Facing up to my own racism

[HoreTore]

Here's another thought: Marxists use to define racism in political/economic terms. Only the dominant group could be racist because only the dominat group could exclude. Total cobblers of course, but on that basis can any one of us be called racist anyway. BG wasn't being dominant when he felt uncomfortable on the train.

There are two kinds of racism: structural and casual. The structural rascism is the one that really hurts, the casual racism doesn't matter nearly as much. It is the structural racism that can only be performed by the dominant group, the casual racism is for everyone.

[Viking]

In any case, people are not born racists. Not at all. But people are born with a fear of what's unknown, so our brain will as quick as possible try to tell us what it is that we see. When we see a stranger, we will look at him, and depending on what we see (what colour his skin has, what kind of clothes he wears etc.) we will fit him or her into the most fitting "box" (that is for example, a "black people box", a "muslim box" etc.). But just knowing what some kind of people/thing/animal is called is worth just as much as knowing that that is a tiger, but not knowing that the tiger is dangerous. So these boxes are given certain values, and those values will be given to everyone who fits into these boxes. This is for example how you immediately upon entering know that a classroom is a classroom, not a church without having to study it any closer. But of course, sometimes it goes wrong, and we think that a group of people, or a box, has values that they really don't have, which is all the more evident when it comes to people. (I mean, how often do you go into what you think is a church, but then find out is a classroom?

If you for the first time saw a muslim, and you do not know what a muslim is, would you be scared of him? No, because fear comes from "knowledge" rather than not knowing. Just look at how animals at never-before-visited-places react to humans: they show no fear.
You'd rather be interested in finding out what a muslim is before you cast what is, in your eyes, the proper judge.

If you do not understand someone though, you might act with precaution, and the precaution might lead to racism.

There are two kinds of racism: structural and casual. The structural rascism is the one that really hurts, the casual racism doesn't matter nearly as much. It is the structural racism that can only be performed by the dominant group, the casual racism is for everyone.

What is what? Is racism tought to you by your parents structural, or are you then talking about nation wide racism or community racism?

[atheotes]

If you for the first time saw a muslim, and you do not know what a muslim is, would you be scared of him? No, because fear comes from "knowledge" rather than not knowing.

I would say incomplete or incorrect information/knowledge is what causes the fear. Grouping/generalising/stereotyping is the biggest reason.

[HoreTore]

What is what? Is racism tought to you by your parents structural, or are you then talking about nation wide racism or community racism?

Structural racism is racism within/expressed by the structures of a society. For example, if some bureaucrat in charge of some official thingy denies the service he provides to a person purely because of his race, then that is structural racism.

Name-calling would be casual racism. It won't affect you nearly as much.

[Banquo's Ghost]

Thank you everyone, for your thoughtful replies.

I've been busy these last couple of days, but I'll get back to you with some reflections soon.

[Husar]

You don't see monkeys living on their own unless they're lost or mentally damaged.

Thank you.
(read my last post for reference )

It all depends on how we use our monkeysphere.

And thanks again, been looking for that link.