In almost all societies in the world, whether they have democratic, authoritarian or any other form of civilization, there is bound to happen some form of oppression and inequality. In most societies, it is always likely for one to witness an existence of uneven rewards and opportunities for diverse social positions within an individual group. There are correspondingly enormous and unfathomable injustices some of the groups suffer as a result of regularly insensible assumptions and responses from other groups brought about by social stereotypes and biases (Gill, 2013). As a consequence of the inequalities and oppressions seen in the society, it leads to the existence of particular advantaged groups ending up being the benefactors of the injustices while the oppressed groups continue to suffer. Social inequalities and oppressions are therefore harmful to the overall well-being a country economy including the health and welfare of the individual themselves.
Racism is a discriminatory and prejudicial attitude that is directed towards other people in relation to their racial and ethnic affiliation. The central ideology that has led to the formation of racism is that human beings have an ability to become subdivided into distinct groups and term, one group as being superior and the other inferior (Henry et al.,2010). Racism has been affecting a lot of nations throughout the world including the USA as seen during the Civil war and the Civil rights movement period. Racism has also led to deaths of millions of innocent people as seen in the case of the Holocaust which involved the killing of the European Jews by Adolf Hitler.
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The development of a huge number of racial stereotypes begins at an early age when one is still a child (Katz and Taylor, 2013). From this young stage in life, one develops the ability to place people and objects into categories. However, during this juncture, one does not have in mind that the actions they are engaging in will affect their future life. As the children continue to grow o9lder, they are influenced by their parents, the media, online blogs, peers and other groups in labeling different groups as being superior or inferior. It leads to less contact with the particular groups and the development of negative attitudes towards the groups continues to increase. The negative experiences lead to the development of stereotypes resulting in the creation of fears regarding a particular race. In the long-run, this leads to us versus them mentality which will most likely be passed to another generation. This is an indication that in order for racism to become eradicated, the teaching should begin from the children. The children should be warned against making any racial remarks so as to avoid them growing up and becoming racists (Katz and Taylor, 2013). It will prevent the children from forming gangs in schools that end up bullying children from other racial groups.
People subjected to racism are not anyone else's problem, but they are my problem. The existence of racism should not be ignored, but rather, I should stand up against it even though it is by a small margin. This will indicate my individual bravery and will most likely influence other people to stand up against any form of racism. Every person on the planet should not let racism get past him/her; instead, they should stand up against racial prejudice. The standing up against racism band aiding the victims including pointing out any errors is a perfect means through which racism can become prevented and eradicated. However, few people in the world have the ability to fight for the rights of others. However, in case everyone takes each one's problem as their own, they will definitely make a huge difference in the world.
Another means through which people can overcome racism is through learning how to respect others irrespective of their differences (Katz and Taylor, 2013). By developing respect, it allows an individual to not only listen to other people, rather, one will value the personal beliefs, space, privacy, and feelings. An individual who lacks respect is an indication that he/she does not respect oneself. Lack of respect also makes relationships and jobs unbearable. The capability of people to respect themselves is profoundly reliant on political and social organizations. As such, a society that is decent is one that will not like it when other groups of people are being humiliated through racism.
Social inequalities and oppressions are harmful to any society found on the planet. People should live together as brothers and sisters. Basing on the Christianity point of view; all people were created in the image of one God. This is an indication that despite the differences in skin color, we should learn to accept each other. The subdivision of people using their skin color as a reference and labeling one group as being inferior and the other superior is not healthy. It will not just affect the overall well-being of the society. However, it also affects the health and well-being of the individual people subjected to the discrimination. It is important for people to teach their children about the adverse effects of racism so that they cannot grow up being racists. Standing up against racism and learning how to respect other will correspondingly help in eliminating racism from our societies.
References
Gil, D. G. (2013). Confronting Injustice and Oppression: Concepts and Strategies for Social Workers . New York: Columbia University Press.
Henry, F., Rees, T., & Tator, C. (2010). The colour of democracy: Racism in Canadian society . Ontario: Nelson Education.
Katz, P. A., & Taylor, D. A. (2013). Eliminating Racism: Profiles in Controversy . Boston, MA: Springer US.
