Is racism part of some social ritual I don't get?

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I think (though I definitely don't have any proper evidence to back it up and I'm not presenting my thoughts or even a decided opinion) that racism is a remnant of our animalistic programming, like other mammals moving in packs or tribes.
When outside of our tribal comfort zone we are instinctively aware of the differences that other people have (be it race, nationality, sexuality, even some modes of dress) and the natural reaction is fear or discomfort at the possible threat of what's different.
I feel that most racial ideologies and xenophobic attitudes are based upon that irrational fear of difference and instead of confronting that fear by trying to understand other people people instead try and build a wall between themselves and the people who are different by constructing some sort of deluded belief that they must be inferior or dangerous to them. (Like the myths of black people being less intelligent, or gay people being paedophiles)
I think aspies are far less likely to just accept those irrational beliefs of others and yet with our social difficulties we will often find it difficult to challenge them.
I know I feel an intense discomfort upon meeting somebody new in general, and my social anxiety is definitely worse if I'm worried that I might accidentally sound racist or homophobic.
This also holds true in the NT world, lots of people I know of a similar age (particularly as the area I live in is predominantly white) say they worry about seeming prejudiced when meeting people from different backgrounds. So it's good that attitudes are changing, though in the ideal world, no one would even notice the differences between people at all and would just get on with their lives.
It works the other way with people being condescending to disabled people (personally I always find it insufferable how condescending people are to children, but then I have AS, so irrational behaviour of any kind seems strange to me)

Yep, I think it was a social psychology class where I learned about an experiment in which participants were randomly separated into two groups, and they KNEW it was random. In spite of this, they tended to form the completely baseless opinion that their group was better. It's been enough years, though, that I don't remember enough details to find the study again.

Racism and discrimination is based upon peoples' experiences or perceieved experiences that they have with a certain group of people. This not only includes personal experience with a person or member of that group, but also a tradition that is passed down or portrayed in the media. Many of times these stereotypes are only acted upon by a minority of that group.

As an example, I work in the call center of a large national retailer. I am getting tired of a certain culture of people calling us to price match, or wanting something cheap or free. It causes me a lot of work to have to research, and they argue with me when I tell them that I cannot do a price match, or some other action they will get a good or service for a reduced price. Even though I have a close relation that comes from this culture (her relatives are great people), I am really starting to develop a distaste for these folks and the work that they cause me on a daily basis. I am a very open person and get along with a variety of peoples. I also realize that not everyone from this culture acts in this manner.

I don't think lot of people get racism. Those who aren't racist of course. I don't think it's part of any social rule. It's just stupid.

I never understood it and even my own mom said it doesn't make any sense. I remember being confused about people treating blacks bad and I couldn't understand Abby and her family being slaves in the American Girl books and her brother and her dad being sold. Then the fact how black people weren't allowed to ride on the trolley and those that do allow them make them sit outside of it. That's when mom explained racism to me and I remember saying "I thought they were normal people" and she said they are normal people.

I also learned more about racism like how Native Americans were treated over the years by whites because we didn't understand their culture or them and people are afraid of things they don't understand so it causes people to be prejiduce. Then I have heard about people hating Jewish people. Mom also told me white people thought black people were stupid so god made them that way and they used them as slaves and treated them like they were animals because they owned them and would sell them. They used to go to Africa and take them and bring them back to America and that is why they are called Africa-Americans because their ancestors came from there.

I do agree racism can come from bad experiance. There are certain people I hate but I never hate anyone for their nationality or race nor disability. I don't even hate NTs. I have even seen some negative talk on AS by none aspies but only because they had a bad experiance with them so they assume all aspies are that way. All we can do is understand where they are coming from and try and educate them. I think getting all hostile with them is going to prove their point. Just like if NTs are hostile with us just because they see lot of bad posts here about them, it's also going to proive our point. So all they can do is listen and understand and try and educate us, be nice to us and patient and calm and we will learn not all of them are bad. I also think NT bashing is stupid because I am sure we have all had an NT in our lives who were good to us so that should show is not all of them are that way. I have always known that but did the bashing anyway because I was only talking about the bad ones but then I learned it was just stupid so I quit. I realized it was just a human thing they do and they are just jerks, not because they are NT.

Racism never came to my head because I was never taught it. I don't think I have ever ran into any racist people. But however I think I once ran into a stranger who didn't like people with disabilties. It was how she treated me and the fact she said I was ret*d. Not really racist but it's like it. I have always been teased and picked on and I notice few of them were also black and they didn't like me or were mean to me but it never ever came to my head it's because they were black. There were a very few black kids who were not mean to me nor did they dislike me but this kid was disabled and I remember another one in preschool and he was never mean to me. So it never made me hate black people and assume they were all that way simply because white kids were also mean to me so color never came to my mind. These kids were not mean to me just because I was white. They disliked me for other reasons and one of them used to tease me saying I stink. Then other times he be nice.

Agreed.

The older people in my family are racist, but not my immediate family. Most of the old(er) people I know are racist. I've met some my age that are, but only a handful. I could count them on one hand.

I live in Mississippi and people automatically assume that everyone is racist against black people and so on, but it really goes both ways (and truthfully I know more people who aren't racist than are). A white guy I know tried to open a door for an older black woman and she said she "didn't need no white devil" helping her

whats a tzigan?

whats a tzigan?

***************omg sorry for the triple post yikes!

Last edited by Ravenclawgurl on 16 Aug 2010, 7:57 am, edited 1 time in total.

Re. Willard

Which rap lyrics deal with killing caucasians and violating their daughters for the lulz? Id like to see therevelant songs plz. The closest thing I know of are songs advocating rebellion against the police/government of the usa or france - which tends to be white.

Exactly! Why can't someone go one moment of their conversation without saying, "Hey, dumb *n-words*!" or anything similar to that sentence? Why are people racist? I befriend people of other races and genders, so why can't they?