Comments on: The Answer You Get Depends on the Question You Ask http://www.racismreview.com/blog/2008/03/07/the-answer-you-get-depends-on-the-question-you-ask/ Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:29:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: mgs http://www.racismreview.com/blog/2008/03/07/the-answer-you-get-depends-on-the-question-you-ask/comment-page-1/#comment-1671 mgs Sat, 08 Mar 2008 23:32:35 +0000 http://www.racismreview.com/blog/?p=183#comment-1671 After further consideration, I feel that the question you ask is only one variable. The answer you get also depends on the operational definition of racism. Racism as an ideology is far different from Gary Becker's definition: an aversion to interracial interaction. Racism as an ideology may be easier to dismantle and may be something with a specific starting point in historical records. On the other hand, racism as defined in the economics literature may have always existed, as your students suggest. After further consideration, I feel that the question you ask is only one variable. The answer you get also depends on the operational definition of racism. Racism as an ideology is far different from Gary Becker’s definition: an aversion to interracial interaction. Racism as an ideology may be easier to dismantle and may be something with a specific starting point in historical records. On the other hand, racism as defined in the economics literature may have always existed, as your students suggest.

]]> By: Will http://www.racismreview.com/blog/2008/03/07/the-answer-you-get-depends-on-the-question-you-ask/comment-page-1/#comment-1657 Will Fri, 07 Mar 2008 20:08:37 +0000 http://www.racismreview.com/blog/?p=183#comment-1657 I am curious to ask if you have noticed any pattern regarding which students say that, "racism has always existed." That seems to be a legitimization for the current structure of racism making it inevitable and therefore to be ignored. Why students who believe that are compelled to take a class on racism is another discussion. I assume that most of the students who write that are white as that seems to be the group most likely to answer that way on my campus. I am curious to ask if you have noticed any pattern regarding which students say that, “racism has always existed.” That seems to be a legitimization for the current structure of racism making it inevitable and therefore to be ignored. Why students who believe that are compelled to take a class on racism is another discussion. I assume that most of the students who write that are white as that seems to be the group most likely to answer that way on my campus.

]]> By: mgs http://www.racismreview.com/blog/2008/03/07/the-answer-you-get-depends-on-the-question-you-ask/comment-page-1/#comment-1654 mgs Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:01:13 +0000 http://www.racismreview.com/blog/?p=183#comment-1654 The answer you get depends on the question you ask indeed. Will we ever rid ourselves completely of racism? Probably not. The more pertinent question: Is it worth combating racism? Absolutely. The argument that racism came into being at the time of colonialism seems like an argument that "racism didn't exist until races came into repeated contact with each other." Jews have been persecuted for thousands of years. Spanish warriors received names like"Matamoros" (roughly: kills blacks) during the 14th century. The answer you get depends on the question you ask indeed. Will we ever rid ourselves completely of racism? Probably not. The more pertinent question: Is it worth combating racism? Absolutely.

The argument that racism came into being at the time of colonialism seems like an argument that “racism didn’t exist until races came into repeated contact with each other.” Jews have been persecuted for thousands of years. Spanish warriors received names like”Matamoros” (roughly: kills blacks) during the 14th century.

]]> By: tina http://www.racismreview.com/blog/2008/03/07/the-answer-you-get-depends-on-the-question-you-ask/comment-page-1/#comment-1653 tina Fri, 07 Mar 2008 15:55:10 +0000 http://www.racismreview.com/blog/?p=183#comment-1653 Right. Or, "what are the social conditions that support and promote racism?"--a question that will turn our attention to the business of changing things, rather than useless pessimism. Right. Or, “what are the social conditions that support and promote racism?”–a question that will turn our attention to the business of changing things, rather than useless pessimism.

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