a negative light in order to diminsh the threat.
The final stressed point in this article is the point that these judgements on other races are formed through public arenas or publicly demonstrated opinions of a race. The abstract image is formed through these encounters that are never first-hand, but rather "Transcending characteristics" of the group. Since these public forums are of major importance (otherwise they would not be of public matter), the influence will undoubtedly be from the dominate group in society. As i mentioned previously since White Males are the dominate group in society and have been since the writing of this article, Blumer calls them out indirectly as being the dominate group putting themselves above others. The dominate group looks out for their own self-interest despite what that means for their subordinate group members just as it has always been done throughout history.
Overall, I thought this article did a great job of demonstrating the ideas of group-think and how it impacts race prejudice in our society. Blumer did a nice job defining that race prejudice will only change when the group changes, one individual risks alienation from their own group if they chose to defy their own group and be left out in the cold with their strange ideas. The collective process must change first if we ever want the racial prejudice to change.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
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I think on the whole racial prejudice has changed. I think that there is still a lot of racial prejudice and a lot of racism in America today, but in a general sense racism has changed. Subtle racism is the means of exploration now. Subconscious division between two groups, as suggested, is a new and improved type of racism.
ReplyDeleteI think that Racism and Racial Prejudice are both becoming somewhat difficult to change. First of all, it is difficult, if not impossible, to even consider beginning a discussion on race between two individuals from different races. There is the thought by white men, that they are imposing themselves over other races and this constant imposition is the main "fear-factor" that drives white men away from that conversation. They already, in a sense, feel guilty enough, they do not want to come off as more racist by asking a question that they do not know the answer to. The reason people are driven away from that conversation is because they feel like it is impossible to talk about. I have had personal discussions with individuals of different racial and ethnic backgrounds than my own and this is a common conclusion. Racial Prejudice exists because it cannot be talked about ammong individuals from the different racial ethnic groups. It cannot be discussed with out someone, somewhere, taking offense to the discussion. Even things, in our own classroom, have been taken out of context and people feel awkward when something is said that "sounds" racist or "appears" to have racial prejudice but is in fact completely innocent of that. Long story short, I think that there is validity in what Blumer was saying. He was obviously writing from a different perspective. In today's context, however, I think I agree with Kyle when I think racial prejudice has changed and is still changing.
Soon, white men will no longer be the majority in America. The majority of people will not even be white; the latino and hispanic people are starting to become the majority. I wonder how racial prejudice will be affected then, but I do believe that is for another comment and another blogpost.
First and foremost, it is important to understand the clear definition of racism and prejudice. Racism is having animosity toward other races and prejudice is having a prejudgment of someone. There is no doubt that both still and will always exist in America. Now combining and creating the term racial prejudice is really interesting, but yet the whole notion shows ignorance.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with the point that Kyle made from Blumer's view of race groups sticking together. I see it everyday on CMU's campus.Sometimes I feel like it is at the point where the group(s) can be both racist and prejudice, but not together. For instance, say it is a majority of the people whom you would be "characterized" but instead you're hanging out with another group or by yourself because there will be the feeling of being judged because you are not a part of their group and alienated with a group they do not like.
I feel as though white males no longer have that "power" they have had for centuries. Other ethnic males have caught up or are beginning to catch up. We really are as equal but sometimes it's not expressed.
All though I think that race prejudice is a relationship between groups of people from a different race I also believe that it is just as well an individual thing. Yes, people feel better with people that they have something in common with and in most cases; they are people of your own race, but on the other hand maybe not. This prejudice comes from all sides, no one wants to step outside the box and get to know someone of another color because you think that because they didn’t come from the same walk of life I did they will never understand me, but they might have more in common then you think.
ReplyDeleteWhen I stand and look around the cafe more than likely will see whites sitting with whites and blacks sitting with blacks that’s because that’s what we are comfortable with. On the other hand I have a black teammate that grew up in an all white community, she has been around whites her whole life, and that’s what she is comfortable with. She does not hang out with us she doesn’t even come over for our annual Sunday dinners. She hangs with what she knows and what she is comfortable with. So I think that it’s more so a cultural thing now, it just depends on where you come from to judge what you are comfortable with. So to me prejudice is based on where you come from, what you have been through, and where you want to go. When you find people that are similar to you in that way you are just as comfortable whether they are white, blue, pink or green.