understanding racism and sectarianism

Understanding racism and sectarianism

The concept of “racialization… represents a step forward from essentialised “race relations” (Garner, 2010: 31)
What does Garner mean? And do you agree?

Throughout Steve Garner’s text “racisms”, many concepts and ideas are explored. One particular idea the author evaluates is;
“Racialization… represents a step forward from essentialised “race relations””
This statement, in itself, offers the idea that racialization is an evolved form of the term “essentialised race relations”. In order to fully understand what Garner is saying in this context the key terms need to be defined. The key terms are; racialization and “essentialised race relations”. Before these terms can be defined, it is important to establish what a “race” is. Garner states within his text that although there is no direct definition of the term many sociologists have attempted to define it. One definition is that it is the division of the human race into particular groups. It can also be assumed that when discussing “race” physical characteristics are used in order to distinguish between the groups as race can be seen as a social construct meaning that it is a category created within society opposed to a race being biological. Within this essay, I will analyse the key terms “race relations” and “racialization” In order to create an understanding of what Garner states in his text by using examples highlighted in his work and also from other writers whose ideas support that of Garners. After I am able to fully understand what Garner concludes, I will then be able to offer my opinion as to whether I agree or disagree with Garners view.
The term “race” as mentioned, has no real definition. The term can be used to create a structure within society, differentiating people by their genetics and their physical characteristics (i.e. their phenotypes and genotypes) Different societies view race differently and it can be organised in different ways. The most common method in which societies evaluate race, especially throughout Europe and North America is;
“The idea of “race” is now usually used to differentiate collectives distinguished by skin colour, so that races are either black or white but never “big-eared” and “small-eared” “
This particular definition demonstrates that race is commonly associated more with skin colour than other phenotypes, and no mention of genotypes are mentioned. This idea hints that only certain distinct characteristics are used to define a race. It also highlights that race is more historically and culturally linked. Garner mentions that race is more of a social rather than a natural phenomenon and also that the division of human race into groups can have severe impacts on people. It is important to highlight that there is some conspicuously that “race” does not exist, however as Garner mentions the terms “essentialised race relations” and “racialization” it can be concluded that Garner believes that is does exist and therefore race relations and racialization can be outcomes when groups are divided into a race.
Categorising people and linking them to a racial group depending on their physical appearance, social and cultural aspects can lead to a hierarchy between different races. This is a form of “race relations”. When analysing Garner’s statement the word “essentialised” helps bring a better understanding to what the author means when talking about “race relations”. The phrase “essentialised race relations” defines as the fixed idea regarding the relationships between individuals from different races or ethnic groups. It can also assume that race relations are not just the relationships between different races living together within the same society; it can promote the idea that the relationships are problematic. Although there is not much information about “race relations” within Garner’s text, other writers have written about race relations;
“One speaks of race relations when there is a race problem” (Park, 2000, p105)
Park states that if race relations are mentioned, it is usually in a derogatory context or hints at inequality between races. Discrimination between one race in and another is a form of Racism.
Racism is another important topic which is discussed within Garner’s text “Racisms”. To understand fully what Garner means by “racialization… is a step forward from essentialised race relations” we need to find out how racism is linked to both racialization and race relations. Within the text, Garner explores many different definitions of racism, as like race, it is difficult to obtain a proper defintion;
“Racism is a belief system or doctrine which postulates a hierarchy among various human races or ethnic groups. It may be based on an assumption of inherent biological differences between different ethnic groups that purport to determine cultural or individual behaviour. Racism may be described as a strong form of ethnocentrism, including traits such as xenophobia, views against interracial relationships, ethnic nationalism and ethnic stereotypes”
Although Wikipedia is not always a reliable source, this definition is useful for summarising racism as it relates to what most people perceive racism to be, but also relates to there being more underlying issues that can stem for racism such as stereotypes –i.e profound characteristics associated with a particular race- that occurs through races interacting with each other within a society. This definition also promotes the idea that there is an order within races, with some races ranking higher than others creating inequality between race relations. Racism and race relations are therefore fundamentally linked. As societies are becoming more diverse, it allows attitudes and opinions to develop and occur. Garner argues that when defining racism;
“A common misperception of racism is that it is only the severe examples that constitute the whole, In other words only violence, verbal abuse and deliberate segregation are actually racist; nothing else counts”
Here, Garner is stating that racism as a term is restricted to what it actually involves. The author is looking to expand on this opinion as he believes that there is a more complex view of racism which demonstrates unequal power relationships that exist (i.e. race relations)
As racism is more of a social phenomenon created by societies and how one race values another, it proves that attitudes, actions and unequal power relations are key factors. It stems from the term race, and how hierarchical social relations exists and have done throughout history – one example would be the slave trade and how black people were taken from Africa and brought over to European countries to work for rich white people- and the forms of discrimination that have evolved from this. Garner highlights how in order for us to understand how race becomes important in the contemporary sociology of racism the term “racialization” needs to be investigated. It is through this, Garner is able to demonstrate how, in his opinion, and racialization is a step forward from race relations.
In order to find out how racialization is a step forward from race relations, the term “racialization” itself needs to be analysed. Like race relations, racialization is linked with racism. It is an exercise of power in unequal power relationships between races. Racialization also makes race relevant within a society and highlights exactly how race is constructed. Like all of the key terms mentioned, racialization does not have a direct term either. Garner states;
“there is no consensus either about the usefulness of racialization, nor about its exact meaning: much like the vast majority of concepts in the social sciences, which are basically models in progress that help us understand different aspects of the social world, however imperfectly” (Garner, 2010, p.21)
This confirms that there are several meanings, however the meaning simple help us begin to understand different behaviours, even if they are imperfect.
Many sociologists have used the term in order to highlight race relations. Reeves used the terms “practical” and “ideological” racialization to distinguish the formation of racial groups and the use of “race” as a derogatory term. Other sociologists such as Miles use the concept of racialization as;
“As a synonym for the concept of ‘racial categorisation’ defined as a process of delineation of group boundaries and of allocation of persons within those boundaries by primary reference to (supposedly) inherent and/or biological (usually phenotypical)”
The idea that people are separated into racial groups supports Garners viewpoint and also hints on the idea that racialization is a step forward from race relations, as races are being categorised by physical appearance and that there can be severe outcomes such as racism that occur due to the fact that people have distinct physical distinctions that make them easy to categorise into a race especially now that societies are so diverse there can be many different cultures living alongside each other. This is fundamentally linked with power struggles that can exist between cultures living alongside each other, which is a form of racialization. Smaller minority groups “ethnic” groups are the most likely to experience racialization. It is usually groups of a lower social standing who are racialized by another group. Racialization does not necessarily mean that “races” exist and it can be defined as a process of how categories of people differ and how they are treated within a society. When discussing “essentialised race relations” It does assume that races exists, showing that Garner believes that races exists, but also racialization is an evolved form of this even though It does not directly acknowledge that race exists within its definition, however, It does try to provide an understanding in which race is significant. It also provides us with the understanding that racialization is a lot more than just the relationships between races; it is the social relations between people that have been structured by their characteristics in such a way that divides society into groups.
As previously mentioned, the division of the human race into groups can result in races becoming involved in a power struggle, resulting in acts of racism occurring. There have been many examples of racism shown throughout history, and in particular Garner choses to use immigration and the immigrations laws that have been passed in order to show to the reader his understanding of racialization. He uses this example in particular to show that racism can be used indirectly for political and social benefits. This is racialization as it accepts and highlights racism as being part of society. Using immigration as an example, Garner states that immigration laws were passed in order to select particular races that the government wanted to live and work in Britain, as it would benefit the country politically and economically. One bill that was passed was The Aliens Act 1905. This act even managed to provide a split with a nationality. It showed that Britain wanted Jews to immigrate over to Britain to work but they only wanted particular members of the race to immigrate. This act segregated poorer European Jews which excluded them on a basis of religion and class, not just by their race. This highlights a new point that many people believe that being part of a nation can directly relate to a particular physical appearance – which should be linked by race- and If you are not white and living in Great Britain for example, you are automatically assumed to be foreign. The idea that racialization can be used for political and social gain proves that it goes a step forward from essentialised race relations as racism can be controlled by governments for political gains.
Garner also mentions “self-racialization”. Although ‘races’ or groups of people can experience racialization of other race or group –usually of a higher social standing- some groups decide to campaign against the discrimination they receive from the other groups, campaigning to make all groups more equal. There have been many social movements that demonstrate “self-racialization” as groups are wanting to be treated fairer and by highlighting the inequalities, they seek to find change. For example, there was the “black power” movement. The sociologist Carter was most interested in this and he share similar views to carter. By excluding their race, black people highlighted the racism in which they receive, and although racism towards black people still exists in today’s society, it is not tolerated in the same manner in which it once was. The “black power” movement gave black people a fairer life within society and also gave them more rights in societies in which they were valued to be a minority group.