THE PSYCHOLOGY OF RACISM

 

Racism can be a defined as an organised and dynamic system in which the dominant racial group based on a hierarchical ideology develops a sustained structure and behaviors that privilege the dominant group while simultaneously dis empowering and removing resources from racial groups deemed inferior. Race is basically social construct, and has its roots in stereotypes. For example, in India, stereotypes exist that all dark people are uneducated and poor. How people used to think about racism, is not how they think about it today, which is why Racism continues to evolve. So by saying that its "evolving", it does indicates that racism has been existing since a very long time and even today in the year 2020, but the world seemed to wake up to this uncomfortable reality on May 25 this year, when George Floyd died. In India, racism continues to be a matter of concern, but nobody really notice how and when they're getting racist.

Racism is not just the belief that other groups are inferior, but it is rather a systematic oppression. People belonging to one specific group ensure their own group survives by putting others' down. They do this by taking away necessary resources from the other group, such as access to health care, a decent salary, and so on. This system is also a defense mechanism to insecurity. When people are reminded of their own mortality, they tend to become more prejudiced, aggressive, status seeking, materialistic and greedy. If someone is already secure with their own identity, they don't really need to put other people down. A person who is comparatively not very psychologically healthy, is more prone to resort to racism. Which is also why it is said that we become more racist as we age, though its not always true.

PREJUDICE vs RACISM

While all racists are prejudiced, not all with prejudice are racist.

Prejudice:

• According to National Association of School Psychologists, prejudice refers to irrational or unjustifiable negative emotions or evaluations toward persons from other social groups, and it is a primary determinant of discriminatory behavior.
• It is usually learnt early in life and affects behavior in a more subtle way.
• For instance, a police officer with prejudice might assume that a person of color would be more likely to commit a crime.

Racism:

• According to National Association of School Psychologists, Racism refers to prejudice or discrimination against individuals or groups based on beliefs about one’s own racial superiority or the belief that race reflects inherent differences in attributes and capabilities. Racism is the basis for social stratification and differential treatment that advantage the dominant group.
• NASP suggests that it can take many forms, including explicit racial prejudice and discrimination by individuals and institutions, as well as structural or environmental racism in policies or practices that foster discrimination and mutually reinforcing social inequalities. Racism can also take the form of unconscious beliefs, stereotypes, and attitudes toward racial groups in the form of implicit bias.
• For example, a racist shopkeeper refusing to serve patrons of a certain skin color. 

WHY DOES RACISM EXIST?

1. Insecurity: It is true that if a person is already content his or her own identity, they wouldn't need to put others' down. Most often, people are tend to resort to racism if they are insecure about their own identities, which makes a way for validation.
2. Projection of flaws: Sometimes when people don't feel good about themselves, instead of trying and fixing it, they project their self-loathing on others.
3. Poor psychological health: People with comparatively poor mental health have their own coping mechanisms. For some, it could be the consumption of substances and alcohol. In the case of racism, the coping mechanism for someone could be excluding or misleading others.
4. Hatred: Extreme hatred is often a result of the fear of losing power or the fear of being in danger. Due to hatred, the person or the group fails to stop and think before acting, which becomes the base of systematic racism.
5. Microaggression: For instance, a woman in the United States pulling her purse closer to her as she sees a black man approaching. Microaggressions can be more than just insults or insensitive comments. People don't even realize when they do it.

Racism isn't a mental illness, but surely is psychologically adapted. 

I think the media too plays a huge role in contributing to racism, when they show more white people on the TV, magazines, shows or movies. This makes the white race more dominant or "normal".

STAGES OF RACISM

1. Insecurity of one's identity
2. Thinking poorly of other groups
3. Withdrawing empathy towards other groups
4. Not looking at people individually, but rather as a group
5. Deflecting blame of their own groups to others.

EFFECTS 

• Even microaggression can be extremely traumatic to the person experiencing it, even to the level of trauma caused by sexual assault.
• Sometimes when people are treated in a certain way because of their color, they often don't understand what they are being treated badly for. They question if its just me who they're treating others like that too.
• Because of the treatment they receive from other people, a sense of isolation and the pressure to prove themselves develops.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

• If you've had an experience with race, its always better to speak about it rather than shutting it down after it happens. This way you might even feel less helpless. It has been proved that problem focused coping(allowing yourself to think about it and sharing the experiences with others) helps a lot more than avoidant focused strategy(not thinking about it and not being vocal about it either).
• Focus on the positive features of the culture you belong to.
• When you hear racist comments or see racist attitudes, try to point them out on the spot so that its corrected immediately.
• Speaking about it even when you belong to the privileged group, and making your voice heard will help easing the situation.
• Education itself is pretty important to become more resistant to racism, spreading awareness about it and talking about it. With education might also come acceptance of other races.