Origins of Racism

Origins of Racism

There are many theories that attempt to identify the precise origins of racism. The three articles that were designated for reading each try to answer the question of what are the sources of racism. Of the three, I found that both Loewenbergs and Allports arguments combined best explain where racism stems from. By using the aforementioned articles I will assert my opinion of the subject, and use past and current class readings to support my argument. In doing so, some light may be shed upon what are the actual derivations of racism.

In Allports article, Formation of In-Groups, there is a social psychological approach taken. He uses in-groups and reference groups to aid in his defining of the origins of racism. He defines an in-group as any cluster of people who can use the term we, with the same significance. He then defines a reference group as  in-groups that is warmly accepted, or a group in which the individual wishes to be included. By forming in-groups and reference groups, people are often segregated or discriminated against because they arent part of a whole. Groups do so by forming a common enemy, which every group member can relate with each other in despising.

Groups label out-groups in order to assure camaraderie among members and security. The existence of an outsider is in the beginning an essential condition of any warmth or togetherness within the group (Allport 99). Since whites are the dominant race in American society, being in the white in-group means having people of color as their common adversary. Feelings of prejudice arouse from the need of white people to feel comfortable with themsel...

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...ticles, if put together explain what the sources of racism are. By placing them together we have a clearer picture of how racism has polluted our nation and the minds of its citizens.

Racism has been around for hundreds of years. It didnt always deal with race relations either. It was dealt with sex relations and people from different cultures. Being white skinned didnt make a difference as long as you werent part of the group. Ethnocentrism and need to satisfy wants and needs lead to racism. It helped people justify their actions and their beliefs. It helps people come together. Only by looking at the three articles can one person really identify the source of racism. One argument may address the beginning while the others address the end. Only on a complementary basis can these arguments define the source of racism accurately.