What is racism?

Answer 1

A socially created phenomena where a peron in a race that has power (social,econmic,educational....) uses that power to supress another raceor racialism is a form of discrimination based on race, especially the belief that one race is superior to another. Racism may be expressed individually and consciously, through explicit thoughts, feelings, or acts, or socially and unconsciously, through institutions that promote inequality between races.
www.kids.net.au/encyclopedia-wiki/ra/Racism

(Audre Lorde): The inherent belief in the superiority of one race over all others and thereby the right to dominance.
www.uihome.uidaho.edu/default.aspx

The belief that one 'racial group' is inferior to another and the practices of the dominant group to maintain the inferior position of the dominated group. Often defined as a combination of power, prejudice and discrimination.
www.bl.uk/services/learning/curriculum/voices/refglos.html

The doctrine that race is the basic determinant of human abilities and that, therefore, the various racial groups constitute a hierarchy in which one group is properly regarded as superior to others. Racism has also been defined using the following formula: Power+Prejudice=Racism. Racism has also been defined as a "system of advantage based on race."
www.unk.edu/offices/aaeo/index.php

defined broadly as stigmatization of those we perceive as different from us; defined specifically as the doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior. There can be an ethnocentric group of people without being a racist group of people because racism seems to need to have some systematized body of scientific knowledge. ...
www.geocities.com/paris/chateau/6110/europeconceptsterms.htm

Racism is prejudice or discrimination based on the belief that race is the primary factor determining human traits and abilities. Racism includes the belief that genetic or inherited differences produce the inherent superiority or inferiority of one race over another. In the name of protecting their race from "contamination," some racists justify the domination and destruction of races they consider to be either superior or inferior. ...
www.adl.org/children_holocaust/more_resources.asp

An attitude, action or institutional structure, which subordinates a person or group because of their color. Racism involves having the power to carry out systematic discriminatory practices.
www.gecdf.com/diversity/glossary.html

Judging an individual based solely on his or her racial affiliation.
highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072863129/student_view0/chapter14/key_terms.html

personal (attitudes/beliefs/behaviors), institutional (policies, laws, regulations) and social/cultural (beliefs, customs) that subordinates others based on physical characteristics involves use of power plus privilege
www.accta.net/2003whitedef.html

Usually experienced as white supremacy, oppression/discrimination, action or inaction which subordinates based on race.
www.letswrap.com/LetsWRAP/Spring97/isms.htm

An assumption that there is an inherent purity and superiority of certain races and inferiority of others. It denotes any attitude, behavior, or institutional structure that subordinates, persons or groups because of their race or ethnic background. Such practices can be intentional or unintentional.
web.bryant.edu/~fsp/modules/2/diversitygloss.htm

Prejudice or discrimination based on an individual's race. It can be expressed individually or through institutional policies or practices.
www.culturalpartnerships.org/productspubs/glossary.asp

The stigmatising of difference along the lines of ‘racial’ characteristics in order to justify advantage or abuse of power, whether economic, political, cultural or psychological.
freespace.virgin.net/brendan.richards/glossary/glossary.htm

is a phenomenon in which people mistreat, discriminate against, dislike or even hate, have disdain for, or regard as inferior other people based on their real or perceived race. The term is almost always used pejoratively, with accusations of racism being very common but with few describing themselves as racist. The term racialism is sometimes favored as a less negative term by those who hold certain beliefs about other races which they believe to be scientifically justified.
www.encyclopedia4u.com/r/racism.html

is power plus racial prejudice, a system that leads to the oppression of or discrimination against, specific racial or ethnic groups.
colours.mahost.org/faq/definitions.html

This managed to express itself in both pre- and post-Darwinian understandings. In the pre-Darwinian scheme of things, based on the idea of the Great Chain of Being the question was this: do the various races occupy different levels on the chain, some higher, some lower, or are they all basically human? ...
alpha.fdu.edu/~jbecker/nature/natureglossary.html

practices and attitudes that display dislike or antagonism towards people seen as belonging to particular ethnic groups. Social significance is attached to culturally constructed ideas of difference.
media.pearsoncmg.com/intl/ema/uk/0131217666/student/0131217666_glo.html

Racism may be viewed as any attitude, action, or institutional structure which subordinates a person or group because of his or her color. It is an ideology that considers a group’s unchangeable physical characteristics to be linked in a direct, causal way to psychological or intellectual characteristics. This distinguishes between superior and inferior racial groups.
www.roundtoplewis.com/define.html

the prejudice that members of one race are intrinsically superior to members of other races
discriminatory or abusive behavior towards members of another race
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

Racism has many different definitions. Historically, it has been defined as the belief that race is the primary determinant of human capacities, that a certain race is inherently superior or inferior to others, and/or that individuals should be treated differently according to their racial designation. Sometimes racism means beliefs, practices, and institutions that discriminate against people based on their perceived or ascribed race. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racism

Answer 2

Some of these responses are ridiculous. As an American, I am beginning to realize how racist Britain actually is. Embrace diversity instead of thinking "Oh no!! they are taking over". I literary have friends from almost every culture imaginable, and it has in fact made me a better person. Even the deep south of the US, which has a bad reputation for racism, is not near as bad as what I see on some of these message boards. I grew up in a neighborhood where I was the only white kid, and I was at times discriminated against, but I don't make generalizations of all minorities because of it.

Answer 3

Racism is an extreme prejudice based on race. Everybody prejudges other people based on how they look. It's even natural to have some prejudice towards people of another culture or race if you haven't had much exposure to other cultures. People naturally are biased somewhat towards those who look like them.

However, if you have an extreme reaction to someone just based on their nationality or skin color, that is extremely anti-social and counter productive. You really lose out on a lot when you make judgements against someone for trivial reasons, and race is a trivial reason to not like someone.

Racism is prejudice taken to that extreme. People have even been killed just because they looked different. Racial stereotypes also worsen the problem.

So, while mild prejudices are normal, they are still something we should try to control in ourselves. We really have to put ourselves in the other person's shoes and realize that no matter what they look like, they are mostly like us.

Judging others is a good thing. It's good to have opinions. However, those judgements should be made on a person's character, not on what they look like. Unfortunately, a person's character takes a lot longer to learn about, and people rather take a short cut to judging others and go on appearances only.

Answer 4

Racism is the belief in the inferiority of members of a different race, and the power to implement polices and actions that are detrimental to the other race. It is the power to change and denigrate the history of the other race. It is the power to change history to read "We created civilization", and to proclaim the other race is just the recipients of it. It is the power to subjugate the other race.

Answer 5

Here is the definition for racism: prejudice or animosity against people who belong to other races

and that is really bad.

Answer 6

Racism is when one person hates another person because of what race they are.

Answer 7

from all the racist questions people post on Yahoo! Answers, you seriously don't know what racism is?

Answer 8

racism is when a race is the majority in power and they use economic strategies to disenfranchise the minority. so you can't be in the minority and be a racist. because you have no power to affect the majority.

Answer 9

racism is when one person hates another because of there skin color , there religion or there sexual preference. basically when people want to hate

Answer 10

We are all brothers and sisters. No racism.

Answer 11

All this hate can’t last forever
It’s time that we stand together Everybody wants to rule the world.