“White Gaze”
There are many thoughts that come to mind when someone mentions a black man or a working-class Mexican- American girl. It is important to understand what shaped these thoughts and where the idea for them may have started. White men are to blame for most of the labels or assumptions that are tied to minorities. The “white gaze” is the perspective of the world through the eyes of a middle-class white man. Through this gaze, or perspective, the white communities have been able to convince minorities that they are of less value (Fanon 90). The consequences for the minority groups ranges from low self-esteem to an actual belief that they do not deserve the same respect as the white man. Frantz Fanon and Julie Bettie explore the idea …show more content…
The white man’s view on the black man is the main reason why the thoughts about this minority group came to be. From the perspective of a middle-class white man back in the time period that Fanon discusses, the black man was of little value and deserved the same amount of respect that someone would give to a small child with little to no education. Hearing the constant discrimination towards their community, the black men were more likely to begin to believe that they were indeed less important than the white people. Cooley’s theory of the Looking Glass Self explains the way that the black people see themselves due to the treatment that they receive from the white communities (Smirnova 2015). These black men in the French community that Fanon discusses would see themselves as hard workers and great men until they were in the same place as a white man. The white men refused to show any form of respect for the black people. They were not expected to speak French correctly and they were seen as corrupting white women or men that they had relations with. The black women in this community tried to disconnect themselves from the white men because of the low status that they held (Fanon 25-32). With all of the negativity towards their group, the black men no longer thought positively about themselves because they did not receive the reinforcement that they needed to believe …show more content…
The perspective of the white man has been put high up on a pedestal when it comes to what is right or wrong in society. From the evidence given in Women without Class and Black Skin, White Masks, it is obvious that the “white gaze” has an influence on minority groups and the way that they are able to live their lives. The consequences of this influence vary from hatred of the white community to the individuals in these minority groups actually believing that they are of less importance than the whites. The black men being treated as children and believing they were less than in comparison to the white men was a perfect example of Cooley’s Looking Glass Self (Smirnova 2015). The perspective of the white students and faculty in the discussion of Las Chicas was that the chicas were low class and they were not going to go far with their education (Bettie 58). Overall, the “white gaze” has been proven to actually exist and has a drastic influence on people of color. If they do not fit into the white community, then they will be affected by the “white
There are many thoughts that come to mind when someone mentions a black man or a working-class Mexican- American girl. It is important to understand what shaped these thoughts and where the idea for them may have started. White men are to blame for most of the labels or assumptions that are tied to minorities. The “white gaze” is the perspective of the world through the eyes of a middle-class white man. Through this gaze, or perspective, the white communities have been able to convince minorities that they are of less value (Fanon 90). The consequences for the minority groups ranges from low self-esteem to an actual belief that they do not deserve the same respect as the white man. Frantz Fanon and Julie Bettie explore the idea …show more content…
The white man’s view on the black man is the main reason why the thoughts about this minority group came to be. From the perspective of a middle-class white man back in the time period that Fanon discusses, the black man was of little value and deserved the same amount of respect that someone would give to a small child with little to no education. Hearing the constant discrimination towards their community, the black men were more likely to begin to believe that they were indeed less important than the white people. Cooley’s theory of the Looking Glass Self explains the way that the black people see themselves due to the treatment that they receive from the white communities (Smirnova 2015). These black men in the French community that Fanon discusses would see themselves as hard workers and great men until they were in the same place as a white man. The white men refused to show any form of respect for the black people. They were not expected to speak French correctly and they were seen as corrupting white women or men that they had relations with. The black women in this community tried to disconnect themselves from the white men because of the low status that they held (Fanon 25-32). With all of the negativity towards their group, the black men no longer thought positively about themselves because they did not receive the reinforcement that they needed to believe …show more content…
The perspective of the white man has been put high up on a pedestal when it comes to what is right or wrong in society. From the evidence given in Women without Class and Black Skin, White Masks, it is obvious that the “white gaze” has an influence on minority groups and the way that they are able to live their lives. The consequences of this influence vary from hatred of the white community to the individuals in these minority groups actually believing that they are of less importance than the whites. The black men being treated as children and believing they were less than in comparison to the white men was a perfect example of Cooley’s Looking Glass Self (Smirnova 2015). The perspective of the white students and faculty in the discussion of Las Chicas was that the chicas were low class and they were not going to go far with their education (Bettie 58). Overall, the “white gaze” has been proven to actually exist and has a drastic influence on people of color. If they do not fit into the white community, then they will be affected by the “white