Thursday 1 December 2011

*Racialization, Winant, Myles*



Winant and Miles are very interesting with the way they break down race. Very similar in thoughts with a few differences. Their  notion of “race” is very similar to my perspective of race. Race being an ideology, something that exists because we make it come alive in our everyday practices today. Who gives us the right to shove people in to different racial categories without also considering their feelings?
We as human beings go under what’s “real” and “false” whether it can be proven or not. Why are we still debating race and the ethics of racism is we can’t even prove scientifically the traits of different races. It just draws to the conclusions that we could be absurd human beings with using science only when it comes efficient and convenient for us. Myles come across with a very Marxist point of view concerning race.  The ideology, concept, interpretation and people’s perception about it are all surrounded by fiction. To me, from once living in the Caribbean which is known to the developed countries as “third world”; Race is just used to simplify and explain their unjust behaviours in the work place. For instance look at the migration concept. People from developed countries see it as a threat that other “races” are entering the country. Race is now being used as a main subject to cause inferiority, and make Capitalism reach its prime success. I came to that conclusion because immigrants usually get minimum wages, in an economic sense; they are being controlled not only by having material success but also social success and “equality”. Myles has always put race in quotation marks because since it cannot be proven scientifically, it merely doesn’t exist! We as human beings have made such a big deal about it, In Myles opinion Racism can only be rectified by economic and political relation but in my opinion the basis of racism starts within us and we have to be aware at all times, it is something put in our minds to exploit other people. To give some a better shot at living a grand life and to leave others struggling or only affording the bare minimum. Of course colonialism has many things to do with it. Colonialism has made every race other than “white” feel inferior. As a black person, their ways of making one feel inferior has worked. Some blacks don’t even bother trying to do better than the bare minimum because they fear the notion of race and the extent on which its use upon them.  However, Myles comes across very casual with the topic race and racism, something that can be very touchy, furthermore he forgets the impact it could have on others and how much it affects people, perhaps he focuses too much on the ideological concepts of race. Both Winant and Myles agrees about our absurd thoughts about race and racism, but if it cant be scientifically proven and there is no such thing about race; How can you fight racism? Why are there continuous parades, debates about racism and for it to stop? This is not just a debate amongst Myles or Winnant but seems to be very much alive in our everyday practices and conversations. Even Halifax has segregated communities? Why is that? I never quite analysed the notion of race and racism until this class. I’ve come to the conclusion that everything is all in our minds, the sad thing is; this ideology and fictitious concept will be passed down to generations to generations.

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