Introduction
The issue of racism and discrimination of ethnic groups is widespread through the globe and is still persistent. This issue has caused many controversies in the west. Individuals relate and treat people of different racial groups differently. Individuals look at those different from them as being lower, less bright, and poor. In addition, they associate people different from them with negative issues affecting their communities. This article analyzes three chapters selected from three different books. The chapters aim at helping to change people’s view on ethnicity and racism. This article highlights the strengths and weaknesses of the three chapters under review and analyzes them. Further, this article focuses on factors for positive coexistence of people of different races and ethnicities. In particular, it considers the relationship between natives of a country and immigrants.
Summary of chapters
Herbert’s chapter is “Positive Functions of the Undeserving Poor”. This chapter starts by asking how Americans benefit from having large numbers of poor people. Further, it relates the issue of poverty to discrimination in the United States. He uses the consequences or the functions resulting from poverty in order to analyze this. He establishes the reasons why the well to do Americans stereotype the poor as undeserving. He attributes poverty in America to illegal immigration and moral decadency. Further, he analyzes the positive functions of the undeserving poor and classifies them into five broad sets. The functions are economic, political, normative, micro cultural and macro-cultural functions (Gans 183).
The “Discrimination and American Creed” chapter by Merton talks about the different ways that individuals treat people of racial groups different from theirs. He addresses the way people treat different races inappropriately. He goes on to link this to social, economic, and peer pressure forces that surround those individuals. His article aims at educating people on the need for equality among races. He uses the American creed to emphasize his points. He says, “the creed asserts the indefeasible principle of the human right to full equity- the right of equitable access to justice, freedom and opportunity, irrespective of race or religion or ethnic origin” (Merton 131). Further, he classifies the Americans into different ethnical and racial liberal groups according to the way they adhere to the creed with references to beliefs and practices. He categorizes the Americans into broad groups of unprejudiced non-discriminators, unprejudiced discriminators, prejudiced non-discriminators and prejudiced discriminators. Merton advocates for people to treat each other fairly and equally irrespective of race.
Cornell and Hartmann in their chapter “A Constructionist Approach” seek to emphasize on need for construction of ethnic and race. In addition, the chapter assesses the logic of construction and reconstruction of issues influencing ethnicity and racism. The chapter indicates that for people to overcome negative ethnicity and do away with racism they first have to accept their race and appreciate other races (Cornell and Hartmann 81). The authors expound on the nature of ethnic and racial relationship bonds and the problems connected to those relationships. Further, this chapter suggests ways to reform interrelations between people of various ethnicities and races.
Critique of articles
These three chapters under review are advocating for the same course. They are advocating for peaceful coexistence of individuals irrespective of ethnicity. All three chapters seek to change people thoughts on this subject. However, they use different approaches in their efforts to convince individuals to trash racism and negative ethnicity.
In Herbert’s article, the main basis for racism is poverty. He makes a connection between racism and poverty. In addition, Herbert uses American well-off people’s stereotypes to show this. In his chapter, the American well-off people discriminate against poor people whom they regard as people with questionable morals and immigrants. These Americans argue that immigrants both legal and illegal spike up the poverty levels in their country. This is probably because these immigrants lack proper channels to sustain themselves. The well-off individuals regard the poor as undeserving. Herbert in this chapter tries to change views of the American well to do class. He highlights positive functions of the poor in his bid to pass the message. Further, Herbert gives examples relating to the importance of poor people in terms of social, cultural, economic, and political spheres.
Herbert’s ideas are clear and content is relevant. One can relate the idea of poverty to discrimination. His explanation on the reasons why people consider the poor as underprivileged and discriminate them have basis and relate to what is happening in the current world. Unfortunately, Herbert’s chapter is not as effective in relating the issue of discrimination to races. Herbert’s chapter mainly talks of poverty instead of racism. He barely shows the connection of racism issues to poverty.
Looking at Merton’s chapter, the issue of racism and ethnicity is clear. His chapter focuses on the relationship between locals in America and the way they view and behave towards immigrants. Further, he mentions the American creed and explains what it says about the issue. He categorizes the locals into various liberal groups based on the way they behave towards the immigrants.
Clearly, Merton’s chapter is effective. It manages to capture the issue of racism and ethnicity as well as show the relationship between different races. An individual can easily identify with this. Further, Merton shows the variation in degree of discrimination of people from different races. These variations range from unprejudiced non-discrimination that is fully liberal to prejudiced discrimination that is all weather illiberal. This shows that readers have a wide scope to analyze the chapter. However, this chapter has shortcomings. The main weakness of Merton’s work is the fact that his chapter is one sided. That is he mainly base his findings on the native’s point of view and does not consider the immigrants views on racism.
Cornell and Hartmann’s chapter focuses on construction of ethnic and racial relations. It places emphasis on an individual first accepting one’s race and proceeding to appreciate the races of those different him. He also looks at relationships and bonds of different races and ethnic groups and advices on how to reconstruct and maintain those bonds.
This chapter is successful in helping readers understand the roots of racism and negative ethnicity. Of all chapters, this is the most applicable and easy to relate to real life. However, this chapter has a shortcoming in the sense that it focuses on the roots of racism too much and does not intensively highlight the actual problem.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the theme of this article, which is racism and ethnic issues of natives and immigrants, come out well. Despite the fact that the three chapters use different approaches to address view of racism and negative ethnicity, they all achieve the overall goal. Root causes of racism and negative ethnicity and consequences of racism are clear. Additionally, the three chapters show different forms of discrimination and offer solutions to the problem. Therefore, all individuals follow the recommendations provided the problem of racism and negative ethnicity will be an issue of the past.
Works Cited
Cornell, Stephen and Douglas Hartmann. Ethnicity and Race: Making Identities in a Changing World 2nd ed. California: Pine Forge Press, 2006. Print.
Gans, Herbert. “Positive Functions of Underserving poor: Uses of the Underclass in America.” Rethinking the Colour Line: Readings in Race and Ethnicity 4th ed. Ed. Charles Gallagher. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008. 182-194. Print.
Merton, Robert. “Discrimination and the American Creed.” Rethinking the Color Line: Readings in Race and Ethnicity 3rd ed. Ed. Charles Gallagher. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2006. 130-137. Print.