Noba Chapter online: “The Psychology of Racism” Psych Flashcards

Racism as a system

Racism is a system of advantage and disadvantage built into institutions and culture

Structural vs individual racism

Viewing racism as structural highlights laws

Race as a social construct

Racial categories are invented by societies and have changed historically to benefit groups in power.

“Race is the child of racism” meaning

Racial categories were created to justify racism

Shifting racial categories

Definitions of race have changed to maintain power for dominant groups such as colonizers and white populations.

Historical racism consequences

Past racist policies like segregation or apartheid continue to shape wealth

Defensive motivations

People resist acknowledging racism because it threatens group identity or their belief in fairness.

Threat to collective self-worth

Groups defend themselves by denying or minimizing racism to protect their own image.

Color blind attitudes

Claiming to “not see race

Cultural foundations of knowledge

What people learn about history and society shapes whether they recognize systemic racism.

Different histories in schools

Predominantly Black schools often teach more about racism’s realities while white schools may minimize or sanitize history.

Implications for action

Effective change focuses on cultural and structural factors rather than solely changing individuals’ attitudes.

Understanding marginalized experiences

Learning directly from historically oppressed groups improves recognition of inequality.

Reforming inequitable policies

Racism must be addressed by changing laws and systems that reproduce disadvantages.

Modifying historical narratives

Including perspectives of oppressed groups gives a more accurate and less biased understanding of history.

Privilege awareness

Members of dominant groups must learn how unearned advantages shape their opportunities.

Intersectionality

People belong to multiple identity groups