The race is the factor that should be taken seriously in contemporary society. This is the idea that is evident in the Introduction to “The Politics of Race” (Wallis and Fleras x). The burning interest in the problem of race in contemporary Canadian society can be traced with the help of sources devoted to this issue. The present paper offers a review of three sources that cast light on the problem of racism in modern Canadian society.
The main focus of the article “Racism in the Justice System” can be understood due to the title of the article. The thesis that runs through the whole article is that according to statistics, racism is flourishing in the Canadian justice system. It needs prompt action preceded by the analysis of the sources of institutional racism injustice system in Canada.
The article analyzes racism in the criminal justice system applying three perspectives and identifying three types of racism typical of Canadian justice: personal, systemic, and ideological racism (Canadian Race Relations Foundation par. 4). These types of racism are analyzed in relation to the main processes of the criminal justice system: policing, judiciary, and the penal system (Canadian Race Relations Foundation par. 4). The article offers a practical illustration of theoretical statements, stressing such eloquent facts that almost all judges in Canada are white (Canadian Race Relations Foundation par. 5), that one-third of First Nations inmates do not understand their sentence because of inadequate representation, etc. (Canadian Race Relations Foundation par. 5). The presentation of the facts of the racist treatment of the justice system is very convincing. Since the justice system should provide equal opportunities and safety to all citizens, it should be reconsidered and rebuilt.
The second article under the title “Racism in Canada” demonstrates its main advantage at once. The clear structure helps to grasp its main thesis at once. Applying a historical approach, Satzewich analyzes the present state of racism in Canadian society in connection with four main changes that have occurred in the course of time (par. 2). The author analyzes the following changes and their consequences for racism: less overt discrimination in Canadian organizations, the changes of immigration policy, the change of the symbolic order of race, and elimination of “clear-cut pattern of disadvantage … rooted … in racial discrimination” (Satzewich par. 7).
However, the final section of the article states that the issue of racism still exists. It is necessary to analyze the changes tackled by the author and decide how to eliminate the problem of racism in all spheres of Canadian society forever.
Finally, the third article, “The Contemporary Struggle against Racism in Canada”, also stresses flourishing racism in Canada. It focuses on racism and the workplace as the problem of primary importance for indigenous people. This is the zest of the article.
Galabuzi says that “racialized Canadians are ghettoized in contingent employment” (par. 8). Racial prejudices connected with employment are the most painful ones since they create difficulties and oppression in all spheres of life of racialized people. However, the author offers a perfect anti-racist response: change of legislation, sanctions of lawbreakers, and regulation of the labor market (Galabuzi par. 10). This is the main advantage of the article.
Drawing a conclusion, on the basis of the analyzed articles, it is possible to state that racism in Canada is an urgent problem in many societal levels and organizations. Since it affects such spheres as the judicial system and employment, it is necessary to reorganize society, mainly legislation, and eliminate racism.
Works Cited
Canadian Race Relations Foundation. Racism in the Justice System. 2010. Web.
Galabuzi, Grace-Edward. “The Contemporary Struggle against Racism in Canada.” Canadian Dimension. 2004. Web.
Satzewich, Vic. “Racism in Canada.” Canadian Dimension. 2004. Web.
Wallis, Maria, and Auguie Fleras. The Politics of Race in Canada: Readings in Historical Perspective, Contemporary Realities, and Future Possibilities. USA: Oxford University Press, 2009.