ESSAY ON RACE

INTRODUCTION Erasmus (2008) argues that race is socially constructed by human thought and interactions rather than something exists biologically. Human beings build racial categories based on differences in terms of physical characteristics. Race similar to identity and culture is constructed through the patterns of thought and behaviour defined by a certain group of people to create distinctions, it is innate one is not born with it, race is not fixed in human nature it can be made and also we can learn ways to unmake it. Through a close textual analysis of the two advertisements I will argue that race constructions reflect the notion that white people are still seen as having expertise in particular fields and dominate in businesses while people of colour are trained in order to be expert because there were particular skills that were denied to them. In this essay I will focus on how race is get socially constructed and how media show different constructions of race which reflect different political ideas such as inequalities through an analysis of the two advertisements.
Thornton (1988) argues that the idea of culture retained the notion that it is uniquely associated with a particular society or nation because there are boundaries between races that are maintained by language and different access to both cultural and economic resources .Through the process of socialisation as Eagle (2008) argues individuals learn social norms of a particular society and conform to it in order to get fit into a particular group. In the past socialisation has created norms through which particular races can be discriminated and it creates boundaries on which the future generation internalise it. The idea of race as a tool used to classify people into different categories still exist even today we cannot ignore its existence in our modern societies, the classifications are often very broad. Its function as a tool that is used to maintain the dominance of particular groups over others is still visible.
The idea of race is produced by human it is not rooted in human nature or fixed in genetic categories and it is not inherited, since there is genetic variation among the same human population that results in differences based on physical appearance human being use those different characteristics to classify others into certain ethnic group. They are classified based on the skin colour, hair colour and language they speak in common, linguistic, and the accent, these are the physical characteristics that has been used to categorise people. Human creates ways in which those who fit most easily into the dominant culture tend to value certain differences. According to Thornton (1988) through race the boundaries and classes were created which separate people of different racial group, they are still maintained though they may not be visible exist only in the imagination. As Thornton (1988) argues that similar to identity and culture the notion of race can be unmade we can find ways to change it only if we can focus on similarities rather than differences.
The media plays a critical role in providing us with the definitions about who we are as nation, they reinforce our values and norms. They tell us how the society sees us and at the same time, tell us how to behave in society. The white man in the Standard Bank advert is behind the counter seem to be in control and have the authority to make decision he wears the formal attire this reflect the notion that white people were dominant and were seem as better off people than others .They are associated with trustworthiness and they are the experts, having skills and knowledge this can be supported by the advert, the advertisers tend to put the face of a white man close up, we have a frontal view of him, he looks keen and got a smile on his face. The Indian women who is Mrs Naidoo is absent in the advert to prove that only the white man who is visible and superior. The Nedbank advert on the other hand is challenging the stereotype here the black man is a decision maker, skilled and has a knowledge. The notion of colour-blindness is implied here where people’s attitudes and behaviours are completely free from a racial thinking and everyone is treated equally regardless of colour.
Political discourse plays a critical role in reflecting and shaping race through law and public policies, the authority is still associated with white people they have all the power to manage and control South African economic status although both advert target South African businesses and emphasise that people of colour can do business but these are shown in different ways in the Standard Bank advert the white man is an expert having the skills, dominate in businesses and the Indian women is invisible, not featuring in the advert, voiceless and having no expertise although she authorises and associated with business but since she is classified as black she seems inferior . While in the Ned bank advert the black man is skilled rather than being an expert, the salesperson is not dressed formally he is wearing shirt with rolled up sleeves and he is less established as compared to the white man, we do not have a frontal view of him as compared to the white man. Both the salesperson and client are featured in the advert to represents that people of colour are still seem inferior they unable to dominate in businesses they need to be trained in order to be skilled. Erasmus (2008) argues that South African whites still benefit from the legacy while black are facing the effects of race, their wages are ranked by race the political systems and apartheid governmental laws such as hierarchies still exists. Through the language used in both of the adverts as Eagle (1988) argues that it is a tool used in the process of socialisation it is used in both reflecting and creating discriminations against race the hierarchies in the Standard Bank advert is perpetuating. The language used in the Standard Bank advert such as “Trust the leaders in business banking” implies that the white man here is a leader while in the Ned bank advert the black man is a business partner, easily approachable and target local small businesses. This reflect the idea that South African whites have the authority to own property they have to be leaders and be in controlled even if a white man is not well education as compared to a black man because of the colour he deserve to be in a better position and have the power to authorise, while a black man cannot stand on its own. Those are the boundaries that were created by apartheid governmental laws however they are not more directly or they may not be visible but they still exists and seem permanently.
The system of liberalism is being reflected in both of the two adverts where there is a belief in the value of political change in order to achieve progress. The South African businesses with black people are still progressing while those led by whites have already achieved this can be supported by both of the advert the white man is associated with large businesses companies in the Standard bank advert while the black is encouraging local businesses in the Ned bank advert. There are inequalities in the way people perceived each other that are the products of the colonisation the process whereby the white people migrate to settle in Africa and take control of African countries, black people were forced to be slaves in their own country do the slavery work and forced labour without getting paid. The African economic status was controlled by the Europeans and they were in charge of everything, blacks were restricted and excluded in many social and technological access, they were unable to make their own decision. Even today in our modern societies black people are still suffering from those effects of inequalities derived from the notion of race. This idea is reflected on the adverts as we saw the white man looks keen and relaxed while the black man on Ned bank advert is active and on the move this means that black people have to work hard in order to progress.
CONCLUSION
In this essay I have argue how race constructions reflect political ideas through a close textual analysis of the two advertisement and how it is get socially constructed. According to Erasmus (2008) race, class and cultural nationalism they all intersected in the apartheid project and race always will be in a central social fact in South African society. Race still exists in our modern societies some people are still experiencing its effect though they may not visible because of the colour-blindness societies which ignore that there are people of different races and embracing everyone as the same. Erasmus (2008) argues that the idea of race can be made and remade as it is not rooted in human nature and it is not about our descendants were we derive from it is something influenced by human thoughts and historical processes. We can learn ways of unmaking race by unlearning racial ways.

REFERENCES
Eagle, G. (1988). “Process of socialisation” in Agenda, No.2.
Erasmus, Z. (2008). ‘Race’. In Shepherd, N.& Robins, S. (eds). New South African Keywords. Johannesburg: Jacana, pp. 169-181.
Thornton, R. (1988). “Culture: A contemporary definition”. In Boonzaier, E. & Sharp, J. (eds). South African keywords: The uses & abuses of political concepts. Cape Town: David Philip, pp. 18-29.

References: Eagle, G. (1988). “Process of socialisation” in Agenda, No.2. Erasmus, Z. (2008). ‘Race’. In Shepherd, N.& Robins, S. (eds). New South African Keywords. Johannesburg: Jacana, pp. 169-181. Thornton, R. (1988). “Culture: A contemporary definition”. In Boonzaier, E. & Sharp, J. (eds). South African keywords: The uses & abuses of political concepts. Cape Town: David Philip, pp. 18-29.