Racism

Role of Racism

Racism both in the United States and Europe deals with the dimension of power, especially when it is related to dominant and minority social groups. This dimension of power leads to a variety of attitudes and behaviors toward certain groups, which often take the form of racism in a multicultural society. Many scholars argue that power is established and exercised only [Page 1114]by being vested with the force of discrimination, exclusion, and enforcement; it contributes to the development of a system in which the majority group dominates the minority group.

Giving a broader perspective to this definition, other scholars note that power is a crucial factor but also argue that power is not the sole factor underlying racism. According to these scholars, power is sought because there is an economic gain in it. Scholars further add that because of inadequate socialization and cultural factors, racism becomes an early tool of exploitation and oppression where both economics and social factors play a major part.

Racism in Sociohistorical Discourse

In their studies of racism, some scholars argue that racism had its origins in Europe during the 16th century with the rise of nationalism and that it was applied first to class conflicts and then to national conflicts. Other researchers have dated racism's appearance to the age of colonialism and expansionism, when White Europeans confronted non-Whites in situations of conquest and exploitation. In the United States, without this history of far-flung colonies, White supremacy attained its fullest ideological and institutional development in the southern United States in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

The past few decades saw a new dimension in the history of racism. Contemporary European and U.S. societies have become increasingly multiethnic and multicultural and have undergone a massive transformation at an unprecedented speed during the last 2 decades. This transformation, which greatly widened the range of cultural diversity within these societies, was accompanied by a marked increase in racial tensions in cities and other social infrastructures. Although public officials emphasize the great strides that have been made, many scholars assert what most minorities seem to believe: that racism is on the rise in both the United States and Europe.

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