How does racism keep itself alive from generation to generation? Is it "taught" by ones parents?

Question

Do children "learn" it on their own based pn personal experiences? This is a serious question so please keep it serious and w/o racist insults regardless of your personal beliefs. Thank you.

Answer 1

It's society as a whole. If we always focus on one's race, then there will always be racism. If a person commits an act of crime does that person do it b/c he's black/white etc? No it's b/c that person chose to commit that act. The person's race has nothing to do with it. Likewise, if a person has a superior intellect, is his/her intellect due to his/her race? No. We as a society should stop focusing on a person's race & start focusing on a person's character. Good luck. 2D

Answer 2

Well there are a number of factors...

There is a natural and instinctive initial dislike or fear of those who look very different from you. However, this is easily overcome and is more of a starting caution children may face, "wow, this looks different." This isn't really what perpetuates racism though.

However, it's the way the parents and family treat or talk about the "people who look different" that defines how the child responds to them. Most certainly children raised in racists households are liable to pick up the attitudes and beliefs of their parents, as are children raised in tolerant households. Remember that an 8 year old child and younger is pretty much programmed to believe, without question, whatever the parents teach it... If they're told that jews are responsible for the evils in the world, or that mexicans take all the jobs, this is going to stay with the kid and be the "truth" as it sees things...

Of course it's possible when a child reaches a more enlightened age for him/her to change perspective and lose that racism, and this does seem to be happening more and more often.

It's also possible that a series of unfortunate circumstances can lead to racism from personal experience.... The fallacy of composition is a frequent one, and it is possible for resentment against a member of one "race" to expand to reflect the entire group. There is also propaganda and buzzwords which are pretty effective in capitalizing against fears and worries, and can be very persuasive in bringing people into racism... Some nazi/skinheads have such propaganda. It's not at all valid logically, but it sounds good or right to a beleaguered individual.

Then there is religion... Like it or not religion does a lot to foster an "us vs them" "in-group vs. outgroup", "we're right and everyone else is wrong" mentality. If you ever read the bible or other holy book cover to cover you'll see exactly what I mean... The bible in particular was used to justify slavery, the discrimination of other races, oppression of women, etc. and there passages still quoted by the KKK and other such groups... Hell, there's even a part where Jesus claims that non-jews and minorities are "dogs" not worthy of being fed! While religion maintains intolerance specifically against homosexuals and other minority groups, it still perpetuates a racist mentality.


On the plus side though, racism seems to be steadily diminishing. While I don't suspect it will ever really go away completely, it should become so uncommon that it's not much of an issue.

Answer 3

I guess you could say its learned by the passing down of morals and values from generation to generation. whites and blacks and other races have different cultural values which is a fact. i work with a lot of blacks and I am disgusted by some of the things they view to be normal, but only because i have been brought up with a different set of moral and values than them. Racism is also passed on by the governments and societies inequity of the races. affirmative action and other like programs really piss me off especially when oppertunities which i deserve based of merit alone are all to commonly handed to minorities based only race who do not work for them or appreciate them. mostly though, I think racism is learned through personal experience which is the case in both of my examples above.

Answer 4

First of all, "Kunga Munga" is totally wrong in singling out Liberals for perpetuating racism through things like affirmative action. Liberals believe in helping people, no matter who they are, including poor people or whites, for whatever reason! Now THAT is keeping bigotry of a different kind alive!

Yes, it IS mostly the parents, but THEY get it from their surroundings and lack of education and exposure to other groups/races. People generally fear what they don't see as "familiar" , otherwise known as "xenophobia". If it's a different race, then it becomes racism (no matter what race you are).

If it's against Jews or Muslims, it's Antisemitism (Yes, Muslims or Arabs are Semites), if it's against women (or men!) , it's sexism and so on.

There's a great song in some musical (I think it's in "South Pacific"...my mom LOVES show tunes!) called "You have to be carefully taught" (to hate and fear). In that case, they're referring to whites being prejudiced against marrying Polynesians.

Though it IS taught, it can develop such a "life of its own" and engulf whole cultures, that it's almost impossible to defeat, without brainwashing an entire population! I don't think we'll see the end of racism for many generations...sadly!

Answer 5

It seems racism is a learned trait that is passed on from generation to generation. While racism is learned, it can also be exterminated through cultural understanding. The racism that exists in society today will continue for some time because human beings do not like whole sale change, preferring gradual change instead. This gives hope to the next generation of minorities because they will be more ready for true change.

Answer 6

Racism keeps itself alive because it's embedded in the genetics of every healthy creature on the planet to keep it alive.

If little kids weren't ever taught that it's "wrong" to take race into consideration, everybody would grow up to be racist instead of having it "taught" out of them.

Answer 7

Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Louis Farrakhan, NAACP, black caucus, and many others do their best to keep racism alive and thriving. If racism were eliminated...these people would have no purpose in life.

Answer 8

I think children learn it from their environment, their neighbourhood. How can one develop racism based on personal experiences?

Answer 9

It's taught by the parents. I've heard people say that they don't like a particular group of people because of what they've done to them. If that were the case, I'd hate everyone......My father was an "Archie Bunker" type, but my mother was a good person. I try to be a good person. I only "hate" one person & he beat me & threatened my family & friends. I have a good reason.

Answer 10

Parental influence is KEY to being racist. My parents are racist, especially my step father, but it's taught me not to be racist. Some go with the flow while others go against it. Growing up as an asian step-child with a white, redneck step father taught me not to be that way.