I have a profound lesson to teach. And I can teach this lesson better than can an automobile or an airplane or a mechanical dishwasher because — well, because I am seemingly so simple. Yet we can also be surprisingly intolerant of each other.
If we are completely honest, there is perhaps a little bit of xenophobia, racism, sexism and bigotry deep within all of us. Luckily, we can choose to control and suppress such tendencies for our own wellbeing and the good of society. Most human attitudes and behaviour have both a genetic and an environmental component. This is also true for our fear of others who are different to us — xenophobia — and intolerance of their viewpoints — bigotry. In premodern times, it made sense to be fearful of other groups.
They might be violent, steal our resources, or introduce new diseases we are not adapted to. Conversely, it was beneficial to trust those who look similar to us — they were more likely to be related.
And when we helped these kin , our own genes were more likely to be passed to future generations. Beyond such genetic influences, our human culture strongly influences our attitudes and behaviour, modifying our human drives — either suppressing them or encouraging them further. Whether we tolerate and trust someone or fear and reject them depends a lot on this culture. Modern civilisation in general encourages the extension of attitudes such as respect and tolerance beyond those who look similar to us, to those who we have no relation to.
We reinforce and codify these values, teaching them to our children, while some religious and secular spiritual leaders promote them in their teachings.
Deep in our evolutionary history, there may have been some value in being wary of outsiders to your own group - but in modern society that fear is misplaced Credit: Getty Images.
This is exactly what has made us such a cooperative species. But sometimes our cultures can be less progressive. What people around us say and do subconsciously influences the way we think.
We soak up this cultural context like a sponge, and it subtly shapes our attitudes and behaviours. If we are surrounded by people that stigmatise those different to themselves, this also encourages distrust or aggression in us. It presses the buttons of certain deep-seated xenophobic attitudes within us.
Movements such as Nazism have openly promoted xenophobia and bigotry. Things seem to be moving in this direction today. Historical racism provides the framework for current racism. Any structure built on a foundation history of racism will be a racist structure. Culture, which is ever-present in our day to day lives is what allows racism to be accepted, normalized, and perpetuated.
Institutions and policies make up the fundamental relationships and rules across society, which reinforces racism and give it societal legitimacy which makes it so hard to dismantle. Interpersonal Racism: Racism that happens between individual people. When individual beliefs or prejudices become actions toward others. Institutional Racism: Institutional racism occurs within and between institutions.
Institutional racism is discriminatory treatment, unfair policies, and inequitable opportunities and impacts, based on race, produced and perpetuated by institutions schools, mass media, etc. Individuals within institutions take on the power of the institution when they act in ways that advantage and disadvantage people, based on race. Internalized Racism: When racism and white supremacy affect the minds of Black, Indigenous and People of Color BIPOC to the point where they begin to believe that they are inferior because of their own race.
The Opportunity Survey, Drew Westen, Ph. March Messaging tips for advocates wanting to engage in conversations around sports and athletes. Narrative principles for promoting truth in education and how to tell the story about our country. Use our interactive Value, Problem, Solution, Action VPSA message building tool to create a message that will energize your base and expand your constituencies.
Similar Resources: Messaging Memo. Share Share. Sample Language: Sample 1: To work for all of us, the people responsible for our justice system have to be resolute in their commitment to equal treatment and investigations based on evidence, not stereotypes or bias. Use Values as a Bridge, Not a Bypass. Example: A beautiful thing about this country is its multiracial character. Know the Counter Narratives. People of color are obsessed with race. Alleging discrimination is itself racist and divisive.
Civil rights are a crutch for those who lack merit or drive. If we can address class inequality, racial inequity will take care of itself. Sample Language: Sample 1: Asian Americans often face particularly steep obstacles to needed health care because of language and cultural barriers, as well as limited insurance coverage.
Consider Audience and Goals. A few questions to consider: Who are you hoping to influence? Narrowing down your target audience helps to refine your strategy.
What do you want them to do? What do you know about their current thinking? From public opinion research, social media scans, their own words, etc. What do you want to change about that? Consider the change in thinking that needs to happen to cause action. Who do they listen to? Example: Black boys raised in America, even in the wealthiest families and living in some of the most well-to-do neighborhoods, still earn less in adulthood than white boys with similar backgrounds, according to a new study that traced the lives of millions of children.
Sample Language: Virtually all of us have been part of a family with kids, some of us are single parents, and many of us will face disabilities as we age. Problem But many communities continue to experience racial profiling, where members are singled out only because of what they look like.
Solution We need shared data on police interactions with the public that show who police are stopping, arresting and why. Action Urge your local police department to join police from around the country and participate in these important shared databases. Problem Yet we know that racism persists, and that its effects can be devastating. Solution We all have a responsibility to examine the causes and effects of racism in our country.
Action Join a racial justice campaign near you. Problem But what we believe consciously and what we feel and do unconsciously can be two very different things and despite our best attempts to rid ourselves of prejudices and stereotypes, we all have them — it just depends how conscious they are.
A study of over Australian secondary school students found that racism had huge mental health impacts on young people who experience it, including:. Racism also affects people's general wellbeing when they are denied equal access to jobs, services and education.
Australia is now a very culturally diverse country — about half of us were born overseas or had one or more parents born overseas. When racial tensions develop, they don't just affect one or two of us - they affect us all… as neighbours, workmates, friends and fellow Australians.
0コメント