Introduction
Racial prejudice is an ingrained social issue in many areas of life. Its comprehensive assessment helps one understand its causes better. In their essay, Harris and Carbado evaluate the forms of racial discrimination today. At the same time, William Ryan examines the historical context and reasons for the development of this problem. The suggested readings address social inequality and racial discrimination from different perspectives. Therefore, this paper aims to analyze these two texts to identify the authors’ main points and general tendencies.
Loot or Find
In the essay “Loot or Find: Fact or Frame?” Harris and Carbado focus on the concept of the existence of specific frames that define racial bias in society at a subconscious level. The authors use the term “color blindness” to define the denial of the occurrence of racism as a social phenomenon (Harris and Carbado 455). One of the author’s key ideas is that, according to many people, the problem of racial discrimination was solved with the Civil Right movement.
However, social inequality and prejudice continue to exist. As confirmation, the authors use two photographs taken after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. While the picture with white people had the caption “finding bread and soda from a local grocery,” the picture with a black man was described as “looting a grocery store” (Harris and Carbado 454). This difference highlights framing and its influence on interpretation.
Blaming the Victim
At the same time, Ryan analyzes the reasons for developing prejudice against African Americans, who are often accused of having social problems. Moreover, the author notes that typical victim blamers are people with progressive views who call themselves “moderates or liberals” (Ryan 581). However, their main concern is ensuring their comfort and well-being, so often, such individuals avoid the essence of the issue. Instead of recognizing the problem and looking for its causes and solutions, they focus on the victim.
As a result, white Americans blame social inequality on African Americans’ lack of education and outdated cultural traditions. Moreover, this issue is reinforced by an educational and healthcare system that focuses on compensatory rather than comprehensive change. As a result, rather than seeing African Americans as victims of social inequality and discrimination, they are criminalized and perceived as a potential threat to the rule of law. All this leads to the impossibility of eliminating discrimination and racism due to a lack of understanding of their root causes.
Comparison
The authors of both texts analyze the issues of social inequality and racial discrimination ingrained in society. Instead of looking for ways to collectively solve the problem and eradicate it, laws and regulations contribute to the criminalization of the Black community. Moreover, social institutions, such as the media, health services, and educational institutions, promote existing inequalities.
By shaping public opinion and behavior, they normalize racial discrimination at the institutional level. As a result, society does not see a social problem in the criminalization of African Americans, their lack of social protection, and lack of access to proper healthcare or education. Failure to understand the nature of the problem and its underlying causes makes it impossible to find an effective solution and create equal social opportunities for all citizens, regardless of race or ethnic origin.
Reflection and Conclusion
I share the authors’ view that social inequality and racism are social constructs that are ingrained in society at a subconscious level. Moreover, many people deny the existence of discrimination or oppression because it is their behavior. It argues for color blindness, mentioned by Harris and Carbado, and society’s unwillingness to pay attention to existing inequalities. Moreover, I agree that blaming the victim for social problems is a way of avoiding responsibility and the need to find solutions to them.
Works Cited
Harris, Cheryl I., and Devon W, Carbado. “Loot or Find: Fact or Frame?” The Meaning of Difference: American Constructions of Race and Ethnicity, Sex and Gender, Social Class, Sexuality, and Disability, edited by Karen Rosenblum and Toni-Michelle Travis, McGraw Hill, 2012, pp. 453-463.
Ryan, William. “Blaming the Victim.” Race, Class, and Gender in the United States: An Integrated Study, edited by Paula S. Rothenberg, St. Martin’s Press, 1992, pp. 574-583.
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