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The Role Of Racism In Popular Media

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The Role Of Racism In Popular Media
Seccombe (2016) explains that an ascribed status refers to a typical caste system, in which your social status is determined solely by characteristics you are born with (skin color, ethnicity, etc.). An achieved status relates to a class system which is much more fluid. The class system determines your social standing through a combination of ascribed and achieved attributes. Since you can’t change your race, or your ethnicity, caste systems typically don’t allow room for social mobility. Whatever caste you were born into you will typically remain in throughout your life. This is the advantage of a class system. Since it also considers personal achievement, and is typically based on individual resources as opposed to heritage, the system does …show more content…
Based on the readings, what is racism? Locate at least one example of racism in the popular media. How are the family lives of specific ethnic or racial groups portrayed? How is racism exhibited in this popular media?

Although the Civil Rights Movement helped the United States reach a level of racial inclusion and tolerance that it had never experienced before, unfortunately we still have so far to go. Seccombe (2016) explains that racism contains two major components: prejudice and discrimination. Prejudice entails “negative attitudes about members of a selected racial or ethnic group”, and discrimination is defined as “negative behavior towards a racial or ethnic group” (106). Although there are countless examples of the many ways in which the United States displays acts of racism, one of most prominent is the obvious profiling of Muslims and people of middle-eastern descent. Because of the recent acts of terrorism happening across the globe by a select few groups and individuals, the general public turns a suspicious eye at anyone who fits a particular physical description. There is an obvious discomfort amongst some passengers when a Muslim steps on an airplane. If there is a Muslim in a crowd, you better believe that all eyes are on them. When a tragic event does occur, it is quickly suspected to be caused by terrorist activity. Honest people trying to live peacefully and raise families in America are subjected to verbal racial slurs, blatant discrimination, and hate

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