Can knowledge........?

Question

can knowledge of how racial and ethinc inequalities originate help societies improve race and ethic relations?

Answer 1

Perhaps but people's need to feel superior will never falter. The only people that will change their thinking are the educated, intellegent ones and unfortunately the world is not run by intellegent and educated people.

The world is pretty much controlled by the superstitious and the arrogant and all the education and research can't seem to change that.

Answer 2

Knowledge can help, but ultimately it is the attitude and actions that determines ethnic relations.
One thing that could be done, in my opinion, is to eradicate the use of the word race, which represents a false concept. Ethnicity might be a better all-round alternative, referring more to cultural variables and community aspects of a group of people, rather than physical appearance such as skin color.
Until people adopt an attitude of equality and acceptance, relations between groups of people will not change at any great level. Having said this, knowledge must be a key factor in getting people to think critically about their beliefs and become more open minded .

Answer 3

I believe so. Racial and ethnic tensions have mostly come from from economic inequality. For example, the KKK was started based on the freedom of slaves and their availability of low wage skilled labor. Also, Hitler and the Germans of the early 1920's to 30's abhorred the Weimar republic because many Jews held the skilled and educated jobs. Thus, he rose easily to power with his anti-Semitic belief. If societies were more knowledgeable, it may change the economic structure which would change racial tensions. But, then out of that may come class inequalities. Interesting question though.

Answer 4

Knowing where something starts is the first step to eliminating it. I think race relations are hard to change because it's about power and fear of losing the power. Logically, discrimination and race-based hate is ridiculous, but peoples desire for power gets tied up in these things.

As a white person, when I do encounter black people I get very nervous because I think that automatically people will assume that I am prejudiced. This in turn, leads to me doing things differently in these situations.
I just watched Tuskegee Airmen for a sociology class, and those pilots were in a similar position. They were an experimental group of black pilots in WWII who ended up acting poorly in some situations because of the pressure on them. They prevailed in the end, but not without serious obstacles based on their race.

The only thing that will improve race relations is when the whole world is finally one race and we can't see a distinction anymore. Unfortunately, we'll all be dead by then..or living on the moon.

Answer 5

I'm afraid it's very unlikely. Racial inequality isn't maintained due to mass ignorance. It's deliberately maintained by powerful men who know quite well what they're doing.

Answer 6

Of course, history is there for a reason so we can learn from it and not make the same mistakes.

Answer 7

What good is knowledge, Without understanding?.....so NO to your question

Answer 8

Couldn't hurt.

Answer 9

yes

Answer 10

oh yeah. you don't know how to solve a problem until you know where it comes from and how it came about.