Contemporary Culture and Media: A Post-Race Contemporary Society?
Race and Ethnicity
Race and ethnicity are cultural constructions, interpreted, and contested within cultural studies.
Race: Based on physical differences.
Ethnicity: Based on cultural differences.
Arbitrarily defined social constructs.
Symbolic categories that involve distinction, power, and are specific to place and time.
Ideology and Racism
Racism involves discriminatory beliefs, practices, and structures that maintain hierarchies and disempower groups, affecting life chances and access to resources. It operates at:
Prejudice: Attitude (individual level).
Discrimination: Behavior (individual or institutional).
State power: Sociology concerned primarily with structural level.
Race Paradox
Despite increasing ethnic diversity and inclusivity, race discourses persist. While society appears less overtly racist, race remains a significant concern.
Race in Culture
Race and ethnicity, developed by dominant groups as scientifically-evidenced categories, are reproduced in culture, despite the lack of scientific support for the biological reality of race.
Biology of Race
Early anthropological texts and sociologists (e.g., Spencer) positioned European whites as superior, influencing the Eugenics movement.
Most scientists dispute the genetic basis of racial difference.
Only a very small percentage of genetic difference exists, all of which relates to physical appearance
Consequences of Race
Race is real in its consequences, affecting:
Health and quality of diet.
Access to healthcare.
Longevity and cause of death.
Housing and neighborhood.
Employment.
Educational attainment.
Socioeconomic status.
Interactions with the criminal justice system.
Implicit bias persists.
Race and Culture
Race is often mediated through cultural differences, with opposition to immigration framed in terms of protecting national heritage.
Post-Race Society
In postmodern society, race as a biological foundation is challenged, with some viewing it as irrelevant. This creates debate on handling “real” but “unreal” racial categories.
Post-Race Perspectives
Racism is thought of as a problem of the past.
Overlooking racial difference.
Overt racism is less normative, but many wrongly assume they are not impacted by a racialized society.
Colourblind vs Colour Conscious
Colourblind: Focuses on process and assumed impartiality, emphasizing non-discrimination.
Colour Conscious: Focuses on outcome and fairness.
Post-Race Culture & Individualism
Identity politics is sometimes viewed as a matter of personal choice, allowing individuals to affiliate or disaffiliate from ethnic groups.
Post-Race Culture & Technology
Biological interpretations of race persist through DNA testing and marketing, despite race being socially constructed.
Post-Race Culture & Politics
Some argue institutional racism is no longer relevant, while others claim race politics create victimhood. The Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities (2021) acknowledges overt racism but suggests the system is not deliberately rigged against ethnic minorities.
Post-Race Culture & Identity
The UK Office for National Statistics uses “ethnicity.” "Racialisation” shifts focus to the cultural process of creating race. Race might become too central to self-conceptions. Solidarity and community may not be worth the subordination race creates.
Intersectionality
Rooted in Black feminism, it recognizes how multiple identities create unique social experiences and outcomes. It celebrates difference and strengthens efforts for social change.
Summary
Race is a social construct with real cultural consequences. Postmodern culture has challenged the "realness" of race, leading to debates on discussing racial difference without reifying it as a concept and structure.