THE PROCESS OF “RACIALIZATION”
RACIALIZATION DISCRIMINATION
AND THE LAW?
1) WHAT DOES “RACIALIZATION” MEAN?
2) WHAT DOES DISCRIMINATION MEAN?
3) HOW
DOES “LAW” {INSTITUTIONAL LIFE} INTERSECT THE RACIALIZATION AND DISCRIMINATION
IN SOCIETY?
HOW MANY “RACES” DO YOU THINK EXISTED IN CANADA IN
1901? HOW MANY “RACES” EXIST IN CANADA TODAY?
WHAT IS AN ETHNICITY?
1) FROM
THE LATIN ETHOS – “MY PEOPLE.”
2) CONSCIOUSNESS
OF KIND.
3) COMMON
STOCK OF KNOWLEDGE.
4) IN MODERN EVERYDAY USAGE ETHNICITY CONNOTES
IDENTIFICATION OF PEOPLE ON THE BASIS OF “CULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS.”
ETHNICITY – A COLLECTIVITY OF PEOPLE WITH SHARED
“CULTURAL TRAITS,” INCLUDING LANGUAGE, RELIGION, OR ANCESTRY. CANADA OFFICIALLY
SANCTIONS ETHNIC DIVERSITY AS A LEGITIMATE FORM OF IDENTITY AND IT IS
CELEBRATED AS THE CANADIAN MOSAIC IN THE FORM OF "MULTICULTURAL
POLICY".
WHAT IS A RACE?
1) ORIGIN UNCERTAIN – IN EARLY ITALIAN RAZZA – “BREED, LINEAGE,
COMMON DESCENT”
2) A
PARTICULAR PEOPLE OR STOCK.
3) CHARACTERIZED BY A COMBINATION OF SHARED
PHYSICAL TRAITS WHICH ARE GENETICALLY TRANSMITTED.
4) IN MODERN EVERYDAY USAGE RACE CONNOTES THE
IDENTIFICATION OF PEOPLE ON THE BASIS OF “PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS.”
RACIAL GROUPS DEFINE THEMSELVES AND/OR ARE
DEFINED BY OTHER GROUPS AS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER GROUPS BY VIRTUE OF
"INNATE AND IMMUTABLE PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS". THESE PHYSICAL
CHARACTERISTICS ARE IN TURN BELIEVED TO BE INTRINSICALLY RELATED TO MORAL,
INTELLECTUAL, AND OTHER NON-PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES OR ABILITIES
IN SHORT, RACE
REFERS TO A GROUP THAT IS "SOCIALLY" DEFINED BUT ON THE BASIS OF
"PHYSICAL" CRITERIA.
IN A SOCIOLOGICAL SENSE:
DIFFICULTIES ARISE WHEN THINKING IN TERMS OF
"RACE". THE USE OF THE TERM IMPLIES THAT RACIAL PURITY EXISTS -- AS
IF THERE IS A CLARITY, EXACTNESS TO BIO-PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTIC.
EX: (1) ALTHOUGH WE MAY ASSUME THAT WE CAN
DISTINGUISH BETWEEN PEOPLE ON THE BASIS OF "RACE", BIOLOGY WOULD
CONFIRM THAT MOST CANADIANS, LIKE PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD, ARE GENETICALLY
MIXED.
(IN FACT, MOST SCHOLARS ARGUE THERE ARE NO
"PURE" RACIAL TYPES (BIOLOGICAL UNITS) IN THIS WORLD.
IN FACT, MANY SOCIAL SCIENTISTS SUGGEST THAT THE
CONCEPT OF "RACE" IS REALLY A MYTH -- (RACE IS REALLY A INVIDIOUS
STATUS DISTINCTION).
{SOCIOLOGICAL STIPULATION: BECAUSE THE CONCEPT OF IT
MAY BE A BIOLOGICAL MYTH — BUT — IT IS A SOCIAL REALITY {IT
IS REAL IN ITS CONSEQUENCES}
EX: THE CONCEPT OF RACE IS ONLY IN EXISTENCE
BECAUSE OF RACISM -- THE ACQUISITION OF POWER AND STATUS --
"POLITICS OF DOMINANCE AND DOMINATION" -- CREATES "STATUS AND
STATUS ANXIETY".
{SOCIOLOGICAL STIPULATION: BECAUSE THE CONCEPT OF “RACE”
IS (1) SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED AND HAS INTERACTIONAL CONSEQUENCES;
AND (2) IT IS TIME AND SPACE CONTINGENT; AND (3) THESE CONTINGENT
CONSTRUCTS ARE ATTRIBUTED/ATTACHED WITH STATUS AND MEAN ======> MANY SOCIOLOGISTS
THINK IT IS MORE PRECISE TO REFER TO “RACIALIZED INDIVIDUALS”
======> MANY SOCIOLOGISTS PREFER TO USE THE TERM RACIALIZATION
AS OPPOSED TO RACE IN ORDER TO EMPHASIZE THE FACT THAT RACIAL CATEGORIES
ARE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIONS THAT CHANGE IN
TIME AND SPACE AND CIRCUMFERENCE, AND ARE ATTRIBUTED WITH
STATUS AND MEAN}
[[EXAMPLE DEFINITION: THE TERM “RACIALIZED GROUPS” IS USED TO DESCRIBE
NON-ABORIGINAL PEOPLE OF COLOUR, ALSO REFERRED TO BY STATISTICS CANADA AND IN
THE FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT EQUITY ACT AS VISIBLE MINORITIES. ITS USE HERE AND
ELSEWERE SUGGESTS A DISCOMFORT WITH THE OFFICIAL USE OF THE TERM “VISIBLE
MINORITY” BECAUSE IT IMPLIES PERMANENCE OF MINORITIY STATUS THAT IS IMPOSED ONT
E POPULATIOON. RACIALIZED DENOTES THAT PROCESS OF IMPOSTION, THE SOCIAL
CONSTRUCTION OF THE CATEGORY, AND THE ATTENDANT EXPERIENCE OF OPPRESSION AS
OPPOSED TO THE SEEMINGLY NEUTRAL USE OF THE TERMS “VISIBLE MINORITIES” OR
“RACIAL MINORITIES,” WHICH HAVE THE EFFECT OF MASKING OPPRESSIONS. (GALABUZI, 2006: XVI).]]
ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT THINGS FOR STUDENTS TO
UNDERSTAND IS THAT RACE AND ETHNICITY ARE SOCIAL REALITIES NOT
BIOLOGICAL/GENETIC REALITIES == IT IS NOT JUST THAT THEY CHANGE OVER TIME
AND SPACE == IT IS THAT PEOPLE DO NOT LOOK AT HOW THEY CHANGE == PEOPLE TEND TO
TREAT THEM AS A "THING-IN-ITSELF, NOT AS "A WAY OF ORGANIZING
‘MEANING’ AND ‘STATUS’ IN THE WORLD"
EX: CONSIDER THAT THE “TROUBLE” WITH IDENTIFYING
PEOPLE ON THE BASIS OF “RACE” TODAY IS “RACIAL AMBIGUITY” {AMANDA MARSHALL/
MARIAH CAREY?} ===> IN OUR DIVERSE SOCIETY IT IS INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO
TELL “WHO IS WHAT” {WHAT-NESS}. ONLY WHEN WE CAN DETERMINE WHAT-NESS CAN WE
ATTACH MEANING TO THE PERSON.
SOCIOLOGICAL UPSHOT: ETHNICITY AND RACE ARE
SOCIAL REALITIES THAT GIVE US {OUR} IDENTITY, MEAN AND ATTACHMENTS
RACIAL AMBIGUITY
RACE IS NOT A “THING IN ITSELF” == BUT RATHER
== “A SOCIAL PROCESS” =====> “NOT A PERSON” == BUT RATHER == “A
PERSPECTIVE”
IF WE THINK
ABOUT “RACIAL AMBIGUITY” IN OUR MIXED-GENETIC LIVES IT IS
MUCH EASIER TO UNDERSTAND HOW ETHNO-RACIAL CATEGORIES ARE SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED.
EX: TIGER WOODS -
MOTHER IS ONE-HALF CHINESE AND ONE-HALF THAI, AND HIS FATHER HAD ONE WHITE, ONE
NATIVE, AND TWO BLACK GRANDPARENTS. (WHAT IS HE? FUZZY ZEOLLER - FRIED CHICKEN
AND COLLAR GREENS).
****WHILE RACE IS TREATED AS A “REAL THING” IN
EVERYDAY LIFE – IN ACTUALITY RACE IS A PROCESS OF RACIALIZATION ======>
REFERS TO THE ASSIGNING OF RACIAL CONNOTATIONS {LABELS & STIGMAS} TO
THE ACTIVITIES OF MINORITY PEOPLE.
TO SEE RACE IS ENGAGE IN A THOUGHT PROCESS WHICH
BIOLOGIZE PEOPLE BY ATTACHING STATUS TO THE PHYSICAL.
PEOPLE ARE THE SUBJECTS AND OBJECTS OF "RACIALIZED
FORMATIONS" -- MEANING -- PEOPLE DO NOT SEE "RACE";
RATHER THEY OBSERVE CERTAIN COMBINATIONS OF REAL AND SOMETIMES IMAGINED SOMATIC
[OF THE BODY] AND CULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS THAT THEY ATTRIBUTE MEANING
TO WITH THE IDEA OF "RACE".
A DIFFERENCE IN SKIN COLOUR IS NOT ESSENTIAL TO THE
PROCESS OF "MARKING" HERE -- IT ACTUALLY GOES
BEYOND THE BIOLOGICAL
RACE IS A SOCIAL PROCESS OF ATTRIBUTING SUPERIOR-
INFERIOR STATUS === THE COMPLEX RELATIONSHIPS OF EXPLOITATION, CONTROL, AND
EXCLUSION GROUNDING THE DIFFERENCES OF RACE, AND GIVING RISE TO (THE
IDEOLOGICAL CONSTRUCTION OF) "THE RACIALIZED OTHER"
OMI AND WINANT OFFER A “RACIAL FORMATION
THEORY” THAT THEY DEFINE AS “THE SOCIOHISTORICAL PROCESS BY
WHICH RACIAL CATEGORIES ARE CREATED, INHABITED, TRANSFORMED AND DESTROYED. . .
. [IT] IS A PROCESS OF HISTORICALLY SITUATED PROJECTS IN WHICH HUMAN BODIES AND SOCIAL STRUCTURES ARE
REPRESENTED AND ORGANIZED.” FURTHER, THEY LINK “RACIAL FORMATION TO THE
EVOLUTION OF HEGEMONY, THE WAY IN WHICH SOCIETY IS ORGANIZED AND RULED.” THEIR
ANALYSIS SUGGESTS THAT “RACE IS A MATTER OF BOTH SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND CULTURAL
REPRESENTATION.” [[ MICHAEL OMI AND HOWARD WINANT, “ON THE THEORETICAL CONCEPT
OF RACE,” IN RACE , IDENTITY AND
REPRESENTATION IN EDUCATION, ED. C. MCCARTHY AND W. CRICHLOW (NEW
YORK: ROUTLEDGE, 1993), PP. 3–10.]]
(A)
WHEN YOU DEFINE A RACE, YOU DEFINE
SOMEONE "BIOLOGICALLY" - WHEN YOU DEFINE A ETHNICITY YOU DEFINE THEM
"CULTURALLY."
(B)
IN CANADA TODAY, WHAT USED TO BE CALLED
RACE IS BEING SUBSUMED UNDER THE CATEGORY OF "ETHNICITY" (I.E., BEING
GIVEN A "CULTURAL VOCABULARY" FOR SPEAKING OF PEOPLE).
(C)
THE TERM "RACE" IS BEING
RESERVED FOR PEOPLE DEFINED AS "WHITE", "BLACK", AND
"ASIAN"
MANY SOCIOLOGISTS BELIEVE
THAT THIS RACIAL CLASSIFICATION WILL EVENTUALLY BE A “PROBLEM” IN OUR SOCIETY —
DO YOU KNOW WHY?
WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF
“RACIALIZATION”?
RACIALIZATION (?) – THE SOCIAL PROCESS BY
WHICH CERTAIN GROUPS OF PEOPLE ARE SINGLED OUT FOR UNIQUE TREATMENT ON THE
BASIS OF REAL OR IMAGINED PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS. {SOCIAL
“PROCESS”DEFINITION}
~ OR~
RACIALIZATION - REFERS TO THE ASSIGNING
OF RACIAL CONNOTATIONS TO THE ACTIVITIES OF MINORITY PEOPLE. {COLLECTIVE
“PERSPECTIVE” DEFINITION}
IN A SOCIOLOGICAL SENSE:
RACIALIZED SOCIETIES – SOCIETIES WHERE CERTAIN
IDEAS BECOME LINKED WITH RACE.
~ THEREFORE ~
THE RACIALIZATION PARADIGM EMPHASIZES THE SOCIAL
CREATION OF DIFFERENCE AND DISPLACEMENT IN THE
STATUS HIERARCHY OF “THE NORMAL” AND “THE STIGMATIZED”
RACIALIZATION ==>
STIGMATIZATION==> MARGINALIZATION
THE PROCESS OF RACIALIZATION “LABELS” AND “STIGMATIZES”
A MINORITY GROUP BY LINKING IT WITH RACE ====>
STIGMATIZATION: REFERS TO A MARK OF DISGRACE IMPOSED
ON AN INDIVIDUAL BY OTHER INDIVIDUALS OR A SOCIAL GROUP. IN POPULAR USAGE IT
OFTEN REFERS TO ANY NEGATIVE SANCTION OR DISAPPROVAL FOR NONCONFORMITY.
AN UNDESIRABLE DIFFERENTNESS OF AN INDIVIDUAL THAT DISQUALIFIES HIM OR
HER FROM FULL SOCIAL ACCEPTANCE. SOCIOLOGISTS ORIGINALLY USED THE
TERM TO SHOW HOW HUMANS NOT ONLY SEEK TO CONTROL THE PHYSICAL WORLD
BUT THE SOCIAL WORLD. ====>
MARGINALIZATION: REFERS TO THE STATUS OF A GROUP WHO DOES NOT HAVE
FULL AND EQUAL ACCESS TO THE SOCIAL ECONOMIC, CULTURAL,
AND POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS OF SOCIETY.
[[[EX: “RACIAL PROFILING” === MILES
DAVIS AND HIS LAMBORGINE === THE POSTER BOY FOR “DRIVING WHILE BLACK” === “THE
MILES DAVIS SYNDROME” --- SAYS THAT SKIN COLOUR, WITH ITS ATTENDING NEGATIVE
ASSOCIATIONS, BECOMES THE STANDARD BY WHICH PEOPLE OF COLOUR ARE MEASURED {“INFERIORIZING”
OR “LEVELING” WITHOUT REGARD TO PARTICULARS}]]]
[[[EX: {IN A WIDER SENSE, WHAT HAPPENS IN
TERMS OF RACE RELATION HERE} ====> “PROBLEMATIZE” THE “STRUCTURED
IMPOVERISHMENT OF BLACKNESS” -- BY TURNING
ORDINARY PRACTICES INTO OCCASIONS FOR INTERVENTION AND SOCIAL CHANGE
=====> “THE JANE-FINCH STIGMA” – VIDEO SURVEILLANCE, OVER-POLICING OF
MINORITY NEIGHBOURHOODS, TASKFORCE-FIXATION AND GANG SQUADS, RAMPING-UP
PUNITIVE SENTENCING ON 'STREET CRIME', ETC.]]]
HISTORICAL CONCEPTION OF THE
WORD RACE
HISTORICALLY THE WORD RACE WAS USED TO DESCRIBE A HUMAN
GROUP THAT SHARED CERTAIN CULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS SUCH AS LANGUAGE OR RELIGION
(E.G., "FRENCH RACE", "JEWISH RACE").
(A) MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT
JEWS CONSTITUTE A RACE ALTHOUGH THEIR DISTINCTIVENESS PERTAINS TO CULTURAL
CHARACTERISTICS, PRIMARILY RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AS WELL AS A HISTORY OF
PERSECUTION.
(B) THE MATTER IS EVEN MORE
COMPLEX WHEN WE CONSIDER: THE FALASHA OF ETHIOPIA, BLACK AFRICANS, COMPRISE A
SECT OF JUDAISM THAT DATES TO THE FIRST CENTURY B.C.
(C) IN CANADA "WHAT WE
CALL ETHNICITIES" TODAY, WERE ROUTINELY "IDENTIFIED AS RACES"
(IN IMPORTANT IMMIGRATION TEXTS).
EX: POLES AND UKRAINIANS (KNOWN AS "GALICIANS",
WERE CONSIDER BY IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES AS LOW GRADE BIOLOGICAL SPECIMENS, BUT
POSSESSED A NECESSARY "PEASANT QUALITY" USEFUL TO OPENING UP THE
WESTERN FRONTIER.
EX: SYRIANS AND ARMENIANS
WHERE THOUGHT TO BE "DETRIMENTAL AND BURDENSOME" TO CANADA, AND
INCAPABLE OF BEING ASSIMILATED INTO POLITE SOCIETY.
RACIAL CATEGORIES & INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
(1) CANADA IN THE PAST:
FOUR RACES=
WHITE
BLACK
RED
YELLOW
2) CANADA IN THE PRESENT:
THREE RACES=
WHITE
BLACK
ASIAN
3) CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY:
FROM THREE TO TWENTY RACES:
CAUCASIOD
NEGROID
MONGOLOID
AUSTRALOID
4) THE AGE OF GLOBLISM (AND WORLD-WIDE CAPITALISM)
IN THE PAST THREE GROUP
(KINDS-OF-PEOPLE) GEO-POLITICAL CONFIGURATIONS THAT IMPACT DEFININTIONS:
FIRST WORLD - [NATO ALLIES
-WESTERN SOCIETIES]
SECOND WORLD - [RUSSIA AND
EASTERN COMMUNIST ALLIES]
THIRD WORLD - [THE REMAINING
COUNTRIES]
{{THE TERM "THIRD
WORLD" EMERGED AFTER WORLD WAR II, WHEN THE TWO CONQUERING POWERS -
WASHINGTON AND MOSCOW - BEGAN POINTING NUCLEAR WEAPONS AT EACH OTHER AND
DASHING HOPES OF PEACE AND INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION. WASHINGTON'S BLOC
REPRESENTED THE ADVANCED CAPITALIST COUNTRIES AND WAS DEEMED THE "FIRST
WORLD," AND MOSCOW'S BLOC OF EAST EUROPEAN COMMUNIST COUNTRIES WAS BY WAY
OF CONTRAST THE "SECOND WORLD." WHILE MOST OF THE REMAINING COUNTRIES
- THE "THIRD WORLD" - WERE STILL FORMAL COLONIES OR ECONOMIC
DEPENDENCIES OF THE WESTERN POWERS, OR WERE JUST EMERGING FROM EXTERNAL
DOMINATION.}}}
IN THE PRESENT=
TWO INTERNATIONAL
"KINDS OF PEOPLE" CATEGORIES:
NORTH - [DEVELOPED, RICH
COUNTRIES]
SOUTH - [DEVELOPING, POOR
COUNTRIES]
[TODAY] WHEN YOU IDENTIFY AN "ETHNICITY"
YOU ARE IDENTIFYING A "CULTURE" (DIFFERENT TRADITIONS AND VALUES);
WHEN YOU IDENTIFY A "RACE" (DIFFERENT ATTRIBUTES AND QUALITIES) YOU
ARE IDENTIFYING A "BIOLOGY".
(1) RACE:
THEREFORE, VERSIONS OF BLOODLINES, AND GENETICS, AND HEREDITARY TRAITS --
DIFFERENT "BIOLOGICAL APTITUDES" FOR NATION BUILDING.
THIS IS WHY MANY SOCIAL SCIENTIST CALL RACE:
"AN INVIDIOUS STATUS DISTINCTION".
(2) RACE:
PEOPLE MADE OF THE "RIGHT STUFF" VERSUS PEOPLE MADE OF "THE
WRONG STUFF" (OR LESSER STUFF, OR INFERIOR STUFF).
(3) THE
CONCEPT OF RACE NECESSITATES A "BIOLOGICAL HIERARCHY".
(STRATIFICATION SYSTEM -- A "NATURAL SELECTION", "SURVIVAL OF
THE FITTEST", "HUMAN-SUBHUMAN", "MASTER-SLAVE",
"THIRD REICH" HIERARCHY.
IN CANADA TODAY, WHAT USED TO BE CALLED RACE IS
BEING SUBSUMED UNDER THE CATEGORY OF "ETHNICITY" (I.E., BEING GIVEN A
"CULTURAL VOCABULARY" FOR SPEAKING OF PEOPLE).
*****THE TERM "RACE" IS BEING
RESERVED FOR PEOPLE DEFINED AS "WHITE", "BLACK",
AND "ASIAN"
{{{QUES: DO YOU DETECT A
FUTURE PROBLEM HERE?}}}
(4) MANY
SOCIAL SCIENTISTS -- SEE "RACE" AS A GROUP THAT DEFINES ITSELF AND/OR
IS DEFINED BY OTHER GROUPS AS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER GROUPS BY VIRTUE OF
"INNATE AND IMMUTABLE PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS". THESE PHYSICAL
CHARACTERISTICS ARE IN TURN BELIEVED TO BE INTRINSICALLY RELATED TO MORAL,
INTELLECTUAL, AND OTHER NON-PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES OR ABILITIES.
_____________________________________________________________
IN SHORT, RACE REFERS TO A GROUP THAT IS
"SOCIALLY" DEFINED BUT ON THE BASIS OF "PHYSICAL" CRITERIA.
(SHOWS THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SEPARATE THE
PHYSIOLOGICAL FROM THE SOCIAL)
WHAT IS "RACIST
IDEOLOGY":
USED BY SOCIOLOGISTS TO REFER TO THE SOCIAL PROCESS
BY WHICH BOTH ETHNIC AND RACIAL MINORITY GROUPS ACQUIRE AN INFERIOR STATUS.
INDICATES ANY EXPRESSION OF IDEOLOGY JUSTIFYING
SUPERIORITY-INFERIORITY POSITIONS OF ANY ETHNIC OR RACIAL GROUP.
(SO) "RACISM" IS THE COMPLEX OF PROCESSES
THAT "RACIALIZE OTHER" AS HAVING AN INFERIOR STATUS.
I.E.,
RACIAL MAJORITIES CARRY A SOCIAL PRESTIGE AND STATURE ALONG WITH THEIR
EXPERIENCE OF DOMINANCE THAT BECOMES ASSOCIATE WITH THEIR PHYSICAL APPEARANCE.
RACIAL MINORITIES CARRY A
SOCIAL STIGMA ALONG WITH THEIR EXPERIENCE OF OPPRESSION THAT BECOMES ASSOCIATED
WITH THEIR PHYSICAL APPEARANCE.
IN FACT, MANY SOCIAL SCIENTISTS SUGGEST THAT THE
CONCEPT OF "RACE" IS REALLY A MYTH -- (RACE IS REALLY A INVIDIOUS
STATUS DISTINCTION).
EX: THE CONCEPT OF RACE IS ONLY IN EXISTENCE BECAUSE
OF RACISM -- THE ACQUISITION OF POWER AND STATUS -- "POLITICS OF DOMINANCE
AND DOMINATION" -- CREATES "STATUS AND STATUS ANXIETY".
RACIAL DISCOURSE IN SOCIETY
MANY THEORISTS HAVE FOCUSED ON THE CONCEPT OF "RACE"
AS AN IDEOLOGY, AS A DISCOURSE (A WAY OF MAPPING OUT THE WORLD
== THAT CONFERS MEANING AND STATUS)
[[SOCIOLOGICAL NOTE: “CULTURAL
DISCOURSE” PROVIDES THE CONCEPTUAL MODELS FOR PEOPLE AROUND WHICH
THEY MAP THE WORLD === “RACIAL DISCOURSE” PART OF A
DOMINANT CULTURAL DISCOURSE IN OUR SOCIETY THAT PROVIDES THE CONCEPTUAL MODELS
FOR PEOPLE AROUND WHICH THEY MAP THE WORLD == THE DOMINANT DISCOURSE ON RACE IS
MAPS A “SOCIAL BIOLOGY” AS AN ASSUMPTIVE REALITY {MEANING IT IS ASSUMED THAT CERTAIN
“BODIES” ARE CONNECTED TO CERTAIN “PATTERNS OF ACTION”} ]]
[[EX: RACIAL SCHEMES AND UNARTICULATED
ANALYTIC FRAMEWORKS == “MINORITIES AS PROBLEM PEOPLE” == DARK BODIES HAVE
AND CAUSE PROBLEMS]]
EX: MINORITIES SEEM AS
CREATING SOCIAL PROBLEMS [BLACKS-CRIME CULTURE], POSING A THREAT TO
SOCIETY [ASIAN “BOAT PEOPLE”], AND PROVIDING UNWANTED COMPETITION FOR
SCARCE RESOURCES [“THIRD WORLD” IMMIGRATION].
SO WHAT IS RACIALIZATION?
RACIALIZATION - IS THE SOCIAL PROCESS BY
WHICH CERTAIN GROUPS OF PEOPLE ARE SINGLED OUT FOR UNIQUE TREATMENT ON THE
BASIS OF REAL OR IMAGINED PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS == CONFERRING A RACIAL
MEANING TO EVENTS AND/OR INVESTING PEOPLE WITH BIOLOGICALLY DETERMINED
ATTRIBUTES.
RACIALIZATION == AS A SOCIOLOGICAL
CONCEPT PRESERVES THE IDEA THAT RACE RELATIONS DO NOT EXIST (SINCE THERE IS
NO SUCH THING AS RACE) BUT FOCUSES ON WHY CERTAIN RELATIONS BETWEEN GROUPS
BECOME DEFINED BY REFERENCE TO RACE — WHY PATTERNS OF INTERACTION BECOME
DEFINED BY REFERENCE TO RACE — WHY PATTERNS OF INTERACTION BECOME IMBUED WITH
PERCEPTIONS OF BIOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES TO ACCOUNT FOR DIFFERENCES AND
SIMILARITIES.
RACIALIZATION ALSO ENTAILS THE IDEA THAT
CERTAIN IDEAS OR ACTIVITIES BECOME LINKED WITH RACE (RACIALIZED) WHEN
AND BECAUSE MINORITIES ARE INVESTED WITH NEGATIVE BIOLOGICALLY DETERMINED
ATTRIBUTES THAT ARE SEEN AS CREATING PROBLEMS, POSING A THREAT TO
SOCIETY, AND PROVIDING UNWANTED COMPETITION FOR SCARCE RESOURCES.
{RACIALIZATION IS A PROCESS BY WHICH
SOME GROUPS AND THEIR ACTIVITIES COME TO BE DEFINED ON THE BASIS RACE (BIOLOGY)}
(THEORISTS) THEORETICAL
PRESUMPTION ==
SOCIETY IS PERVADED BY RACE-BASED ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES.
EX: THERE IS NOTHING NORMAL
AND NATURAL ABOUT THE INEQUITABLE STATUS OF MINORITY WOMEN AND MEN IN CANADA.
RATHER, THEIR INEQUITIES ARE EMBEDDED WITHIN INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURES,
OR IMPOSED BY THOSE WITH POWER TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS WITHIN STRUCTURAL
FRAMEWORKS. THESE INEQUITIES ARE RACIALIZED IN THAT THEY ADVERSELY AFFECT
THOSE WHO ARE MOST VISIBLE.
DISCOURSE AS A SOCIOLOGICAL UNIT OF ANALYSIS
****DISCOURSE - IS A SET OF TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION
AND A WAY OF TALKING ABOUT THOSE TOPICS THAT IS CONTINUED OVER TIME BY A NUMBER
OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE CERTAIN INTERESTS IN COMMON. THROUGH DISCOURSE, THE
PARTICIPANTS COME TO HAVE A SHARED "KNOWLEDGE" ABOUT THE WORLD.
DISCOURSES == CULTURAL DISCOURSE IS LOCATED WITHIN
WHAT HAS BEEN CALLED SOCIETY'S "FRAMES OF REFERENCE" (HEBDIGE, 1993).
ALL SOCIOLOGISTS SEEM TO AGREE THAT CULTURAL
DISCOURSE PROVIDES THE CONCEPTUAL MODELS FOR PEOPLE AROUND WHICH THEY MAP THE
WORLD (GOLDBERG, 1993; FOUCAULT, 1980). CULTURAL DISCOURSE IS WHAT GIVES
SOCIETAL MEMBERS DIFFERENT FRAMES OF REFERENCE (HEBDIGE, 1993). THESE FRAMES OF
REFERENCE ARE SEEN AS LARGELY UNACKNOWLEDGED SET OF BELIEFS,
ASSUMPTIONS, FEELINGS, STORIES, AND QUASI-MEMORIES THAT UNDERLIE, SUSTAIN, AND
INFORM PERCEPTIONS, THOUGHTS, AND ACTIONS. AND IT IS CULTURE'S
FRAME OF REFERENCE – OR REFERENCE FRAMING – THAT CAN PROVIDE FOR DIFFERENT AND
DECISIVE DISCOURSES ON THE SAME SUBJECT.
WHAT ALL SOCIOLOGIST DO NOT SEEM TO AGREE UPON IS
WHETHER SOCIOLOGY IS SUBJECT TO THE SELF-SAME {SELF-REFLECTIVE}
ANALYSIS.[[[?]]]
QUES: IS “CLASS” ANALYSIS
A CULTURAL (CULTURAL LAG) DISCOURSE == BASED ON LARGELY UNACKNOWLEDGED SET OF
BELIEFS, ASSUMPTIONS, FEELINGS, STORIES, AND QUASI-MEMORIES THAT
UNDERLIE, SUSTAIN, AND INFORM PERCEPTIONS, THOUGHTS, AND ACTIONS?
QUES: IS “CLASS” ANALYSIS
A SCIENTIFIC DISCOURSE OF THE DOMINANT CULTURE WHERE THE WHITE ELITE
AND WHITE WORKERS BLAME EACH OTHER FOR RACISM IN THE ATTEMPT TO BE
EXONERATED FROM BLAME AND GUILT?