When many people think about race and racism and try
to express what they think to others, they frequently find that others have a
different take on it, a different way of explaining what it is and how it grew
in our world. In this session, members will use thinking tools to sort through
the complexity of race and racism from a variety of perspectives.
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Assignment before reading |
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Writing Assignment #1: |
Theories are tools that help us
understand and explain things, especially when they are complex. What you
wrote about "race, racial, racism, and racist," for example, is your theory,
your theoretical understanding of these matters. Perhaps as a result of your
reading and your conversation, you have begun to think some different things
or think differently about these matters. If so, then your "theory" is
probably becoming a bit more "critical" (p. 50).
Write some brief statements that capture
what you think about the connection between race/racism and other areas. Comment
on how you think the following aspects are related to racism. You might begin
your reflection by asking how these areas influence your understanding of race,
or how these areas express racism.
| 1. Rationality (how we think) |
| 2. Psychological factors |
| 3. Social relations |
| 4. Politics |
| 5. Economics |
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Now READ Chapter 2, pages 58-66 |
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A trip on the Internet... |
Browse to the LearnToQuestion.com website
and read the
Interview with Anthony Appiah. Then go the the website
Welcome to Creativity (formerly World Church
of the Creator) and read "The Sixteen Commandments of Creativity" and the page, "The
Five Fundamental Beliefs of Creativity."
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Writing Assignment #2: |
Then write brief answers to these
questions:
- Are the views expressed by WCOTC an
example of extrinsic or intrinsic racism, and why?
- What are the central or core "beliefs"
in their views regarding human variability?
- How would you characterize the "logic"
of their position (i.e., the movements of thought from presuppositions to
arguments to conclusions)?
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Now READ Chapter 2, pages 66-73 |
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A little research... |
Kovel writes about three types of
racism (dominative, aversive, metaracism) and the role that symbolization
plays in each. View the movie Mississippi Burning and take note of
the ways these three types are expressed in beliefs and behaviors. Listen
closely to the dialogue and identify the symbolizations that are related to
the three types.
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Writing Assignment #3: |
Then write out three brief
descriptions of these types (and their symbolizations) that you can identify
in our contemporary sociocultural world.
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Now READ Chapter 2, pages 73-85 |
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Writing Assignment #4: |
Each of the theorists discussed in
this section challenges the idea that the history of the United States and
the development of its social and political institutions were basically
unaffected by racism. They also challenge the idea that racism emerged in
this history and development as an anomaly. Instead, these theorists argue
that the social, legal and political developments were in fact premised on
race and racism. Write down your thoughts on their arguments, and respond to
this question: In what ways does government contribute to perpetuating the
idea of race and the continuation of racism?
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Now READ Chapter 2, pages 85-98 |
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A trip on the Internet... |
Go to the Government Printing Office
web site to view the report
Changing America, released in 1998 by President Clinton’s Council of
Economic Advisors in conjunction with The President’s Initiative on Race.
Read the sections on "Labor Markets" and "Economic Status." You will need
the Adobe Acrobat reader on your computer to view this report, so if you
don't have it, click here to get it:
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Writing Assignment #5: |
- Take note of your impressions and
observations as you read through the report, view the graphs, and ponder
this question: What are the obstacles to the development of socioeconomic
power resources across the range of people groups in the United States?
Write down your thoughts.
- This concluding section discusses
five parameters of a critical engagement with race and racism (origins,
transmutations, justifications, complexity and moral decisiveness). As
preparation for the rest of your study, think about each of these
parameters. Then in relation to each one, formulate a key "parameter
question" that you will work on, a question to which you will seek
answers.
- Review and revise your comments on
the "connections" assignment.
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Suggestions
for Group Discussion |
- Share and discuss your
observations on the "connections" assignment and the questions regarding
Creativity (formerly World Church of the Creator).
- Discuss your insights regarding
the types of racism in the movie Mississippi Burning and their
continued manifestation in our contemporary situation.
- Share your "parameter questions"
and the reasons why you have formulated them.
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Focused
Question for Group Discussion |
The chapter summarizes theories on
race and racism that are drawn from the perspectives of reason, psychology,
social history, law, politics and economics. These are important areas to
look into when dealing with the idea of race and the emergence of racism. Do
you think it is important to correlate these perspectives with a distinctly
theological perspective, and if so why (or why not)? In what ways can or
should a theological perspective be correlated with these other
perspectives?
