WMST 101 Lecture 5: Oppression and Racism
Document Summary
Racism is not only a personal ideology by a system involving cultural messages and institutional policies and practices as well as the beliefs and actions of individuals. Broad scale and small scale : institutions and individuals. Refers to the systematic advantages for being white. Whites knowingly and unknowingly the beneficiary of racism. Just world tendency = overall the world is just. People try to cognitively distance themselves from racism by ignoring systematic oppressions. Only men have systematic benefit of sexism. Internalized oppression within women = gender based prejudices. Shared identity does not mean they agree (women tearing each other down) Social condition makes people believe that they should have power and feel disappointed when they do not have that power. Feel like equalization of opportunities is their loss. Active racism : actually causing racism and doing active harm to limit someone. Passive racism : going with the racist system. All whites benefit from racism but not all benefit equally.
