Racism In Sociology

Racism is a very interesting concept to grasp. It does not do society any real justice. Although some individuals use it to their advantage in economic, political and social gain, society as a whole suffers from the scourges of such a destructive force. So, essentially what is racism? Racism is defined as the attribution of characteristics of superiority or inferiority to a population sharing certain physically inherited characteristics. In the United States of America, racism has been commonplace since the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the drafting of the constitution that provided rights for the citizens of the nation. Although society as a whole has dismissed racism as an unfounded and unjust social norm, racism still persist …show more content…
Race is based upon the distinguishing physical characteristics between groups of people. This is a flawed system because looking like someone does not make you one of them. There are no “clear-cut races” (Introduction to Sociology) because humans have been migrating across the planet for millennia, interacting with each other develop new cultures and changing physical characteristics based upon reproductory and environmental factors. Instead of dividing people by race, it is more acceptable to divide people based upon their ethnicity. Ethnicity is defined as cultural values and norms that distinguish the members of a given group from others. Ethnic groups are based upon the norms practiced amongst a group …show more content…
Racism as we define it today began in Europe and spread as Europeans began to migrate across the world. As European powers established colonies around the world, racism was used as a mean to justify complete rule over indigenous populations. In addition to this, strict religious adherence and the belief that black and dark thinks were “evil” fueled prejudice that turned into racism. Racism is not a new social creation, but it has never been based upon the assumed intelligence or morality of a people. This form of racism was created by Europeans and as they spread across the world they carried these ideas with them. Many people credit slavery with the development of racism in the United States, but slavery, while it played a part is not the fundamental cause of racism in the United States. The development of the Black Codes and Jim Crow laws widened the rift between African Americans and Whites. Black Codes were instituted after the Civil War ended. Laws drafted such as vagrancy laws were implemented to ensure that there would be a continuous supply of labor in the south. Reliant upon agriculture, without the labor provided by African Americans, the southern economy could