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December 13, 2006
a model of anti-Black racism in the USA
This is a very sketchy model, based on nothing more than personal observations and reflections. The arrows are supposed to be causal, although I can't estimate the strength of these relationships. Thus, for example, the human instinct to distinguish in-groups from out-groups, plus skin color differences, yields economic disadvantage for African Americans.
The overall idea is that certain background factors predispose people (including some African Americans) to anti-Black prejudice. Actual prejudice is triggered by particular factors, such as skin color and accent. The results are harmful behaviors, some of which reinforce the background factors in a feedback loop or vicious circle.
Some things that are missing from this model: capital-accumulation, political participation and relations to government, minority status (in the sense of being outvoted by the more numerous group), and religion.
Posted by peterlevine at 10:48 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack