Institutional Racism : A Primer on Theory and Strategies for Social Change

by Better, Shirley

• ISBN13: 9780830415793
• ISBN10: 0830415793
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-07-01
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Pub Inc

Summary

In the United States the economic exploitation of non-white groups has included the reliance on African American slave labor by Southern plantation owners, the systematic removal of Native Americans from their homelands to make room for white settlers, and the relegation of non-white workers to the most low-paid, dangerous and dirty jobs. Through numerous examples Shirley Better demonstrates that racism is embedded within the fabric of American society, restricting equal access to educational opportunities, employment, and housing. She explores the influence of racism in the criminal justice system where it leads to harsher penalties for members of non-white groups. Having outlined the causes and effects of institutional racism, the author presents numerous strategies for individuals and groups to combat this pervasive social problem.

Table of Contents

Introduction	xvii
The Purpose of This Text	xvii
Key Elements That Make the Study of Racism Mandatory	xviii
The Browning of America	xviii
Increased Social Tension in American Society	xix
Restructuring of the American Economy	xix
The 2000-Pound Elephant	xxi
Chapter Summaries	xxii
Toward an Understanding of Racism	1	(22)
Understanding Racism: Key Concepts and Constructs	2	(4)
Race: A Societal Invention	2	(1)
The Origins of Racial Classification	3	(1)
Race Ideology	4	(2)
Other Theories of Racial Inequality	6	(4)
Deficiency Theories	7	(1)
Bias Theories	8	(1)
Structural Discrimination Theories	9	(1)
Explanation of Terms	10	(4)
Attitude and Action As a Litmus Test	13	(1)
On the Value of Whiteness	14	(4)
Explanation of the Term ``Whiteness''	14	(1)
The Privilege of Whiteness	15	(1)
The Capital in Whiteness	16	(2)
Eliminating Whiteness	18	(1)
Summary	18	(1)
Key Terms	19	(1)
Group Activities	20	(1)
Study Questions	20	(3)
Institutional Racism: A Theoretical Framework	23	(16)
The Persistence of Racism	24	(2)
Why Racism Endures	24	(1)
Cultural Blindnes and Deafness	25	(1)
The Better Model of Institutional Racism	26	(6)
The Positive Uses of Racism	26	(1)
Economic Privilege	26	(2)
The Two-Tier Labor System	28	(1)
Social Privilege	29	(1)
Psychic Rewards	30	(1)
Explanation of the Better Model	31	(1)
Individual Racism	32	(2)
Stereotyping	33	(1)
Playing the Victim	34	(1)
Guilt	35	(1)
Summary	36	(1)
Key Terms	37	(1)
Group Activities	37	(1)
Study Questions	37	(2)
Institutional Racism Dissected: Part I	39	(26)
The Potency of Social Institutions	40	(7)
Social Institution Defined	40	(2)
Racism Embedded in Social Institutions	42	(3)
The Invisible Hand of Racism	45	(1)
The Multicultural Nature of Racism	46	(1)
The Power of Institutional Racism	47	(1)
The Nebulous Quality of Institutional Racism	48	(1)
The Hidden Face of Institutional Racism: Part I	48	(14)
Housing	49	(6)
Education	55	(7)
Summary	62	(1)
Key Terms	63	(1)
Group Activities	64	(1)
Study Questions	64	(1)
Institutional Racism Dissected: Part II	65	(28)
The Hidden Face of Institutional Racism: Part II	66	(9)
Employment	66	(8)
Law Enforcement	74	(1)
Law Enforcement and American Minorities	75	(14)
Summary	89	(1)
Key Terms	90	(1)
Group Activities	90	(1)
Study Questions	91	(2)
The Web of Institutional Racism	93	(14)
The Web Explained	94	(2)
The Saga of Franklin and Jose	96	(8)
Housing	97	(2)
Education	99	(2)
Employment	101	(1)
Politics	101	(2)
The Limitation of the Theory	103	(1)
The Limits of Black, Brown Universality	104	(1)
Summary	105	(1)
Key Terms	105	(1)
Group Activities	106	(1)
Study Questions	106	(1)
Strategies for Combatting Racism: Individual and Group Approaches	107	(24)
Facing Up to Racism	108	(1)
Confronting Racism at the Individual and Group Levels	109	(1)
Individual and Group Strategies	109	(1)
Defining Cultural Competency	110	(13)
Instilling Cultural Competency	110	(1)
Understanding Culture	111	(1)
Dominant View of American Culture	112	(1)
Essential Elements of Cultural Competency	113	(1)
Skills of Cultural Competency	114	(4)
Cultural Competency Continuum	118	(2)
Guiding Principles of Cultural Competency	120	(2)
Barriers to Cultural Competency	122	(1)
A Personal Response to Institutional Racism	123	(3)
Summary	126	(1)
Key Terms	126	(1)
Group Activities	127	(1)
Study Questions	127	(4)
Strategies for Combatting Racism: Macro Approaches	131	(12)
Negotiation	132	(3)
The Need for Negotiation	132	(1)
Negotiation Defined	133	(1)
The Goal of Negotiation	134	(1)
Interracial Collaboratives	135	(6)
The Need for Macro Strategies	136	(1)
Defining Interracial Collaboratives	137	(1)
Benefits of Collaboratives	138	(1)
What Interracial Collaboratives Can Do	138	(2)
Limitations of Collaboratives	140	(1)
Summary	141	(1)
Key Terms	141	(1)
Group Activities	141	(1)
Study Questions	141	(2)
Arenas for Personal and Group Strategies	143	(20)
Home and Family	144	(2)
Euro-American Home and Family	144	(1)
Minority Home and Family	145	(1)
The Workplace	146	(4)
The Historical Connection Between Work and Racism	146	(1)
Signs of Racism in the Workplace	147	(1)
Combatting Racism in the Workplace	148	(2)
Church and School	150	(2)
The Role of the Church	150	(1)
Evidence of Racism in Public Schools	150	(2)
Current Strategies to Combat Inequality in Schools	152	(1)
The Vote	152	(4)
The Importance of the Vote	152	(1)
Counting the Votes in 2000	153	(1)
The Weaknesses in Our Voting Process	154	(1)
The Use of the Vote by Minorities	155	(1)
Making Every Vote Count	156	(1)
The Community	156	(3)
The Goal of Community Organization	156	(1)
Strategies and Tactics	157	(1)
Who Should Do It?	158	(1)
Culture and Community Organization	158	(1)
Summary	159	(1)
Key Terms	160	(1)
Group Activities	160	(1)
Study Questions	160	(3)
Racial Pluralism	163	(22)
Racial Pluralism Defined	164	(1)
Diversity in Current Society	165	(3)
The Civil Rights Movement As a Vehicle for Social Change	165	(2)
Minority Separatist Response to White Resistance	167	(1)
White Separatist Response to Pluralism	167	(1)
Barriers to Racial Pluralism	168	(2)
Loss of Economic and Societal Privilege	169	(1)
White Skin Privilege	169	(1)
Fear of Change	170	(1)
The Current Status of Race	170	(2)
Challenges to White Hegemony	170	(1)
The New Racism: ``Colorblindness''	171	(1)
The New Racism in Europe and the United States	171	(1)
Incremental Racial Pluralism	172	(3)
Incremental Change As a Viable Solution to Racism	172	(1)
Strategies for Incremental Change at the Macro Level	173	(2)
From Institutional Racism to Racial Pluralism	175	(2)
Sports: A Metaphor for Pluralism	175	(1)
The Current Movement Toward Pluralism	176	(1)
Embracing Racial Pluralism	177	(5)
Inner-City Interracial Collaboratives	178	(1)
The Evolution of American Social Policy Regarding Racial Pluralism	179	(3)
Summary	182	(1)
Group Activities	182	(1)
Study Questions	182	(3)
Appendix A Bibliography of the History of Racism	185	(2)
Appendix B List of Interracial Collaboratives	187	(2)
Glossary	189	(4)
Notes	193	(10)
Index	203