Analysis Of Racial Inequality In Society

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This essay is tasked with assessing racial inequalities in society and, the way in which they can be rectified, or at the very least, lessened. Through the examination of racial stressors, lower education rates and an investigation of equal rights history we can attempt to determine the root causes of these issues and begin a process of integrating a profound sense of equality into society. Through a more upfront and direct dialogue with survivors of racial biases and those that continue to adhere to ignorant ideas which have become the basis for our everyday lives. In addressing everyday racism through to exceedingly more malicious ideas which minority groups begin to feel oppressed by, we can hope to achieve a greater respect for the everyday
Firstly, ethnicity is a concept referring to a shared culture and way of life. This can be reflected in language, religion, material culture such as clothing and food, and cultural products such as music and art. Ethnicity is often a major source of social cohesion and social conflict. Secondly, racism can be defined as a system of dominance, power and privilege based on racial group designations; rooted in the historical oppression of a group defined or perceived by dominant-group members as inferior, deviant or undesirable; occurring in circumstances where members of the dominant group create or accept their societal privilege by maintaining structures, ideology, values, and behaviours that have the intent or effect of leaving non-dominant group members relatively excluded from power, esteem, status and equal access to societal resources. (Harrell, 2000, p. 43.) The importance of understanding ethnicity and by extension, racism is unequivocally important in rectifying inequality in society. Differences between racial groups and degrees of education, crime and deviance and further issues pertaining to gender as well as domestic violence are potentially avoidable with further research into racial biases. Racial inequalities are a persistent and pervasive aspect of society in general and higher education in particular (Bonilla-Silva, 2013; Jayakumar & Museus,
(K. A Troung, 2015) The researcher’s analysis of the data procured indicated four thematic categories describing how vicarious racism affected the experiences of the participants. The first two describing second-hand racism observed by participants and the two following elucidate the participants coping responses to the racism they experienced. The first, observed racism being the instances in which the participants observed stories of racial biases directed at faculty or their peers, second being trickledown racism, referring to the instances in which they were structurally affected by racism directed at their mentors which gave them negative consequences for the participants. The third theme was instances of the normalisation of racism, as the participants learned of second-hand racism they adopted the idea that racism was going to be a normal part of their education. Finally, racial resistance, referring to instances in which vicarious racism caused participants to collectively combat racism. Through the data analysed the article comes to several conclusions. Firstly, vicarious racism does in some way shape the success of graduate level students of colour, secondly the findings suggest that with instances of vicarious racism through visual observations and word of mouth jay be important in developing

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