Statement of Topic I chose to use the racism as the social event to base this essay on because racism is still a strong factor in our social climate today. As evidenced in an article from the Daily News in October, a young Black male, Trayon Christian, was arrested at a high-end department store, Barney’s, in New York City for purchasing a $349.00 belt. The article indicates that Trayon was accused of using a fake debit card to purchase the belt. Trayon claims that he was saving up paycheck to paycheck in order to purchase the belt and was racially profiled by the salespeople. He filed a lawsuit claiming that the New York City Police detained him because they couldn’t believe he could possibly afford such an expensive belt. This is clear evidence of stereotyping and how racism still affects the world we live in. In addition, the New York Times reports that this is not an isolated case. There have been several lawsuits against big corporations including Barney’s and Macy’s. Several complaints have been surfacing from black shoppers who feel they have been victims of racial profiling. These complaints are even targeting well-known celebrity figures (Goodman, 2013). Introduction After reading the articles, several questions came to mind like why did the salesperson assume the debit card was fake and why was this young male held by the police for so long? On the other side of that, why did this young Black male and many others feel the need to purchase an expensive item like this? Is this for status and/or recognition? Although this is a clear case of discrimination, stereotyping, and racism, there are several theories that can be related to this case. However, the social behavioral perspective relates best to this... ... middle of paper ... ...ayon is in the conventional stage where he seems to have felt the need to conform to society by following the trends of some entertainers today. Name brand items have become so mainstream that regular kids want to follow these trends and are going to lengths to do so. The salesperson relates better to the postconventional stage because he treated Trayon unethically and immorally. The conflict perspective also relates in this case because there is conflict between two social groups. One group (Barney’s salesperson) is the dominant force and is causing conflict. “What may be perceived as fair on an individual level may be perceived as unfair when viewed as a group perspective” (Hutchinson, p. 340). Trayon obviously felt he was treated unfairly but, the salesperson felt this was a fair practice because he or she was following the store’s protocols for theft.
Wideman points out how the racism in America is an unbroken chain as he states, “The circle of racism, its preserve logic remain unbroken. Boys like Emmett Till are born violating the rules, aren’t they? Therefore they forfeit any rights law-abiding citizens are bound to respect. The bad places—ghettos, prisons, morgue slabs—where most of them wind up confirm the badness pf the boys” (Wideman 32). Wideman’s form and content in this quote is sarcastically profound to reveal the unfairness of the typical stereotypes that African Americans have to deal with, in their daily lives. Most certainly, black color skin when seen out in the public, and its connection among the ghetto, black skin is correlated with poverty status. Such arrogances effect the unfortunate African Americans living in
Racism is not only a crime against humanity, but a daily burden that weighs down many shoulders. Racism has haunted America ever since the founding of the United States, and has eerily followed us to this very day. As an intimidating looking black man living in a country composed of mostly white people, Brent Staples is a classic victim of prejudice. The typical effect of racism on an African American man such as Staples, is a growing feeling of alienation and inferiority; the typical effect of racism on a white person is fear and a feeling of superiority. While Brent Staples could be seen as a victim of prejudice because of the discrimination he suffers, he claims that the victim and the perpetrator are both harmed in the vicious cycle that is racism. Staples employs his reader to recognize the value of his thesis through his stylistic use of anecdotes, repetition and the contrast of his characterization.
The society has a tendency to develop assumptions about individuals based on their race, income levels and even gender. One of the major stereotypic notions is based on the roles and position that
Racial profiling is a wide spread term in the American justice system today, but what does it really mean? Is racial profiling just a term cooked up by criminals looking for a way to get out of trouble and have a scapegoat for their crimes? Is it really occurring in our justice system, and if so is it done intentionally? Most importantly, if racial profiling exists what steps do we take to correct it? The answer to these questions are almost impossible to find, racial profiling is one of many things within our justice system that can be disputed from any angle and has no clear cut answers. All that can be done is to study it from different views and sources and come up with one’s own conclusion on the issue.
Have you ever been followed by store officials or security while shopping in a department store? At first, all of the attention can be flattering but quickly becomes insulting once you realize they’re not following you to offer any assistance. Instead because of how you look you fit a certain profile that causes store officials to think you’ve come to their store to steal. This type of behavior is called racial profiling. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, racial profiling refers to the discrimination practice by law enforcement officials of targeting individuals for suspicion of crime based on the individual’s race, ethnicity, religion, or national origin. Citizens need to be more aware of racial profiling and make laws that racial profiling should be illegal. Racial profiling is carried out by law enforcement airport security, and other security personnel that look to profile the minorities for no reason. Heather Sally Newton Driscoll ebscohost.com stated “The practice of profiling is rooted in centuries of discrimination and is based on stereotypes that have long been disproved. Profiling holds on entire population accountable for the committed by a small minority”.
Racial tension has been part of America ever since the civil war. Today we have a different issue with race which is called racial profiling. Over the years the relationship between the police and community of color has gone bitter do to racial profiling. America’s society today tends to be tainted by racial profiling and stereotypes. These issues can cause great effects on our society. Racial profiling or stereotyping could diminish how a certain race is viewed. Racial discrimination can be a result from having racial profiling and stereotypes in our present culture. Today racial discrimination is used to approach citizens assumed to be criminals. This is called racial profiling. Although some argue that racial profiling is a necessary tool for law enforcement to protect our safety, it puts some people at a disadvantage while it privileges others. Overall racial profiling is bad for the economy, unconstitutional, and sets borderlines for different races.
Fueled by fear and ignorance, racism has corrupted the hearts of mankind throughout history. In the mid-1970’s, Brent Staples discovered such prejudice toward black men for merely being present in public. Staples wrote an essay describing how he could not even walk down the street normally, people, especially women, would stray away from him out of terror. Staples demonstrates his understanding of this fearful discrimination through his narrative structure, selection of detail, and manipulation of language.
The basis for this concept, begins with the causes of prejudice. While there are many causes that relate to prejudice, the context ...
Racial profiling in America, as evidenced by recent events, has reached a critical breaking point. No longer can an African American, male or female, walk into a store, school, or any public place without fear of being stereotyped as a person of suspicion. Society constantly portrays the African American
In general, there are many different groups affected. “While African Americans have historically been the targets of racial profiling, they are not the only community affected by this practice. It affects groups such as Native
Coates (2015) shared with his son and his audience about "America 's history and slavery through a series of inspired experiences" that he described as a journey when he was a child (p. 3).The purpose of the article is to persuade the audiences which relies on author 's justification and biases. Coates ' goal is to make the audience understand the history of the United States and the current racial crisis that exists in the country now. "The different kinds of crime that young black males have tolerated in the U.S. because of white culture is emphasized and the community which trying to obtain sovereignty over black bodies" (Coates, 2015, p. 5). Coates describes in his article that racial issues have influenced America and how police officers treat black people brutally. He conveys his powerful message through appealing his audience to emotion and
Vivienne Ming once said, “Discrimination is not done by villains. It’s done by us.” Many do not recognize or acknowledge discrimination. Most of the time, individuals allow discrimination to be classified as bullying. However, true discrimination is real. It comes in various forms and it is the population’s job to be familiar with it and use that knowledge to destroy it. Racial, appearance-based, sexual, and religious discrimination all hugely affect friendships/relationships, the workplace, and society as a whole.
Prejudice, discrimination, and stereotyping are important topics at the cause of debating within social psychology. A stereotype is a generalization about a group of people, in which certain traits cling to all members, regardless of actual individual variation (Akert, Aronson, & Wilson, 2010). As humans, people assign objects and individuals into categories to organize the environment. Individuals do this for not only organization, but also survival. Is stereotyping inevitable? That is the question; according to Devine (2007), it is, but Lepore and Brown (2007) have to disagree. Devine believes that “stereotyping is automatic, which makes it inevitable.” On the other hand, Lepore and Brown are not convinced that stereotyping is automatic, and have claimed, after observation, that it depends on the individual.
Racial discrimination, from the early fifteen hundreds until today, continues to be a major problem in the United States and in other countries. Despite the different acts and laws put into place, hardly any reassuring results was shown to prove that racial discrimination has ended throughout society. Racial discrimination can vary from housing location to stereotyping to police brutality to comedians mocking a specific race or ethnicity.
Discrimination is known to exist in all workplaces, sometimes it is too subtle to notice, and other times it is exceedingly obvious. It is known that everyone subconsciously discriminates, dependant on their own beliefs and environments that surround them. However, discrimination can be either positive or negative in their results, and sometimes discrimination is a necessary part of life.