Racism

So I've been pondering this lately, and since I can't make up my own mind, I figured I would let you all do it for me.

Is it a learned behavior? Can you get rid of it? Do you think it's a problem in today's society? Are people from all races guilty of it?

Kind of a broad subject I know. Just curious as to what you all think.

Let's keep this civil. If it should take off, I'd hate to see it get into a bickering match between opposing sides like every other semi-serious thread.


Edited by karll - 12 June 2007 at 1:26am

Care to elaborate on that any? 

Is it a learned behavior?
Yes, if you are raised in an environment where it is either condoned or used frequently.

Can you get rid of it?
I'd assume so, however most likely only though experience.

Do you think it's a problem in today's society?
I think it's an issue, however I am not quite sure to what extent.

Are people from all races guilty of it?
Definitely.

Edited by Glassjaw - 12 June 2007 at 2:52am

Take a psychology class. You will go over this. Its a very interesting thing.

No it is not a learned trait, as humans we examine others through a lense of what we know, being ourselves, a three year old sees a black man and compares what he sees with his own image, comparing and contrasting, seeing differences and discrepencies, its completely natural, its when it turns into violence and discrimination that we have a serious problem.

karll wrote: Is it a learned behavior?

Is that a yes or no question?  I guess it depends on how you define "racism".  There is clearly a social aspect, but there is significant evidence for a biological underpinning of a form of racism. 

Kin selection theory provides that we tend to favor people that are related to us, and the more related they are, the more favored they are.  That's tricky, because it isn't always easy to tell how closely related people are to you.  But it is a good rule of thumb that people that look way different from you tend to be less related to you than people that look a lot like you.

Wow that is the first time I've ever read anything seriouse that .Ryan
said that I totally agree with.

Racism exists in two worlds, the physical world and in the make-
believe world of a racists mind.

Allow me to ellaborate,

The problem starts with in influence of others (parents,
grandparents, teachers, friends...ect). This influence creats a mental
image of a certain race or ethnicity. This mental image (if negative)
will either cause racism or cause someone to think that they are
being descriminated against. I am not saying that descrimination
doesn't exist (it does). I am saying that some descrimination can
simply be psycological.

Good discussion

Later

Take a group of very small children of different races, and most will group with those that are similar to them race wise.  A small amount I believe is natural, since you tend to want things you are used to near you and not something different.

I think that anyone who is raised up by ignorant racists cannot be reversed from their way of thinking, since that is all they know and humans are very hard to change.

I don't think racism is a problem in civilized society at all, you just have your extremists (ex. Al Sharpton) who turn everything into a race issue and blow it all out of proportion.

Glassjaw wrote: Is it a learned behavior? Yes, if you are raised in an environment where it is either condoned or used frequently.

or if you are raised around members of a certain race, and all of them or most of them act in an unfavorable way. take myself for example.  all but 3 black kids at my school, that i know, are all the stereotypical, rapping down the hallways, no respect for anyone else, crap talking, thug, drama queen morons.  given thats about the extent of my experiences with that certain race, i am mildly racist.   i wasnt at all going into highschool, and there weren't any black kids at my middle school.  but once in highschool, i really learned to hate the way that group of people acted.