RACE AND THE SOCIAL STRUCTURE

RACE AND THE SOCIAL STRUCTURE

 

Numerous debates have existed in the past and existing literature regarding the apparent racial divide that exists in society. Countless articles indicating consequences of such mentality includes bigotry, prejudice, and down-right discrimination from the dominant race. The works of  and  (1994) and  (2001) are recent additions to the literature concerning the social problems brought about by race. In the work of  and  (1994), the focus was on the context of class and race. Specifically, the discussions were concerned with how the existing society in the United States turns out to make every national aspiration into a racial matter. On the other hand, the work of  (2001) makes it a point to emphasize the factor of dominance in the equation. Using theoretical foundations from  to ,  (2001) presents a discussion of the social structure where dominance is a constant.  

 

On a personal note, the discussions on race and social structure represent an actual manifestation of an existence of a social problem. The inequity that manifests itself among the races creates a foundation for arguments presented in studies that predate that of  (2001) and  and  (1994). As long as there is inequity in society, racial differences will constantly be used as a means to magnify this inequality. In the days of Marx, the economic aspect of the social structure was considered to be one of the casual imperatives that are deemed relevant in the context of dominance in society. (, 2001) The difference in social classes has constantly been the root of conflict in a social structure. This could be equated with the claims made by  and  (1994) where the African-American people are subjected to changes in policies to place provide “equality” in the US. This shows that the minorities in the US are not only struggling in terms of class, it also shows that the struggle for African-Americans transcend plain discrimination. It shows that the struggle is an amalgamation of economic, capitalist, and racial factors.

 

The discussions presented by both works present an inherent reality that exists in the context of the social problem with respect to race. Both works implies that the constant provision of coercion in society will inevitably present a consequence: consent.  and  (1994) present this in the form of reverse discrimination where the whites became the target of discrimination. The induction of policies leaning towards affirmative action and “colorblindness” was a result of the social movements that took place in the 1950s and the 1960s. Calls for equality, thus, did not actually eliminate the racial divide it only created a bigger chasm where both African-Americans and Whites are subjected. The introduction of affirmative action policies compels both races into consenting to such “preferential” actions sanctioned by the state. At any rate, the claims that structural theorists as  and  (1994) cited has been rather contradictory in a sense when they claimed that “remnants of the preindustrial order” like racial and ethnic bonds are bound to decline. Nevertheless, as seen in the modern setting, though it has significantly been perceptively reduced, still very much exists.

 

In conclusion, the two works reviewed in this paper presents an important contribution in academic and social research. Both studies have presented the reality in the existence of social hierarchies. Realizing that such hierarchies are present in a social structure could formulate possible solutions in other social factors such as economy and to some extent reductionism in class. As seen in the work of  and  (1994) these could be in the form of policies. Another realization in analyzing the said academic works indicate that the existing ascendancy in society, be it racial or economic in nature, manifests itself in the areas of power, domination, and consent. Understanding who holds the power; what class or race dominates; who are held subordinates in a certain social structure will enable an individual to fully understand the existing social arrangements. In the end, It could be understood by looking in actually studying how society deals with such differences and how the players fit into their specific roles. One realizes that the concept of race becomes more of a social reality, a product of social interaction, not as much as an offshoot of natural science.  

 

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