Summary
The article “A Discussion of Individual, Institutional, and Cultural Racism, with Implications for HRD’ by Chaunda Scott focuses on examining racism as a social problem in the United States. In the beginning, the author puts forwards some questions that may be perceived as a guiding tool for discussing racism both at the individual, institutional, and cultural levels. The author starts by drawing the attention of the readers about the areas of concern by a majority of society members when it comes to racism. Based on the report, Scott recognizes the increasing quest for youths to understand why racism has become an interest in organizations and institutions and the various dimensions through which people may experience racisms. In an attempt of answering these questions, the author started by providing alternative definitions for racism and identified individual, institution, and cultural as the three fundamental forms of racism.
Based on existing literature, the author reveals that there is a significant gap between Human Resource Development and the existence of racism, especially in the United States. These two forces appear to be moving in the opposite direction because racism is increasing at a time when HRD is significantly focusing on encouraging diversity among people from different cultures (Scott, 2007). Through literature review, the author distinguished racism from other issues such as discrimination, prejudice, and stereotyping. The research reveals that racism is a broader term that containing aspects of bias, stereotype, and prejudice. Through an analysis of the literature review, and the definition of prejudice, stereotype, and discrimination, the author concludes that racism is broad and it is evident in the United States especially against African Americans. Scott goes ahead to brighten people’s mind by suggesting that racism by revealing that racism has both positive and negative attitudes to the person exercising racisms or the victim.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Based on the literature review, the author identifies three distinct settings where people may experience racism in the United States. Individual racism is prevalent in social contexts, and it encompasses aspects of prejudice. In providing an elaboration, the author provided an example where people bring forth either positive or negative statements about a particular group. Scott strengthens his argument that racism is inevitable in the United States and any other society because people may engage in such behavior with or without consciousness. Despite the evidence that individual racism exists, there is some form of confusion between traditional practices of racism and contemporary ideas. The author creates awareness of the audience that racism is practiced in institutional level, especially where organizations have formal rules and policies that encourage some form of racism. Scott creates a difference between individual and institutional racisms by arguing that the later is always intentional. The author brings out cultural racisms as a social behavior where people from a particular group have powers to control the cultural practices of the entire society creating a significant level of unfairness.
At the end of the paper, Scott presents a theoretical framework in an attempt of explaining the reasons as to why racism continues to exist even though most people try to avoid this social behavior. Basing an argument on the critical race theory, Scott identifies various factors that become the driving force towards racism. Issues of discrimination, prejudice, and stereotyping are not biologically created. Instead, they are related to social construction as people interact. Elites and professionals who against issues of racisms are reluctant and they only become active when they experience a similar challenge. Based on this information, the author explains the gaps that exist between the HRD and the continued existence of racisms in the United States.
Assessment of the Racism phenomenon
Racism is increasingly becoming an area of interest among scholars and people from society. All settings such as schools and workplaces have realized the benefits that they would experience by incorporating cultural diversity at the workplace. According to Miller & Garran, (2017) one way of fighting against racism is the creation of an opportunity for people to interact and share ideas from particular phenomena. In a situation where people from different regions come together, they will become used to each others’ way of life thus reducing the level of discrimination experienced in the United States. In workplaces, employers have started to call employees from different cultures, and they have witnessed changes in organizational culture. Bringing people from different areas to work in an organization has opened new markets for the business resulting in high revenues. From this view, very many people acknowledge the benefits of reducing racism, but they have been reluctant to implement these actions.
There is a significant difference between human resource development and racisms originating from the diverse nature of racism. Human resource development focuses on ensuring that there are reduced cases of discrimination, prejudice, and stereotyping. Racism comprises these three elements making it difficult for human resource development to achieve its objectives. Most people in America do not understand behaviors that result in racism, and they end up exercising discrimination without their consent. For example, most whites think that they demonstrate racisms by using assault or talking negatively about the minority groups (Omi & Winant, 2014). However, this argument diverts from the truth because an individual may make jokes or speak positively about a person or group of people using positive statements. In this case, the behavior may have adverse effects on the victim thus making it difficult to eliminate racism. If human resource development is to achieve a positive relationship with racisms, there is a need for creating awareness among the people about practices of discrimination, prejudice, and stereotype.
Racisms occur in different social setting, but the actions reveal that people need to fight discrimination on all levels. For example, it is evident that discrimination takes place at the individual level and most Americans engage in these behaviors knowingly or unconsciousness. In most cases, people have a positive notion about light skins and develop hatred with people of color. However, the person may acknowledge good deeds by the black Americans and support their performance especially in games and sports (Omi, & Winant, 2014). Based on this attributes, a person may argue that he or she is not a racist, but in practice, the individual becomes a racist. At the intuitional level, racism is institutionalized and exists governed by the law. People tend to formulate rules that are discriminative and people take advantage of practicing racism. This form of racism is common in America where Black Americans experience discrimination in offices, especially by the police. Whenever a black American comes across police, they undergo thorough inspection as opposed to their white colleagues.
Racism is prevalent in the United States, and Human Resource Development needs to focus on eliminating racism at institutional, individual, and cultural levels. The existing strategies for reducing racisms are ineffective because the underlying reasons for continued discrimination and prejudice originate from lack of seriousness in fighting racism (Miller & Garran, 2017). For example, professionals should be committed to fighting issues of racism and reduce the idea of becoming involved in fighting racism when it comes on their way. Racism is socially constructed, and when people realize the effects of such behaviors especially in organizations, they will have to reduce racism behaviors to relatively lower levels. Racism practiced at institutional level need to be lowered because it gives a view that racism is accepted and tolerated within the country thus worsening the condition.
References
Miller, J., & Garran, A. M. (2017). Racism in the United States: Implications for the helping professions . Springer Publishing Company.
Omi, M., & Winant, H. (2014). Racial formation in the United States . Routledge.
Scott, C. L. (2007). A Discussion of Individual, Institutional, and Cultural Racism, with Implications for HRD. Online Submission .
