African American Culture Summary

However, it should be strongly noted that the reasoning behind this thought is due to the stripping of one’s exact native roots. Different ethnic cultures come from different tribes in this example. Each ethnic group has their own set of cultural rituals and values. In Western Civilizations, upon slavery, these customs became lost in their specificity. Therefore, cultural rituals and values have adapted to new surroundings. In a round-a-bout way, the subject comes back to the invisibility of whiteness that had been presented by Dyer. Dalton refers to the example of how the term “African-American” has been used a bandage term referring to both race and ethnicity. Initially, the term had been developed to describe the ethnicity, more so than

In a sense, we can call this a theory of social constructionism by way of language and socially acceptable behaviors. West sets out explain how powerful systems have instilled ideas into people’s minds through language and behavior, which in turn have led to the ideas of race and supremacy. West places heavy emphasis on upon the three powerful, historical factors; claiming that each power source within each factor have led to supremacy through the establishment of discursive influences, such as metaphors, notions, categories, and norms. These influences can be observed through language and behavior. Race and racism, is then therefore a social construct that had been implemented by power sources. However, West claims that most people are likely unaware of these influences in modern cultures, as these ideals are often neglected and or

Are these perspectives the result of social construction? Do powerful institutions construct the perspectives that one believes are his or hers own thoughts? West applies these ideas to modern racism. What seems to be the theme of this paper is the invisibility cloak of whiteness and how institutions have used power to implement these ideas into modern society without much notice. West appears to make clear that this is likely due to appearance of discourse throughout history leading into more modern