Intersectionality and gendered racism
Intersectionality is a study that seeks to examine the level of oppression and discrimination that people of a minority group encounter in their daily lives. The intersectionality concept enables people to understand the different experiences with regard to the social categories of a person (“Intersecting Race, Class, and Gender” 1). It explains that inequalities arise because of the difference in class, gender, age, and race.
Therefore, any society that intends to wipe out oppression should address the aspects that bring in the inequality. Intersectionality analysis explains that it is quite difficult to address the various factors that cause oppression unless people are ready to change their nature of relating with the minority groups.
Black females are some of the people who experience discrimination in their daily errands. Indeed, some female activists explain that black women encounter the worst experiences in some parts of the world. Gender racism is a double tragedy as the women are discriminated because of their gender and because of their race. Intersectionality helps in examining the extent to which the various variables of discrimination intersect to affect a marginalized group.
Intersectionality is somewhat related to gender racism as it can combine the two variables of discrimination, race and gender, to explain the extent to which the marginalized group is affected (“Social construction of race and identities” 3). Intersectionality explains that the gender racism cultures that people cling on are bound to interconnected systems of the society.
For this reason, some people will find it customary to discriminate colored women without any form of conscious. Some men have an innate trait of considering females as inferior characters who cannot be leaders, and the fact that a woman is colored makes the matters worse.
Gender racism is an inferior experience as the affected females have little or nothing left for them. Intersectionality theory explains the degree of intensity of the negative effects of segregating colored women. In the job market, for example, colored women are discriminated as everything is allocated in terms of the ethnicity and masculinity of the interested candidates. The psychological distress resulting from discrimination is an example of an adverse consequence of the intersection of the discriminatory variables.
Intersectionality plays a great role in explaining the social concepts of the affected characters. The fact that one knows that a woman lives in a sexist nation cannot guarantee that the woman experiences some form of oppression. The third party cannot give sufficient information to explain the experience of the affected person. This is because the person may give prejudiced reports depending on the social attitude towards the sexist society.
Intersectionality explains that the expression of oppression for the affected women depends on the adopted response. Some women have learnt to live with gender racism, but others still find it difficult to cope up with the discrimination. The perception that sexist nations consider women of color to be most suitable for low-level jobs is very common. Socialists have written that in such nations, black women are never equal with men, or their fellow white women.
However, one cannot give a decisive conclusion from a literature review. The intersectionality theory insists on formulating a hypothesis and working out towards proving the truth behind the hypothesis. Therefore, for one to have a clear understanding of the level of discrimination of the oppressed group, it would be necessary to carry out a quantitative research and obtain first hand information that would help in making decisive conclusions.
Gendered racism existed in the 19th century in most western countries. However, in the 1960s, the multiracial feminists came up with the intersectionality concept. The feminists wanted to have a critical analysis of the gender racism issue that had disenabled black women. Essentially, the intersectionality experience for the black women was far much worse than any other form of discrimination.
The feminists struggled to address the gender racism issue during the 20th century as they advocated that women needed a chance to serve in lucrative positions in the society. In the contemporary world, most females are empowered economically, politically, and culturally. Some few nations still practice gendered racism, but the issue is outdated in the current world.
From the discussions, it is evident that understanding intersectionality is very vital for any colored woman who intends to experience equality in political and social aspects. Intersectionality brings in revolution of the extent in which gender racism affects women, and the rational approach to address the issue.
Intersectionality enables women to improve the democratic system, foster co-operation, and wipe out the inferiority complex that lies in the minds of some colored women. Women can cooperate through strategic intersectionality to bridge the gaps between the dominant and marginal groups in the society.
Social construction of race
Social construction of race occurs when the society plays a significant role in discriminating people of different races. From this aspect, the entire society creates a favorable environment for racists to segregate the minority group (Lorde 57).
Moreover, social construction of race would be viewed form an individual point of view, where, the human thoughts and the interaction levels of the people of different races play a significant role in determining their relationship. The society would play a significant role in disapproving racism, but there are specific people who are racists. In addressing the social construction of race aspect, we analyze racism and the racists, as it is impossible to have racism without racists.
A society that groups people according to their race will always depict the necessary picture to the affected person whenever circumstances allow. In most nations, some White elites have some affluent estates in which they live comfortably with their families. Naturally, the society will offer certain privileges to such estates at the expense of the estates inhabited by people of other races.
Nations may not agree that racism prevails in their society; however, the various institutions in the nations could be having some influential racists who will always discriminate people because of their races. The banks, schools, and courts are some of the institutions that employ discriminatory practices from one time to another. In some cases, employers will deny charges against racism as they insist on their commitment to equality. However, they will defend themselves to win court cases, but their actions do not address justice.
The film, Real bad Arabs, depicts Arabs as terrorists who can take any role to achieve what they want. In the film, Arabs have the degrading images of bandits and threatening sheikhs among other devastating images. People in the contemporary world have always considered Arabs as inhumane people who can do anything to fulfill their desires. A person from a different race cannot readily accept to adopt the Arab culture in spite of the fact that the film portrays the characters of a few Arabians (Reel Bad Arabs).
Moreover, the ill practices could be outdated, but the prejudicial attitudes toward Arabs still prevail in most non-Arabians. United States has heartless policies towards Arab, and the same thing applies when Arabs intend to visit other nations across the world. The rich Arabian historical culture is ignored, and nations handle Arabians with little justice because of the negative prejudices. The entire world perceives Arabs as maligns, and very few people would want to associate or intermarry with the Arabs.
Most nations will always regard racism as an outdated issue in the contemporary world, but the truth is that the society still plays a significant role in discriminating the colored people. Occasionally, the society will group people according to their physical outlook. A society that discriminates the Blacks, for example, will “tell” the Blacks that they are inferior characters in the society who ought to be submissive to the Whites (Fanon 18).
Racial formation is a social historical aspect that prevailed in most western nations in ancient days. The society played a great role in creating and transforming racial categories. Many events that happened in history portrayed the African Americans as inferior characters who ought to be slaves. Social construction of race happens when the society categorizes people according to their skin color. In such cases, the colored and non-colored people cannot have equal opportunities in the society.
People of the same race have a similar ancestry, where, the colored people will always have an African ancestry. Although the society will struggle to address equality, people of the same race will always find it worthwhile to relate together. Ethnicity is another social construct issue that affects people with different cultures. Ethnicity will always group people according to their cultural customs, religion, and the language they speak. Social construction of race occurs because of the nature and behavior of the human being.
Although people can adopt any culture regardless of their ancestry, most people are always unwilling to drop their culture. Many people will always try to cling to their culture, marry people of their own race, and avoid any intimate relationship with people of a different race (Andersen and Howard 38). The social interaction levels will always vary depending on the ancestry of the involved characters.
From the discussions above, it is evident that race is a very slippery concept to address. In the contemporary world, people could regard racism as an ambiguous subject that is outdated. However, the truth is that racism is a social construct issue that is omnipresent in the entire world. In spite of the fact that contradictions would arise while addressing the subject, racism is real. Most people have some innate trait that will mark the boundaries of relating with people of different races.
If it were not for the strict laws concerning racism, the issue could still be prevalent in most states. Therefore, the political struggle of the African Americans to have equal opportunities in every aspect of life should be an ongoing process. Activists who are addressing the racism issue should never tire, as people need a constant reminder that skin color is an insignificant aspect of the human being.
Works Cited
Andersen, Margaret, and Howard Taylor. Sociology: The Essentials. Nevada, Wadsworth: Cengage Learning, 2013. Print.
Fanon, Frantz. “Facts of Blackness.” Chicken Bones 1.1 (1952): 1-23. Print.
“Intersecting Race, Class, and Gender.” PowerPoint Presentation. Class Notes. 1-11.
Lorde, Audre. “Age, Race, Class, and Sex: Women Redefining Difference.” Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches. 1.1 (1980): 59-63. Print.
Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People. Moving Image Archive, 2006.Film.
“Social construction of race and identities.” PowerPoint Presentation. Class Notes, 1-10.