RACIALIZATION – THE RACIALIZATION PROCESS.1

WHY RACIALIZATION INSTEAD OF RACE?

======> MANY SOCIOLOGISTS PREFER TO USE THE TERM RACIALIZATION AS OPPOSED TO RACE IN ORDER TO EMPHASIZE THE FACT THAT RACIAL CATEGORIES ARE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIONS THAT CHANGE IN TIME AND SPACE AND CIRCUMFERENCE, AND ARE ATTRIBUTED WITH STATUS AND MEAN}

CONSIDER RACIAL AMBIGUITY

IF WE THINK ABOUT “RACIAL AMBIGUITY” IN OUR MIXED-GENETIC LIVES IT IS MUCH EASIER TO UNDERSTAND HOW ETHNO-RACIAL CATEGORIES ARE SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED.

EX: TIGER WOODS - MOTHER IS ONE-HALF CHINESE AND ONE-HALF THAI, AND HIS FATHER HAD ONE WHITE, ONE NATIVE, AND TWO BLACK GRANDPARENTS. (WHAT IS HE? FUZZY ZEOLLER - FRIED CHICKEN AND COLLAR GREENS).

******WHILE RACE IS TREATED AS A “REAL THING” IN EVERYDAY LIFE – IN ACTUALITY RACE IS A PROCESS OF RACIALIZATION ======> REFERS TO THE ASSIGNING OF RACIAL CONNOTATIONS {LABELS & STIGMAS} TO THE ACTIVITIES OF MINORITY PEOPLE.

IN A SOCIOLOGICAL SENSE:

RACE IS NOT A “THING IN ITSELF” == BUT RATHER == “A SOCIAL PROCESS” =====> “NOT A PERSON” == BUT RATHER == “A PERSPECTIVE ON THINGS”

{SO} SOCIOLOGICAL STIPULATION: BECAUSE THE CONCEPT OF “RACE” IS (1) SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED AND HAS INTERACTIONAL CONSEQUENCES; AND (2) IT IS TIME AND SPACE CONTINGENT; AND (3) THESE CONTINGENT CONSTRUCTS ARE ATTRIBUTED/ATTACHED WITH STATUS AND MEAN ======> MANY SOCIOLOGISTS THINK IT IS MORE PRECISE TO REFER TO “RACIALIZED INDIVIDUALS”

TO SEE RACE IS ENGAGE IN A THOUGHT PROCESS WHICH BIOLOGIZE PEOPLE BY ATTACHING STATUS TO THE PHYSICAL.

PEOPLE ARE THE SUBJECTS AND OBJECTS OF "RACIALIZED FORMATIONS" -- MEANING -- PEOPLE DO NOT SEE "RACE"; RATHER THEY OBSERVE CERTAIN COMBINATIONS OF REAL AND SOMETIMES IMAGINED SOMATIC [OF THE BODY] AND CULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS THAT THEY ATTRIBUTE MEANING TO WITH THE IDEA OF "RACE".

A DIFFERENCE IN SKIN COLOUR IS NOT ESSENTIAL TO THE PROCESS OF "MARKING" HERE -- IT ACTUALLY GOES BEYOND THE BIOLOGICAL RACE IS A SOCIAL PROCESS OF ATTRIBUTING SUPERIOR- INFERIOR STATUS === THE COMPLEX RELATIONSHIPS OF EXPLOITATION, CONTROL, AND EXCLUSION GROUNDING THE DIFFERENCES OF RACE, AND GIVING RISE TO (THE IDEOLOGICAL CONSTRUCTION OF) "THE RACIALIZED OTHER"

[THE BOTTOM LINE IS] DIFFICULTIES ARISE WHEN THINKING IN TERMS OF "RACE". THE USE OF THE TERM IMPLIES THAT RACIAL PURITY EXISTS èAS IF THERE IS A CLARITY, EXACTNESS TO BIO-PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTIC.

EX: (1) ALTHOUGH WE MAY ASSUME THAT WE CAN DISTINGUISH BETWEEN PEOPLE ON THE BASIS OF "RACE", BIOLOGY WOULD CONFIRM THAT MOST CANADIANS, LIKE PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD, ARE GENETICALLY MIXED.

(IN FACT, MOST SCHOLARS ARGUE THERE ARE NO "PURE" RACIAL TYPES (BIOLOGICAL UNITS) IN THIS WORLD.

IN FACT, MANY SOCIAL SCIENTISTS SUGGEST THAT THE CONCEPT OF "RACE" IS REALLY A MYTH -- (RACE IS REALLY A INVIDIOUS STATUS DISTINCTION).

SOCIOLOGICAL STIPULATION: THE CONCEPT OF IT MAY BE A BIOLOGICAL MYTH — BUT — IT IS A SOCIAL REALITY {IT IS REAL IN ITS CONSEQUENCES}

MY ARTICLE AFRICAN CANADIANS IN 80S

RACE IS A POLITICAL ECONOMIC CONSTRUCT ==è THIS MEANS THAT IT IS NOT A “THING-IN-ITSELF” PER SE BUT AN INTERACTIONAL POWER DYNAMIC

EX: THE CONCEPT OF RACE IS ONLY IN EXISTENCE BECAUSE OF RACISM -- THE ACQUISITION OF POWER AND STATUS -- "POLITICS OF DOMINANCE AND DOMINATION" -- CREATES "STATUS AND STATUS ANXIETY".

UPSHOT: THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN “RACE” AND “RACIALIZATION” IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SUPERFICIALITY AND PRECISION.

RACIALIZATION ==> STIGMATIZATION==> MARGINALIZATION

THE PROCESS OF RACIALIZATION “LABELS” AND “STIGMATIZES” A MINORITY GROUP BY LINKING IT WITH RACE ====>

STIGMATIZATION: REFERS TO A MARK OF DISGRACE IMPOSED ON AN INDIVIDUAL BY OTHER INDIVIDUALS OR A SOCIAL GROUP. IN POPULAR USAGE IT OFTEN REFERS TO ANY NEGATIVE SANCTION OR DISAPPROVAL FOR NONCONFORMITY. AN UNDESIRABLE DIFFERENTNESS OF AN INDIVIDUAL THAT DISQUALIFIES HIM OR HER FROM FULL SOCIAL ACCEPTANCE. SOCIOLOGISTS ORIGINALLY USED THE TERM TO SHOW HOW HUMANS NOT ONLY SEEK TO CONTROL THE PHYSICAL WORLD BUT THE SOCIAL WORLD. ====>

MARGINALIZATION: REFERS TO THE STATUS OF A GROUP WHO DOES NOT HAVE FULL AND EQUAL ACCESS TO THE SOCIAL ECONOMIC, CULTURAL, AND POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS OF SOCIETY.

[[[EX: “RACIAL PROFILING” === MILES DAVIS AND HIS LAMBORGINE === THE POSTER BOY FOR “DRIVING WHILE BLACK” === “THE MILES DAVIS SYNDROME” --- SAYS THAT SKIN COLOUR, WITH ITS ATTENDING NEGATIVE ASSOCIATIONS, BECOMES THE STANDARD BY WHICH PEOPLE OF COLOUR ARE MEASURED {“INFERIORIZING” OR “LEVELING” WITHOUT REGARD TO PARTICULARS}]]]

[[[EX: {IN A WIDER SENSE, WHAT HAPPENS IN TERMS OF RACE RELATION HERE} ====> “PROBLEMATIZE” THE “STRUCTURED IMPOVERISHMENT OF BLACKNESS” -- BY TURNING ORDINARY PRACTICES INTO OCCASIONS FOR INTERVENTION AND SOCIAL CHANGE =====> “THE JANE-FINCH STIGMA” – VIDEO SURVEILLANCE, OVER-POLICING OF MINORITY NEIGHBOURHOODS, TASKFORCE-FIXATION AND GANG SQUADS, RAMPING-UP PUNITIVE SENTENCING ON 'STREET CRIME', ETC.]]]