File spoon-archives/postcolonial.archive/postcolonial_2000/postcolonial.0007, message 155


From: "Iris Lavell" <ilavell-AT-central.murdoch.edu.au>
Subject: Re: White mens problems 
Date: Thu, 20 Jul 2000 09:48:08 +0800


The trouble with ideas of genetic predisposition is that it implies that
responsibility for destructive belief systems is somehow ameliorated.  I
don't think it helps.

There is a bit of interesting research I read in a book called
"Metacognition" edited by Vincent Yzerbyt, Guy Lories and Benoit Derdenne
(Sage publications, 1998) - an article titled "The Consciousness of Social
Beliefs: A Program of Research on Stereotyping and Prejudice"  by Mahzarin
Banaji and Nilanana Dasgupta.  It suggested that racial and gender bias are
deeply ingrained even in those who consider themselves enlightened - I guess
it suggests that our fundamental belief systems are laid down very early and
are very difficult to shift.  But I'm also a great believer in the power of
positive behaviour and experiences in gradually shifting beliefs which are
destructive to ourselves and to the wide range of people with whom we
interact.

iris
----- Original Message -----
From: bob brown <vacirca-AT-charm.net>
To: <postcolonial-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu>
Sent: Thursday, 20 July 2000 2:28 AM
Subject: Re: White mens problems


> is this just an opinion, or are you offering some proof? as far as i know
> there's tons of evidence that race, and racism are socially constructed, i
> would like to see what evidence there is showing thats humans are
> genetically disposed to hate strangers and strange groups of their own
> species. again i think these things are socially and historically
determined
> like race and gender and class. b. brown
> --
> "solidarity means sharing the same risks" - Che
> ( la solidarita significa correre gli stessi rischi)
>
> ----------
> >From: Wolf Factory <wolf_factory-AT-yahoo.com>
> >To: postcolonial-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu
> >Subject: RE: White mens problems
> >Date: Wed, Jul 19, 2000, 12:25 PM
> >
>
> > Jonna Roos, jonna.roos-AT-helsinki.fi wrote:
> >> I really think racism and fear of black
> >> (man) and jealousness are
> >> white
> >> mens problems.
> >>
> >>From my experience this is not true. Racism towards
> > blacks exists in the Asian continent as well as in
> > Europe. In some parts of the Arabic world for example,
> > blacks are still being referred to as 'A'bid' which
> > means 'slave'. This word is not only used by Arabs
> > against African blacks but against certain minority
> > Arabs who have dark skin.
> >
> > I also would not be surprised if (and I am sure that
> > some people on the list will hate this idea) humans
> > turn out to be genetically pre-disposed to racism. Or
> > rather to be more accurate, given the right
> > enviroment, the racist part of our nature can
> > unfortunatly prosper.
> >
> > ====> > "All the wolves in the wolf factory paused at noon,
> > for a moment of silence."
> > ........from laughing Gravy by John Ashbery.
> > ---------------------------------------------------------
> > Looking for something good and original to read?
> > Check out: http://www.mesopotamia.free-online.co.uk
> >
> > __________________________________________________
> > Do You Yahoo!?
> > Get Yahoo! Mail  Free email you can access from anywhere!
> > http://mail.yahoo.com/
> >
> >
> >      --- from list postcolonial-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
> >
>
>
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