4 Dec 2022

147

Racism: how to end it

Format: APA

Academic level: College

Paper type: Peer Review

Words: 2357

Pages: 8

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Oppression is a huge social problem that leads to prolonged injustice to people of a particular group. Such unjust treatment from authorities or communities is often based on religion, race, sexual orientation, and class stratification. One of the main forms of oppression is racism. Racism involves the discrimination of people based on their color or ethnicity. This form of oppression is linked to other oppression elements such as gender inequality or sexism, classism, sexual orientation or sexism, and religion. In the United States, racism has manifested in various forms, from gender inequality to discrimination in learning and governmental institutions, discrimination and intolerance in communities, police brutality, and excessive use of force to people of color or minorities. This paper discusses the application and manifestation of racism in women and people from the LGBT community. It also provides social justice strategies and ethical dilemmas that arise in the utilization of the same. 

Application and Manifestation 

According to Pharr (1988) , all forms of oppression are linked to one another because of similar causes and consequences. Elements of oppression are all caused by issues of economic power and control. Similarly, their consequences tend to be always in line with destroying the lives of the oppressed people, limiting their freedom for choice and preferences, and even war violence in the quest to eliminating oppression. Racism applies and manifests in other oppressive elements, especially in groups of individuals from gender and sexual orientation. One of the main issues that women and members of the LGBT face are racism. 

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Women 

Women's gender has fought for equality and injustices for many years in the United States and worldwide. As such, gender inequality has always been perceived as the advocacy for better treatment of women than men. The reality and perception that women have been discriminated against in society regarding the establishment of gender role, and the things women can or cannot engage in, tell the kind of oppression in gender inequality. Similarly, gender inequality, especially the discrimination or unequal treatment of women, traces its roots far beyond the women's suffrage movement. 

The history of gender inequality has manifested in employment, leadership and management, civic duties, and traditional or cultural thinking of gender roles and stereotypes. For many years, women have been perceived as 'weak' and individuals who should stay back at home and take care of domestic issues. On the other hand, men have been given the liberty to go out of their homes and be employed to earn a living and take care of women and children. Consequently, advocacy against gender inequality has seen women being accepted to be as equal as men and empowered to possess businesses and leadership positions. These areas were previously reserved for men. 

Despite the empowerment of women, there are various ways that racism applies and manifests in this oppressed group. First, racism manifests in women's employment where African Americans' women, and those from minority ethnic groups, are considered less significant than women from the majority group, Whites. According to Patten, E. (2016) , women from the African American population are likely to be denied employment opportunities than those from the White population. Employers would discriminate against women from minority groups not because of their qualifications and experience but because of their ethnicity. On the other hand, women from the White population would easily be considered for employment regardless of their qualifications, especially when they are competing for the opportunity with women from the minority group. 

Additionally, women in positions of leadership or employers are likely to consider working with women from their own race or ethnicity instead of other races. For instance, an African American woman is likely to employ women from minority groups instead of those from the majority group. Such opportunities are termed to be empowering women of color who have been perceived as oppressed due to social and systematic being. Similarly, women in leadership and management positions from the majority race are likely to employ Whites and discriminate against people of color. Additionally, there are increased cases of unequal pay or wage gap in institutions and organizations. This gap is because of racism and far much worse than the gender wage gap. The gender wage gap is referred to as disparities in earnings due to gender differences. 

In most cases, men are paid higher wages than women despite engaging in the same type or amount of work ( Patten, 2016) . Similarly, the racial wage gap involves the persistence in earnings disparities based on the difference in ethnicity. For instance, women of color would receive lower wages than their counterparts from the majority group. 

Women from the minority groups, especially from the African American population, experience both racial and gender wage gap in the United States. According to Patten (2016) , women of color suffer from a racial-gender wage gap in workplaces and organizations where they do not receive equal pay as White men. Consequently, most companies of color receive significantly less earnings than men of color, despite engaging in the same type of job or work. Another form of racial-gender wage gap manifests when African American women are unable to be paid equally like their women colleagues from the majority race. 

In the area of leadership and management, women of color have less representation as compared to women from other races. In the United States, a woman of color faces a lot of hindrance in ascending to power, management, or leadership position. The systematic injustices have minimized women's opportunities, especially those from minority groups such as African Americans and Hispanics ( Patten, 2016) . The gender and racial discrimination in the provision of opportunities in fundamental social institutions such as schools have seen very few women of color in positions of power or leadership. 

LGBT 

LGBT community is one of the minority groups in the United States and globally. As much as legal in the country, it remains widely 'unacceptable' in most parts of the world. This unacceptability is despite the huge number of members of the LGBT ( Pharr, 1988) . One of the social problems facing LGBT is racism. This element of oppression affects this population in different ways, including individuals from minority ethnicity facing discrimination from other members of the LGBT community. First, racism manifests itself in a 'double-minority' way where there is no acceptability from members of the majority population and minority population for LGBT members. The LGBT members from the minority populations such as African Americans and Hispanics face discrimination from other LGBT members from the majority population. These individuals are not fully accepted because of their color and ethnicity. Racism plays out within the LGBT community as whites consider blacks as not their equals despite being in a common group, LGBT. 

On the other hand, people of color also face discrimination from within their ethnic groups where they are not fully accepted. The traditional and cultural beliefs of most minority groups perceive LGBT as taboo or culturally unacceptable. They are likely to discriminate against LGBT members among themselves. Also, minority groups would discriminate against an LGBT member who has a relationship with individuals from different ethnic groups. Similarly, people from minority groups who do not share with the values of LGBT would term the practice as a 'white experience.' 

Racism also manifests in sexual stereotypes among the LGBT community. According to Logie at al. (2019) , sexual racism happens in the African American population. Black men think that their counterparts who prefer or have a relationship with white men do not hold strong African American cultural values. Similarly, Afrocentric gay black men believe that the only way one can show he does not 'hate' the African American culture is by engaging in a relationship with other black men as opposed to those from other ethnicities such as Whites. 

Social justice strategies 

Social justice strategies are the strategies that are used by activists to improve social justice ( Dombrowski et al., 2016) . These strategies help in identifying and addressing problems that affect a certain group in the community. Racism is one of the challenges that has had a tremendous need to use social justice strategies. These strategies are meant to help in addressing the entire issue of racial oppression. Women and the LGBT community have had a fair share of oppression based on their racial affiliation. It has been necessary for the two communities to find ways of dealing with discrimination to help improve their lives. 

Women 

The empowerment of women from minority groups has been described as a way of ensuring that women can fight for their rights without infringing on others' rights. Women are supposed to understand that they have equal rights as the women from the majority groups, and they should not feel that the discrimination against them is justified ( Prather et al., 2018) . The women who have been able to beat the racial barriers that have been placed for them are instrumental in the empowerment process. They have been the ones giving other women hope that there will be a time to get equal rights. 

The women from the minority races that are in power try to advocate for education for other women. They believe that education is an easier way to help women express themselves. They can articulate issues and will be less likely to be exploited in any way ( Patten, 2016) . Education has always been the key to success, and this is one way that activists use to help minority groups around the world. The fact that there are cases where laws are wrongly interpreted to suit other people at the expense of a minority shows that there is a need to educate the minority to ensure they are well conversant with the law, and it cannot be used falsely against them. 

Being a leader means that one can influence the people they represent. Women from minority races are not well represented in leadership positions ( Schaffner et al., 2018) . Therefore, it is up to the few who have been able to make it to ensure that they encourage the younger generations in the possibilities that are there. They are also tasked with fighting for their people's rights to help improve their chances of getting to positions of power. It is not easy for women from minority races to make it to leadership positions. They face numerous challenges that can easily make one give up on their dreams. Therefore, it is critical for there to be people who help assert that every dream is valid despite their race or gender. 

Awareness creation is a critical aspect of ensuring that people get to know and address the issue affecting society ( Ayvazian, 1995) . In the issue of minority women, being discriminated against has made it necessary for there to be some sort of awareness creation. There are places where women are treated differently compared to other women from the majority. In places of employment, they tend to be overworked and underpaid based on their races. There are also places where they are sexually exploited and threatened not to talk with the idea that no one will listen or help them. 

LGBT 

The LGBT community is one minority group that has faced numerous forms of discrimination. They are discriminated against based on their race, sexual orientation, and many other factors, such as disability ( Pharr, 1988) . The community has tried to find ways in which they can make their voices out to the rest of society. The LGBT community has given its members the space to speak out. They have been in the headlines over a period of time trying to create awareness of the racial discrimination that they face because they are from the minority races. 

Demonstrations have been held by the community to help create awareness of their plight for racial equality. They show the world how they are treated differently compared to their counterparts from the majority race. ( Logie et al.,2019) They are treated differently even by their other community members, which has proved to be a challenge to them. The demonstrations are used to help others come out as well as influence the way laws concerning the community. The demonstrations are aimed at helping in advocating for acceptance for people from this community. The acceptance will help in curbing the racial discrimination that they face as a community. 

Activism has helped in advocating for the better treatment of the LGBT community ( Ayvazian, 1995) . Activists from within and outside the community use different platforms to ensure that the racial discrimination among the community is highlighted and addressed. Activists help mobilize for help from the government and other groups to address the LGBT community's issues. The activists have been instrumental in highlighting the racial plight of the community. 

Ethical dilemma 

Different ethical issues arise when addressing the issues of oppression in society. These ethical issues affect the way people address the issues and how they are approached. The main challenge being faced when using social justice strategies to address racial issues among women and LGBT is privacy. Some people prefer to be anonymous among the LGBT community. However, when addressing the challenges they face, there is a need to have them come out to have the right statistics ( Logie et al.,2019) . The women from the minority race also have an issue with their privacy because their employers and people close to them are involved in some cases. 

Conflict of interest always comes out in issues of activism. Some people use the platforms they have for their selfishness, and therefore they do not entirely represent the people they claim to be representing. In the issue of the women from the minority race, some people pretend to represent them while, in a real sense, they are working to silence them and ensure they continue being a minority. Therefore, the women end up being victimized once their complaints and concerns are leaked to the offenders. 

There are challenges of boundaries that come up in the implementation of social justice strategies. The challenge comes in whereby there are cases of people taking advantage of the minority groups for their benefit. There are cases where information concerning the people in the LGBT community. Such cases show a lack of trust and boundaries on the things that can be gathered in the line of duty while working with the racially discriminated minority groups. 

Conclusion 

Racism is a form of oppression that has been with the community for a long period. There instances where racism has resulted in conflict and led to the loss of life. The issue of racism has been subdivided to make other people feel more racially undermined than others. These groups include women and the LGBT community. These groups have faced racial discrimination on various levels and need the problems to be addressed. Addressing the issues will help in creating a more accommodative society with chances of growth for every individual. For change to be achieved, all members of society need to learn to live with each other regardless of their race or sexual orientation. 

References 

Ayvazian, A. (1995). Interrupting the cycle of oppression: The role of allies as agents of change.  Fellowship 61 (1-2), 6. 

Dombrowski, L., Harmon, E., & Fox, S. (2016, June). Social justice-oriented interaction design: Outlining key design strategies and commitments. In  Proceedings of the 2016 ACM Conference on Designing Interactive Systems  (pp. 656-671). 

Logie, C. H., Dias, L. V., Jenkinson, J., Newman, P. A., MacKenzie, R. K., Mothopeng, T., ... & Baral, S. D. (2019). Exploring the potential of participatory theatre to reduce stigma and promote health equity for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Swaziland and Lesotho.  Health Education & Behavior 46 (1), 146-156. 

Patten, E. (2016). Racial, gender wage gaps persist in US despite some progress.  Pew Research Center 1

Pharr, S. (1988). The common elements of oppression.  Homophobia: A weapon of sexism , 53-64. 

Van Soest, D., & Bryant, S. (1995). Violence reconceptualized for social work: The urban dilemma.  Social Work 40 (4), 549-557. 

Prather, C., Fuller, T. R., Jeffries IV, W. L., Marshall, K. J., Howell, A. V., Belyue-Umole, A., & King, W. (2018). Racism, African American women, and their sexual and reproductive health: a review of historical and contemporary evidence and implications for health equity.  Health Equity 2 (1), 249-259. 

Schaffner, B. F., MacWilliams, M., & Nteta, T. (2018). Understanding white polarization in the 2016 vote for president: The sobering role of racism and sexism.  Political Science Quarterly 133 (1), 9-34. 

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StudyBounty. (2023, September 16). Racism: how to end it.
https://studybounty.com/racism-how-to-end-it-peer-review

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