Perspectives on Racial and Ethnic Relations

 

Symbolic Interactionist Perspective

 

Just as I stated in the previous notes that discriminationis at some level a product of individual choice and perspective, so does thesymbolic interactionist perspective.

 

Advocates of this perspective support that contact withother groups serves to reduce the experience of prejudice anddiscrimination.  I agree, however,I would think that it takes more than simply contact.  The contact needs to be structured in such a way ascooperation is required to meet a goal and that the members of the "workgroup" be of equal status.

 

Functionalist Perspective

 

Societies can, from this perspective be viewed asorganisms.  If we were going totake a "survival of the fittest" perspective on the survival ofsocieties we might come to the conclusion that societies best suited to adapt to changes would be the most likely to survive(long enough to keep socializing the next generation).

 

Ability to adapt may be a function of the society's diversity.  A diverse group would have manydifferent talents and skills and would, as a group be better able to deal withchange, to adapt.

 

Societies incorporate diversity into them when groups becomeassimilated into the society.  Chinese culture, for example, has beenassimilated into our culture to a very high degree, as it would be difficult tofind someone who has not eaten at a Chinese food restaurant or seen a Bruce Leeor Jackie Chan movie.

 

One of the challenges we face here in America has to do withone minority group which has NOT assimilated its culture into mainstreamAmerica.  Native Americans havebeen reluctant to accept being assimilated into mainstream culture mainly dueto segregation into reservations, ageneral mistrust developed over generations of broken promises and agreements,and an unwillingness to allow their culture to be "watered down",meaning that in the process of assimilation one loses some components of theoriginal culture as more strongly supported aspects of the dominant culturecome into play.

 

(Anyone ever watch Star Trek and the shows regarding the"Borg"?)

 

Conflict Perspective

 

The conflict perspective looks at the problem of inequalityin our society being generated along racial and ethnic lines.

 

There is poverty in America, but why are there a higherpercentage of blacks vs. whites who are poor? 

 

The conflict perspective also looks at trends in hiring andbusiness where traditional concentrations of power (white males) continue thistrend either through individual or institutional discrimination policies.

 

Critical Race Theory

 

An interesting perspective on inequality based on racial andethnic lines is that it has become "expected and normal" in oursociety.  Consider this example.

 

Tiger Woods has become one of the most highly successfulgolfers in the history of golf. Not only has he been successful on the course, but he has also beensuccessful in the business he has created around himself.  He appears to be hard working, genuine,very friendly and all-in-all an easy person to get along with.

 

When he won his first Masters (the "GreenJacket"Éincidentally, a tournament played at a private country club thatdisallows women to join) it was not his youth or hard work that was talkedabout, it was the fact that he was black.

 

Tiger himself downplayed this entire aspect of his success.

 

Consider, however, that the newspapers made headlines abouta black man winning the mastersÉwhy would this be headline news?  Why would this sell so manynewspapers?  Could it be that itwas "news" because our collective expectations are that it would nothappen? 

 

Watch what happens when America finally elects a blackperson, or a woman, to the PresidencyÉ

 

Éthey won't even cover the weather anymore!