The psychologist William James once concluded that humans inflict no more fiendish punishmenton each other than social marginalisation. Modern social science his documented the negative, often so severe, effect that social marginalization and dehumanization have on the physical and emotional health of human beings. Racist oppression inflicts a type of marginalization and dehumanization on its victims. Under slavery, segregation, and contemporary racism, recurring decriminalisation and the degradation have brought onerous psychological health and physical health burdens to many black Americans. Indeed many black Americans today suffer from something like the post traumatic stress syndrome—with its pain depression and anxiety—that has been documented for military veterans of some US wars. Marxist and feminist analysis have suggested how those who are oppressed sometimes help to create or reproduce their own oppression. Caught in the vice of an oppressive society, those who are subjugated often internalize the negative views and stereotypes of their own group, an internalizing that can lead to low self-esteem and self-hatred. Over time, many who are racially colonized come to accept to some degree, the racist rationalizations put out by the colonizers. In order to survive or thrive, a black person must constantly battle not only the every day discrimination of whites but also the racist imagery and questioning routinely placed in her or his on mind by the racist system. RACIST AMERICA BY: JOE FEAGIN Joe Feagin moved to Boston where he went on to earn his Ph.D. in sociology (social relations) from Harvard University in 1966. Currently, he is the Ella C. McFadden Professor of Liberal Arts at Texas A&M University.[1] His research and teaching interests concern mainly the development and structure of racial and gender prejudice and discrimination, especially institutional and systemic discrimination and racism. ____________________________ Suggested reading joydegruy/resources-2/post-traumatic-slave-syndrome/
Posted on: Wed, 22 Jan 2014 07:06:21 +0000
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