The 6 types of racism (and how to detect them)

Racism is an attitude or manifestation of any kind that affirms or recognizes in a more or less explicit way the inferiority of certain ethnic groups with respect to others. That is to say, the central premise of racism is that some races are superior to others.

The beliefs that underlie this type of behavior defend a kind of natural superiority of one racial group over another, not only at an individual level, but also at an institutional level. On a practical level, all this translates into discriminatory measures that contribute to favoring and maintaining the privileged position of certain groups over others.

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The history of racism: will we eradicate it?

In ancient times, it happened that communities felt rejection towards those foreign individuals from other peoples or cultures. This reluctance to accept those who came from abroad could have, at the time, a certain sense for the survival of the group. After all, the intrusion of a stranger could constitute a danger to the community. In fact, in Ancient Greece, discrimination towards foreigners was more than common.

However, this rejection was not based on the appearance or phenotype of the individuals. Later, in the Middle Ages, black people were always associated with the exoticism and richness of Islamic culture, something far removed from the visions that appeared later. These past trends have little to do with current racism, as we know it today. Discrimination based on racial appearance is something relatively recent that began to emerge in the modern age, especially in the colonies that many countries established in African territories and American people.

Racism in colonial times was widely used by the countries involved to justify their terrible actions in the late 19th century. Different European countries, the Ottoman Empire and the United States attributed numerous rights to themselves territorial over other continents, completely ignoring the rights and freedom of the natural peoples of those places.

In addition to the terror that occurred in colonial times, there are other events in history whose development occurred due to the expansion of racist ideas. Clear examples of this are Apartheid in South Africa or the Nazi Holocaust, both produced in the 20th century.

Thanks to scientific advancement and the remission of social, moral and religious obscurantism, racism has begun to be perceived as something negative and unacceptable in the last quarter of the 20th century. The growing collective awareness of past historical events has made it possible to recognize that the Racism is a crime against humanity, although unfortunately there is still much to do when respect. Due to the importance of knowing what racism is and in what situations we can find it today, in this article we are going to learn about the different types of racism that exist.

What kinds of racism are there?

Next, we are going to learn about the different types of racism that exist.

1. Aversive racism

Aversive racism is one that occurs in a subtle, not explicit way. Paradoxically, people who exhibit this type of racist behavior tend to be openly opposed to racism, supporting equal rights and freedom so that all individuals can live without discrimination on ethnic or ethnic grounds cultural However, those who show aversive racism maintain their distance from people of other ethnic groups, showing a cold attitude and lacking empathy.

This type of racism was first described by social psychologists Samuel L. Gaertner and John F. Dovidio. Knowing it is of great importance, since racist attitudes are often only associated with explicit discrimination and aggression. However, these authors observed how in Western societies with a settled liberal tradition, racism lives on in a different way.

Although in these societies there is already a conscious rejection of direct discrimination against ethnic minorities, there are still unconscious attitudes of a racist nature. This is because the base of the cultural structure has not changed, as have the institutions and organisms, which continue to maintain discriminatory biases as a result of historical heritage.

2. Ethnocentric racism

This type of racism is characterized by the individual exhibiting it shows the belief that their own ethnic group is superior to others, viewing individuals of other races or cultures as a threat to cultural purity. While in aversive racism equality of rights was rationally defended, in this case the need for the inferior ethnic groups to be subject to the superior one is upheld.

Ethnocentric racism does not respect other beliefs, religions, languages ​​or customs and does not hesitate to attack against them. Ethnocentrism leads a person to interpret the world around him from his own cultural parameters, judging the reality of other people from his position.

3. Symbolic racism

Symbolic racism defends the right to equality, but only in certain contexts or situations. The person who shows this type of racism believes that each ethnic group should have freedom to live however you like, but it sets limits that lead to segregation between the different groups cultural The result is a patchy and detached society, without intermingling.

A clear example of symbolic racism can be observed in those people who reject the arrival of immigrants to their country. This is because they believe that this can tarnish national identity and limit state resources. destined to the population of the country, for having to dedicate a part for the foreign population that arrives. In this racism there is a false acceptance, since mixing and welcoming is avoided, since this is experienced as a betrayal of one's own culture.

4. Biological racism

Biological racism is the most extreme of all that we have discussed so far. People who display biological racism assume that one race, usually their own, is superior to the others. Different ethnicities are considered a threat to the purity of the race considered superior and therefore reject that people of other ethnic groups can have the same rights.

There is an uncompromising defense of exclusion and segregation measures. This radical version of racism is what can be observed, for example, in the Nazi holocaust, where the superiority of the Aryan race was defended.

5. Stereotypical racism

While stereotypical racism may seem harmless, the truth is that it is racism after all. It consists of emphasizing certain physical characteristics attributed to different ethnic groups, getting to caricature his appearance in a certain way. An example of this is to highlight that the people of China have yellowish skin.

This type of exaltation somehow forces the differentiation between people and the segregations by ethnic groups. Although this trend does not usually hide a message of hatred, it can be harmful, since it focuses on the differences and classifications between people.

6. Institutional racism

Racism is not only carried out by people individually, but also by institutions and bodies. Many laws and entities throughout history have discriminated against people for their ethnic roots. Discriminatory norms and laws have been decisive in maintaining the status quo and preventing oppressed ethnic groups from changing their situation.

Conclusions.

In this article we have talked about racism and its different types. Racism consists of a set of beliefs that assume the superiority of some races over others. These types of ideas lead to actions and behaviors that discriminate and segregate those people belonging to ethnic and cultural minorities.

Although the rejection of the unknown has existed since ancient civilizations, the reality is that racism, as we know it today, has been gestated relatively recently. Its origins seem to be in colonial times, a dark time in history when many European countries began to create colonies in the New World. This was done with violent means and ignoring the rights of the original peoples of the continent, imposing the customs of the colonizers in a radical way.

In addition to the colonies in America and Africa, there have been other very dark episodes in our history that have been triggered by explicit and very destructive racist ideas. The most illustrative examples from the past century are the Nazi Holocaust and Apartheid in South Africa. Fortunately, the collective consciousness regarding the seriousness of these events and scientific advances have allowed society to progress and recognize that racism is a serious problem to eradicate if we want a world just.

Despite these changes and improvements, racism is still present in a remarkable way in our reality. A fundamental point to bear in mind is that racism has changed in terms of how it manifests itself. In liberal western societies there is a conscious rejection of racism and all that it implies. However, at an unconscious level, many people show subtle racist behaviors, the result of a marked cultural heritage and a social and institutional organization that still needs to improve in this regard.

Racism is, like other forms of discrimination, a scourge that must be fought. Looking the other way and acting as if it no longer exists will not end the root problem.