BLUE-EYE EXPERIMENT QUESTIONS

1) “SYSTEMIC DISCRIMINATION” IS INSTITUTIONAL AND STRUCTURAL, AND SO, REFERS TO REGULATIONS AND THE PEOPLE WHO ENFORCE THEM. HOW DID MS. ELLIOTT CREATE/PARALLEL SYSTEMIC DISCRIMINATION?

2) TO EXHIBIT “EVERYDAY RACISM” MS. ELLIOTT TREATED BLUE-EYED PEOPLE AS A NUSIANCE, AS TIRING, AND AS NOT WORTHY OF RESPONSE. IS THIS A PARALLEL TO HOW MINORITY GROUPS ARE TREATED IN MODERN TIMES AS TEDIOUS, AS COMPLAINERS, AND AS “WHINERS”?

3) WHAT WAS MS. ELLIOTT’S “EYEISM” THEORY OF SUPERIORITY AND INFERIORITY? WHAT WAS SHE TRYING TO SHOW IN TERMS OF THE RELATION OF BIOLOGY AND IDEOLOGY?

4) DOES THE FILM HAVE A DIMENSION OF “PLAYING ON WHITE GUILT” THAT DETRACTS FROM OR DEVALUES THE MESSAGE?

5) HOW DID MS. ELLIOTT SIMULATE THE FOLLOWING:

I. NORMATIVE RACISM?

II. VALUATIVE RACISM?

III. COGNITIVE RACISM?

6) MS. ELLIOTT EMPHASIZED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THAT THE KEY COMPONENT OF RACISM IS “POWER.” WHY? AND HOW DID SHE ULTIMATELY MAINTAIN HER POWER POSITION IN THE FACE OF CHALLENGE AND INDIGNATION?

BLUE-EYE EXPERIMENT ANSWERS

1) “SYSTEMIC DISCRIMINATION” IS INSTITUTIONAL AND STRUCTURAL, AND SO, REFERS TO REGULATIONS AND THE PEOPLE WHO ENFORCE THEM. HOW DID MS. ELLIOTT CREATE/PARALLEL SYSTEMIC DISCRIMINATION?

[[[SYSTEMIC DISCRIMINATION IS INSTITUTIONAL AND STRUCTURAL AND SO, REFERS TO REGULATIONS AND THE PEOPLE WHO ENFORCE THEM ====> BY ENFORCING AN AGENDA FOR “SOCIAL REALITY” THAT CREATED AN “INNER CIRCLE” OF SUPPORT THAT WERE DESIGNATED PRIVILEGES, AND AN “OUT GROUP” THAT WAS DESIGNATED UNPLEASANT TASKS ======> BY REGULATING THE FLOW TO THE INNER CIRCLE AND ACCESS TO POWER, SHE WAS ABLE TO CONTROL, EXCLUDE AND/OR EXPLOIT OTHERS. =====>

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN OR HEARD OF “WORKPLACES” LIKE THIS? {CERTAIN PEOPLE GIVEN UNPLEASANT TASKS; OUT OF THE INFORMATION FLOW {“THE LOOP”} ON JOB OPENINGS, POSTINGS, ETC? COMPANY REGS AND RULES THAT REGULATE THE UPWARD MOBILITY FLOW IN DETRIMENTAL WAYS TO MINORITIES?(WHO ARE USUALLY LAST TO BE HIRED AND FIRST TO BE FIRED)? HOW COULD “CONTRACT POSITIONS” AND “SENIORITY RULES” BE DETRIMENTAL TO MINORITIES?}]]]

2) TO EXHIBIT “EVERYDAY RACISM” MS. ELLIOTT TREATED BLUE-EYED PEOPLE AS A NUSIANCE, AS TIRING, AND AS NOT WORTHY OF SERIOUS RESPONSE. IS THIS A PARALLEL TO HOW MINORITY GROUPS ARE TREATED IN MODERN TIMES AS TEDIOUS, AS COMPLAINERS, AND AS “WHINERS”?

EX: THE CHARGE OF “POLITICAL CORRECTNESS” =====> THE TERM POLITICAL CORRECTNESS IS A DISPARAGING LABEL THAT HAS THE SAME STATUS TODAY AS THE TERM "COMMUNIST PLOT" HAD DURING THE COLD WAR AMERICAN 50S AND THE MCCARTHY ERA. TODAY, LABELLING SOMEONE A "PC'ER" IS EQUIVALENT TO THE OLD LABEL "COMMIE SYMPATHIZER". INDEED, FOR THE MCCARTHYESQUE IN CONTEMPORARY LIFE, POLITICAL CORRECTNESS IS A KIND OF COMMUNIST CONSPIRACY COOKED UP BY LEFT-WING "PINKOS" AND "VISIBLE MINORITIES" TO SWINDLE AND UNDERMINED MAINSTREAM SOCIETY.

3) WHAT WAS MS. ELLIOTT’S “EYEISM” THEORY OF SUPERIORITY AND INFERIORITY? WHAT WAS SHE TRYING TO SHOW IN TERMS OF THE RELATION OF BIOLOGY AND IDEOLOGY?

[[[CREATED A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN “EVOLUTION/EVOLUTIONARY PROCESS AND BELIEFS SYSTEMS =====> LEGITIMIZING POWER RELATIONS THROUGH PURPORTED OBJECTIVE SCIENTIFIC OBSERVATIONS =====> TREAT SOCIAL REALTY AS “NATURAL” REALITY]]].

4) DOES THE FILM HAVE A DIMENSION OF “PLAYING ON WHITE GUILT” THAT DETRACTS FROM OR DEVALUES THE MESSAGE?

EX: SELBY STEELE --- “THE AGE OF WHITE GUILT AND THE DISAPPEARANCE OF BLACK INDIVIDUALITY” =====> BLACKS {IN STATES} HAVE DEVELOPED A COLLECTIVE “PROTEST IDENTITY” THAT STIGMATIZES WHITE INDIVIDUALS AND AMERICAN INSTITUTIONS WITH THE SIN OF RACISM =====> THIS KEEPS WHITES “ON THE HOOK” FOR PAST INJUSTICES, AND KEEPS BLACKS IN THE PERSONA OF AGRIEVED VICTIMS ===è THESIS: IN ACTUALITY, BLACKS TODAY ARE VERY RARELY VICTIMIZED BY RACISM

5) HOW DID MS. ELLIOTT SIMULATE THE FOLLOWING:

IV. NORMATIVE RACISM [BUILDS IT INTO THE RULES AS NORMAL AND NATURAL]?

V. VALUATIVE RACISM [WHAT IS VALUABLE IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE DOMINANT GROUP]?

VI. COGNITIVE RACISM [CHANGE THE RULES IN MID-STREAM]?

6) MS. ELLIOTT EMPHASIZED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THAT THE KEY COMPONENT OF RACISM IS “POWER.” HOW DID SHE ULTIMATELY MAINTAIN HER POWER POSITION IN THE FACE OF CHALLENGE AND INDIGNATION?

[[[ SHE REINFORCED HER POWER POSITION BY LAWS, REGULATIONS, POLICIES, CUSTOMS AND PRACTICES ====> THIS PARALLELS THE FORCES OF ECONOMIC, POLITICAL,AND IDEOLOGICAL CONTROL OF HIGHLY PRIVILEGED GROUPS IN SOCIETY]]].

COMPLEXITIES AND NUANCES OF RACISM

RACISM =’S PREJUDICE + DISCRIMINATION + POWER [TO CONTROL, EXCLUDE AND/OR EXPLOIT]

SOCIOLOGISTS HAVE ARGUED THAT RACISM EXISTS IN MANY FORMS AND LEVELS OF SOCIETY == IN FACT, IT IS SO COMPLEX AND HAS SO MANY NUANCES IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY THAT IT IS [QUITE FRANKLY] IMPOSSIBLE TO IDENTIFY CORRECTLY OR PRECISELY ON EACH AND EVERY OCCASION.

RACISM OCCURS IN THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN THE [DOMINANT] MAJORITY AND [SUBDOMINANT] MINORITY GROUPS == AND SOME OF THESE INTERACTIONS ARE “INNOCUOUS” [I.E., HARMLESS] AND SOME ARE “ONLY SEEMINGLY INNOCUOUS” [I.E., HARMLESS ON THE SURFACE; BUT HARMFUL AT DEEP OR MORE SUBSTANTIVE LEVELS]

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN [FOR OUR LIVES]?

ALL THAT WE CAN DO IN VIGILANCE == IN OUR CONCERN FOR THE HARMFUL EFFECTS OR CONSEQUENCES OF ASYMMETRICAL GROUP INTERACTION == IS CONTINUALLY ASK:

IS THE DOMINANT AND SUBDOMINANT INTERACTION SPEECH/CONDUCT) BASED ON A THREAT TO THE BALANCE OF POWER .

MANIFESTATIONS OF RACISM IDENTIFIED IN SOCIAL LIFE

"OLD FASHION RACISM" -- OVERT, CONSCIOUS AND DELIBERATE ACTS OF INTOLERANCE THAT HARMFULLY IMPACT MEMBERS OF A SUBORDINATE GROUP, PERCEIVED TO BE CULTURALLY AND BIOLOGICALLY INFERIOR.

"OVERT" OR AVERSIVE [HATE] RACISM (SOME TIMES REFERRED TO AS "REDNECK" RACISM. IT INVOLVES BLATANT ACTS OF INTOLERANCE -- RACIAL SLURS, CROSS-BURNINGS);

"NEW RACISM" -- SOPHISTICATED AND DISGUISED (HOSTILITY TOWARDS RACIAL MINORITIES THAT GOES UNDETECTED) RESPONSE TO THE GROWING PRESENCE OF INCREASINGLY ASSERTIVE RACIAL MINORITIES WHOSE ACTIVITIES AND DEMANDS ARE CRITICIZED AS A THREAT TO THE NATIONAL IDENTITY AND SOCIAL HARMONY.

"COVERT" RACISM" (SUBTLE, COMPLEX SOPHISTICATED RESPONSES IN SOCIETY IMPACTING STRUCTURES AT THE INSTITUTIONAL LEVEL);

"POLITE" OR "FRIENDLY" RACISM (A CONTRIVED ATTEMPT TO DISGUISE A DISLIKE OF OTHERS THROUGH BEHAVIOR THAT OUTWARDLY IS NO PREJUDICIAL IN APPEARANCE (EX: OFTEN MANIFEST ITSELF IN CODED OR EUPHEMISTIC LANGUAGE --"THOSE PEOPLE" -- MASKS INNER FEELINGS);

"LIBERAL" RACISM (IS DISTINGUISHED BY A "TOLERANCE DICHOTOMY" IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE LIFE -- E.G., SUPPORT FOR LIBERAL CAUSES, BUT YOU CAN'T MARRY MY DAUGHTER; MARCH FOR CIVIL RIGHTS BUT RESISTS VISIBLE MINORITIES MOVING IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD);

INFERENTIAL RACISM (REPRESENTATIONS OF EVENTS AND SITUATIONS RELATED TO RACE THAT HAVE RACIST PREMISES AND PROPOSITIONS INSCRIBED IN THEM, AND FORMULATED AS A SET OF UNQUESTIONED ASSUMPTIONS -- E.G. SRI LANKAN STUDY);

SUBLIMINAL [OR NON-RACIST] RACISM (LOCATED AMONG INDIVIDUALS IN DOMINANT CULTURE WHO ABHOR OPENLY DISCRIMINATORY TREATEMENT OF MINORITIES, BUT OFTEN HAVE "LOFTY" OPPOSITION TO PROGRESSIVE MINORITY POLICIES AND PROGRAMS [BASED ON FIXED, INFLEXIBLE, "UNQUESTIONABLE" MAINSTREAM VALUES])

DEMOCRATIC RACISM (CONSISTS OF A COMMITMENT TO A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY AND EGALITARIAN VALUES OF FAIRNESS, JUSTICE, AND EQUALITY -- CO-EXISTING WITH NEGATIVE FEELINGS ABOUT PEOPLE OF COLOUR;

REVERSE RACISM (REFERS TO DISCRIMINATION AGAINST MEMBERS OF THE DOMINATE GROUP -- MANIFESTED IN "DOUBLE STANDARDS" THAT ARE THOUGHT TO FAVOUR MINORITIES).