Modern Racism
Modern racism
has evolved from an aggressive prejudicial behavior to a more subtle prejudicial behavior.
This type of subtle prejudicial behavior has advanced to a degree that is much more
difficult to see, yet is regarded as more severe. This modern form of racism has entered
the workplace. Although many companies promise an equal opportunity, there is little doubt
that everyone is treated equally within their place of work. Subtle, modern racism is
believed to create an image that seems more politically correct. The politically correct
way to discriminate is through a "polite" form of racism. In the past racism was
easily defined and institutional.
One form of
modern racism is the glass
ceiling effect which describes the “invisible” differences in salary,
position, and appraisals among men and women. According to the Federal Glass Ceiling Commission, only 7%-9% of senior
managers at Fortune 1000 firms are women (Federal Glass Ceiling Commission, iii). Women
make up over half of the workforce.
Another form
of modern racism, is the mindset that certain races are better or worse with specific
abilities. For example, black athletes are regarded as naturally athletic and white
athletes cannot jump. Asians are seen as intelligent, while Hispanics are regarded as
unintelligent. All of these
myths are innate manifestations that are imbedded in the mind of all who listen. There is
often a lack of familiarity with members of other groups. Therefore, we are likely
to unconsciously discriminate against people who are not similar to ourselves.
Although some
organizations are still blatantly and aggressively discriminating against certain
races, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 does not allow for such discrimination.
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This tutorial was produced for Psy 324, Advanced Social Psychology, Spring 2000 at Miami University. All graphics are from the public domain, used with permission, or were created by the authors. Social Psychology / Miami University (Ohio USA). Last revised: . This document has been accessed times since 1 May 2000. Comments & Questions to R. Sherman