Racial Tolerance

Why is it that racism is a constant and on going heated topic of concern when we live in a society filled with many different cultural backgrounds? Reports have been filed concerning racial attitudes and discrimination based on the colour of our skin and cultural background. This year alone racial discrimination has increased from 50% in comparison to the previous year being from 12-19% (Baird, 2013). What a huge change in just one year! Where are we going wrong? Does racial tolerance need to be something that should be addressed at school from a young age?

It is arguably mentioned in Fozdar, Wilding & Hawkins (2009) that too often in society we assume that race is theorized by social constraints that we are exposed to in everyday life (p. 180), based upon ones identity in terms of their physical appearance, racial background, culture and socio-economic status. Stereotypes are formed around theses categories where many people make assumptions based upon how they are perceived in society; placing those in pigeonholes of what is expected or believed to be of the norm. Why is it that we must label people in these categories?

Racism is something in which is part of everyday life whether it’s done intentionally or unintentionally, but what difference does it make whether it is done unintentionally? Baird (2013) writes in her article about racial tolerance and makes a point about costume themed parties. How is it that society still has to deal with these stereotypical racial attitudes when it should have been something that we resolved a few decades ago? Brings up the question as to whether the issue will ever really be fully resolved?

As myself being a white Anglo-Saxon female, would I be considered a racist if I were to dress up as an African-American if the theme was as such, would this still apply if this was vice versa, myself being an African-American dressing up as a white female? Does the first scenario have more repercussion than does the second scenario? Based upon the history that delves back in terms of the social positions in society of the Africa-American’s, this is quite a delicate subject. How are we to implement some kind of action as to end or reduce these racial disputes from an educational perspective?

Where do we begin to implement racial concern into the schooling education sector? Each school may have a different approach as to another school based upon the students that attend the school; experimentation will be the key to success. Parks (1999) mentions that to reduce the effects of racism in schools, there must be changes made to the overall curriculum, addressing concerns of enhancing ethnicity and cultural diversity of the students by attending to those such cultural methods of learning and creating an overall competent learning environment for all students (p.16). The aim of this program will be to shift the focus from racial division to racial equality, valuing those differences between each racial group. 

As a nation we are made up of a diverse multicultural society, where our differences are what we have in common. If we were to build a bridge to resolve these issues would this actually achieve anything? By resolving these issues what would we have to implement and how will we get everyone amongst this? Can only educate society about these issues and raise an awareness, it’s not something that we can push on society. This is dependent upon the individual as to what their choice may be. Regardless of whether or not we integrate as a whole multicultural society there will still be barriers of difference encountered where clash amongst different racial groups will occur based on our categories of difference.

Resources

Baird, J. (2013). Racial tolerance begins in Parliament, The Sydney Morning Herald, 26 October, <http://www.smh.com.au/comment/racial-tolerance-begins-in-parliament-20131025-2w6p2.html>.

Park, S. (1999). Reducing the effects of racism in schools, Educational Leadership, April, ProQuest Central, p. 16.

Fozdar, F, Wilding & Hawkins, M. (2009). Race and Ethnic Relations, Oxford University Press, p. 180-181.