Week 4: Race

Question 1

Recap: What are biases?

Answer 1

Biases (implicit and explicit) are tendencies to form certain (usually damaging) judgements about individuals on the basis of the group they belong to.

Question 2

Recap: What are stereotypes?

Answer 2

Stereotypes are (usually false) series of beliefs that we form about individuals on the basis of the group they belong to, and that become (usually harmful) reasons for action.

Question 3

What is discrimination?

Answer 3

Discrimination is differential treatment, and thus a form of action or behaviour. It is no mere difference, but a form of behaviour that benefits one group at the expense of another.
E.g. You might discriminate between people of certain gender if you refuse to form your midterm group with them. This can be due to explicitly or implicitly held biases/ stereotyping beliefs about that gender.

Don’t be too strict on the example.

Question 4

In what variables can we classify discrimintion?

Answer 4

We can classify discrimination within two variables:
1. In function of the intention: direct and indirect discrimination; and
2. In function of the locus of responsibility: individual, organisational and structural or institutional discrimination.

Question 5

What is direct discrimination?

Answer 5

With direct discrimination, the intention is to treat the individual differentlydue to a belief that the individual belongs to a group that is morally inferior.
E.g. refusing non-national tenants.

Don’t be too strict on the example.

Question 6

What is indirect discrimination?

Answer 6

With indirect discrimination, there is no identifyable intention to treat the individual differently due to a belief that the individual belongs to a group that is morally inferior, but the person’s/organization’s actions result in differential treatment of individuals usually subject to discrimination.
E.g. require an unnecessary document that only national tenants can achieve.

Don’t be too strict on the example.

Question 7

What is individual discrimination?

Answer 7

With individual discrimination, the agent discriminating is an individual, who does so in individual capacity.
E.g. a landlord that refuses non-national tenants.

Don’t be too strict on the example.

Question 8

What is organizational discrimination?

Answer 8

With organizational discrimination, the agent discriminating is an organization. Although decisions are made by individuals, they do not necessarily represent discriminatory tendencies of all the individuals that compose the organisation.
E.g. a university banning female students.

Don’t be too strict on the example.

Question 9

What is structural discrimination?

Answer 9

Structural discrimination concerns the rules that constitute and regulate the major sectors of life, such as family relations, property ownership and exchange or political power, including political institutions (such as the government, healthcare providers or police).
* There is no relevant ‘intention’ but an effect of a certain set of rules maintaining a social group in a subordinate position. E.g. the patriarchy.
* Usually necessitates historical direct and individual discrimination, but it’s a different kind of wrong.

Question 10

What is the ideal society?

Answer 10

The ideal society is a just society: a society where people are treated equally and get what they deserve.

Question 11

How might equal treatment be achieved in the ‘ideal society’?

Answer 11

Equal treatment may necessitate of **discriminatory policies **to bring people in disadvantage to be the base point of the rest of society.

Question 12

in this week’s context,

What is a just society, and how does that compare to our current society?

Answer 12

A just society is free of racial discrimination (direct and indirect; individual, organizational and structural).
Current societies are structurally unjust insofar they are built on and/or reinforce structural discrimination.

Question 13

How did Shelby define colourblindness?

Answer 13

“Race should never be a consideration in determining how government institutions treat persons regardless of the purpose or rationale behind such race-conscious measures.”

Don’t focus too much on the exact wording. Get the overall idea.

Question 14

Why does Shelby argue for colourblindness, related to representation? And what is objected against it?

Answer 14

Shelby argues, persons should not be treated as representatives of their race but as individual persons.
However, policy-making needs classification of individuals in groups.

Question 15

Why does Shelby argue for colourblindness, related to advantages? And what is objected against it?

Answer 15

Shelby argues, people should not be either advantaged or disadvantaged for traits they possess that they haven’t chosen.
However, unchosen traits such as intelligence or height are already used to advantage or disadvantage people, for example in job selection.

Question 16

Why does Shelby argue for colourblindness, related to respect? And what is objected against it?

Answer 16

Shelby argues, everyone has the right to equal respect. However, there is a difference between being treated as an equal and being treated equally.

Question 17

What does Shelby respond to the objection of treated as an equal vs treated equally?

Answer 17

“The morally relevant distinction between treating a person differently on the grounds that she is a member of an inferior race and
treating her differently on the grounds that she has been wronged because others believe she is a member of an inferior race.”

Question 18

What is a postracial society?

Answer 18

A postracial society is a society where race has no social or political significance whatsoever; no one celebrates racial diversity or takes pride on racial identity; race is not considered when forming bonds of affection and race is given normative weight.

Question 19

In what ways draws Cherry her view from Foucault?

Answer 19

• State racism divides society into a super- and sub-race.
• The sub-race is seen as abnormal and threatening - as people who should be feared.
• State racism is not eliminated by colour blindness.

Question 20

In what way draws Cherry her view from Malcolm X?

Answer 20

Malcolm X said that state violence is being justified by three features:
1. Crime statistics,
2. Participation of the media, and
3. Approval of the general public - which is not ‘the people, but the dominant majority.

Question 21

What is racial democracy?

Answer 21

Racial democracy is Cherry’s idea to use democratic tools (such as voting or right to protest) against racist institutions.

Question 22

How is anger valuable in Cherry’s view?

Answer 22

“Anger at racial injustice makes people eager to do something about it. We cannot suppress anger, nor should we dress it up in garments of respectability politics.”

Don’t focus too much on the exact wording. Get the overall idea.

Question 23

What are Cherry’s arguments on vulnerability?

Answer 23

• Everyone is vulnerable to state violence (especially in a state that already exercises such violence against a subrace).
• Distinct from empathy, which tends to create in-group bias.
• Listening and giving credence to the testimony of others.
• Collective self-defence.