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” {A PUTDOWN FOR CITICIZING THOSE WHO WANT TO
CHANGE SOCIETY} =====> 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).