I believe we live in a society of closet racists.Especially the older generation but isn't it instinctual to protect and nurture your own even if it is to the detriment of another race? Considering how strongly territorialus humans are, will we ever live in a racist free world? Can we manage this without law enforcement so that it is a true choice and not something we are forced to abide by?
2006-07-25 14:13:02 · 22 answers · asked by karlos 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Other - Society & Culture
I think that racism is something that people learn. Either by a bad experience of an encounter with someone of a different race, or bad parenting!
2006-07-29 12:57:40 · answer #1 · answered by ? 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No, its not human nature it's learnt behaviour. You may think race is a basic difference between people, others might think it was gender, religion, language or the kind of music they like.
I note that you regard the older generation as being more likely to be closet racist than the younger people. Could that be because there are some changes going on?
As far as I am concerned, it would be great if everyone would be good by choice. but they won't, so we have laws and policemen etc to stop them stealing, raping and killing. and to try and catch them when they break the law. Its not Ideal, but its all we've got, and I'd rather someone was a closet rapist than an active one. Race crime isn't any different. Would you want to let people have a "true choice" over rape and murder?
A couple of hundred years ago protestant mobs on the streets of London were hunting down Catholics and beating them to death. They don't do that now. Times do change.
Does it matter what race someone is on the Internet?
2006-07-25 21:34:32 · answer #2 · answered by hi_patia 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Toddlers do not exhibit racism, racism is built-in by society and our parents, whether willingly or not.
When you mention the older generation, personally I've noticed more like two extremes, some people are bitter and very racist, others are more open and at peace. My interpretation is that people who are at peace with themsleves are not racist, having understood we are all humans and in the same boat.
The fact is that there were less opportunities in the past, when the older generation was young, for races to cohabitate, less chances to learn about each other's cultures; racism was institutionalised in many places. Therefore they should be more likely to be racist.
For the younger generation, the reasons for racism are lower since society is more accepting, more tolerant of differences.
While humans are territorial and we tend to belong to people around us, that doesn't mean it has to be people of the same race. As people of different races live together, go to school together, work together, our definition of our tribe will include more people from other races.
That doesn't mean that people who live in areas which has people of one race are racists, it's just that it's easier for people who interact with people of other races on a daily basis to be non-racist.
Of course the interactions have to be at many levels. For example if the only people of a certain race you encounter are say janitors, then you might develop an image of that race. But as education becomes more available to everybody, you will see people of different races in all sorts of roles.
I think that over time, over generations, left alone, racism will decrease.
Unfortunately, there can be shocks to the system. Like the 'war on terror' that seems to causing increased racism against certain communities. That is something we, as individuals, need to go beyond, so we do not become racists and throw the process back decades.
2006-07-25 23:06:00 · answer #3 · answered by ekonomix 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't believe it's instinctual. Infants and toddlers are usually not discriminatory based on race, gender or anything else. It has to be taught. Of course, we notice differences in people, but we don't inherently hate because of those differences.
However, I believe it's a never-ending cycle. The oppressed want the dominant group to understand why they are angry and frustrated and the dominant group wants the oppressed to "get over it." It just creates this back-and-forth finger pointing with no resolution or hope for healing. Law enforcement can't regulate the human heart. Healing has to come from within every person and reach outward.
2006-07-25 21:16:58 · answer #4 · answered by jd 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What is a racist? We are all part of the human race, so I presume that racism is humans hating humans irrespective of height, weight, width, or colour. If so then we are not closet racists but just the opposite. Look at the papers ... civil war, brother fighting brother and so on. Now the ethnic issue is something else! I don't believe that it is born into us. People learn this from following the bad teaching and examples of their ignorant peers. Lets hope the next generations practice tolerance and understanding for their fellow humans and learn from our (bad) example.
2006-07-25 21:38:25 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No it is not nature or natural, it is just plain ignorant racism, its the ignorant and bigots of this world that cause hatred amongst men, if they don't know it or understand it they hate it, god help them for their selfishness, no matter what colour or creed we are we all have the same colour blood and none of it should be spilt on war or hatred, my grandfather was Italian and his two sons fought in the second world war for this country but my grandfather was inter ed in prison just for been an Italian living in Britain, the sickness of the bigoted brain in racists is scary and it really, really is about time we stopped before its far too late..
2006-07-26 12:41:35 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Racism and bigotry are not human nature. It is a behavior that we learn starting in childhood. No matter how territorial we may be we can still learn to get along with people that do not have the same background that we do. There will always be people that will not try to get along with others who may be "different" than they are. I have had some close friends that were not the same skin color or from the same background as i am.
2006-07-25 21:27:27 · answer #7 · answered by curious 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, we will never stop being racist. We are all created unequal and even though people try to promote equality there is never going to be complete equality. The best way to combat racism is to learn more about each race. It might sound cliche but its the only thing that makes sense. We as humans only tend to think about ourselves, so appreciated what others have is a plausible solution.
2006-07-25 21:18:56 · answer #8 · answered by swiftassailant77 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I do not think racism is human nature.
What is human nature is FEAR.
Combine that with people not wanting to take RESPONSIBLITY.
Well, needing people to blame, they get the MINORITY of the area.
Be is racism, anti-semites, gay-bashers...etc.
If people just communicate, ask questions, I bet there would be less racism. ALSO if people were more accountable for there actions... well, the world would be a better place
2006-07-25 21:19:14 · answer #9 · answered by vascsono 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If people can accept each other for who they are rather than what they look like or where they come from, we might have a chance, whatever religion you follow there is one almighty being, who is to say who is right, or who is wrong, please everyone, can we just not try to get on? if we did this we would not need law enforcement coz it would not be needed, but modern society is too much up its own ****
2006-07-25 21:24:28 · answer #10 · answered by Ian H 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋