Introduction
Here will be presented purpose statement that this term paper attempts to apply feminist theory, critical race approach, symbolic interactionism, and structural functionalism to study the origins, drivers, mechanisms, and outcomes of racism in America.
The introduction starts with the writer’s discussion of the presence of racism in the political, cultural, and societal realms of America (Foy, 2020). It will end with a claim that modern social theories may help build “connections between abstraction and observation, concepts and evidence, the knowable and the unknown” within this topic (Longhofer & Winchester, 2016, p. xvi).
Feminist theory is an oppositional branch of sociology that provides one with a gender lens to analyze and explain social interactions, subjects, and objects (Goodman, 2020). One explanation of racism by feminist thinkers is that racism is a manifestation of the agency and power of people of a particular racial identity over others.
Critical race theory is a modern sociological and philosophical set of theoretical concepts to observe and analyze “social, legal, and political life” via race and racial relations as central and driving elements (Christian et al., 2019, p. 1). It interprets contemporary racism as an informal institution for the dominance of one racial group, white people in the sociological context of the United States, over others.
Symbolic interactionism is a sociological theoretical model that looks at social relations as a constant circulation of subjective viewpoints, meanings, and communication symbols (Quist-Adade, 2019). Racism is the manifestation of historically ingrained or imposed racially hostile perspectives and meanings through symbolic word structures and physical gestures of the exact nature.
Structural functionalism is a sociological theory that perceives society as a set of systems that perform various functions via various social norms, rites, institutions, and traditions (Schultz & Ortino, 2020). Racism is a societal function performed by specific structures that bring disturbances in community relations and disharmonizes society.
A conclusive summary that says that each of the sociological theoretical frameworks explored can be a recipe for a potential cure for the societal disease of racism in America.
References
Christian, M., Seamster, L., & Ray, V. (2019). New directions in critical race theory and sociology: Racism, white supremacy, and resistance.American Behavioral Scientist, 63(13), 1-10.
Foy, S. L. (2020). Racism in America: A reference handbook. ABC-CLIO.
Goodman, R. T. (Ed.). (2019). The Bloomsbury handbook of 21st-century feminist theory. Bloomsbury Publishing.
Longhofer, W., & Winchester, D. (Eds.). (2016). Social theory re-wired: New connections to classical and contemporary perspectives (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Quist-Adade, C. (2019). Symbolic interactionism: The basics. Vernon Press.
Schultz, T., & Ortino, F. (Eds.). (2020). The Oxford handbook of international arbitration. OUP Oxford.