Race and Institutional Discrimination - Admission/Application Essay Example

Race and Institutional DiscriminationInstitutionalized discrimination or racism can be described as the overall effect of oppressive imposed or negative conditions against one particular group based on ethnicity or race (Coretta, 2011). The term institutionalized racism or discrimination is credited to Stokely Carmichael during the late 1960’s at a time the American civil rights movement was at its peak. This he felt would help to differentiate between personal biases which were relatively correlated to institutional bias but still quite different.

In the United States, racial segregation, slavery and social cast system for a long time sustained institutional discrimination. Looking at this today, the laws that enforced such systems are no longer today those basic tendencies are still there today (Carmichael,1973). Institutional racism has established barriers that make it difficult for certain groups of people from with ethnic or racial bias to access healthcare or proper housing among other basic needs(Coretta, 2011).. This is the inability to give or even withhold facilities, services, opportunities or social benefit based on national origin, color or race.

It is important to note that institutional racism happens without consciously knowing that it is taking place. Institutional racism can be divided into broad categories, reformed racist institution or an overt racist institution (Carmichael,1973). Reformed racists institutions have biases against for example blacks but not act on them. A good example is an institution that holds the belief that blacks have a higher likelihood of abusing pain medication in comparison to Caucasian or other races (Carmichael,1973).

Overt racist institutions on the other hand actively express bias against other groups of people, this can privately or publicly. Another form of institutionalized discrimination may involve lack of provision of funding for public schools affecting the minority whose young people are affected by such measures (Jones,1997).The documentary film Race: the power of an illusion episode three house we live in brings out succinct points on the nature of institutional racism. Yet the most important thing is the views expressed by authorities in different field on the nature of racism and why most get it wrong.

The narrator begins by pointing out that the issue of race is everywhere yet in essence it is an illusion. Pointing out that race is merely differentiated on aspect of physical appearance. Joseph Graves the genetic points out to the important fact often ignored that there are no biological division among the human race further explained by him that there exist no human subspecies.Allan Goodman points that people see race from their cultural lens which can easily explain institutional discrimination.

The sociologist Melvin Oliver further strengthens the point of institutional discrimination by explaining that racism is only made possible by the giving meaning to race through public and private actions.The issue of intuitional racism has its roots from historical events, brought out it clearly by the historian in the film Mae Ngai. Bringing out such events as slavery of the blacks and the conquest of the Native Americans leading to what he calls the racialized society. The film further discuses some of institutionalized racism acts carried by different of the arms of government.

Such as the 1924 Johnson Immigration act which banned the immigration of Asians into America until 1965 when it was receded. The infamous Jim Crow segregation laws of the south passed by courts and the legislature which banned any form of mixed racial interaction. The films also mentions the laws passed by congress in 1970 which though allowed Blacks to be naturalized as citizens same as their Caucasian counterparts, it denied them voting rights. Steps having been taken to rid institution discrimination since the 1960’s civil revolution and great achievements have been realized.

Yet there still remains a lot to be done to ensure that all individuals are judged not based by the color of their skin but rather on their individual merit.References Coretta. P. (2011). Institutional Racism And Ethnic Inequalities: An Expanded Multilevel Framework. Journal Of Social Policy 40.(1). 173-192. Carmichael, S (1973). Pan-Africanism: Back to Black Power. Journal of Politics. 35 (2),386-409.Jones, M. (1997). Prejudice and Racism (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.