Hayder Alkilabi: The Reality of Racism ABSTRACT: racism. Overall, my aim is to discuss In this paper, I will explicate how the importance of embracing dialectical generalizations, oversimplifications, monism, instead of dualism, in improving and reductionism are the inevitable human progress and comprehension consequences of dualistic approaches in of the phenomenon of racism, and in understanding the complex phenomenon uncovering the limitations and destructive of racism. Such racial-dualistic frameworks consequences of the dualistic approaches are not only inadequate and ambiguous, produced by capitalism. but could be harmful on many levels. By Introduction utilizing a comparative analysis of Marxist Racism is not only a subject of debate dialectical-monist approach and a non- and examination in the realm of academia, Marxist dualistic approach, I will contend but it has been publicly foregrounded the effectiveness of the former approach in modern times. For decades now, as being more elucidating in treating the emancipatory social sciences have interwined issue of race and racism. I relentlessly aimed at finding a unified will start by providing an introduction and definition of the concept of racism. Yet, definition of race and racism by tracing until this moment, social scientists have their origins in history and commonplace not offered a clear-cut definition, but a discourse. Second, I will examine two wide array of different accounts. This different racial binary theoretical paradigms lack of consensus among scholars led to i.e. the Superiority/Inferiority Paradigm the overuse and abuse of the concept of (Eugenics theory) and the Black/White "racism." Miles and Brown (2004) note in Paradigm. In this analysis, I will attempt to their book Racism that: offer a thorough critique, discuss capitalist Like many sociological concepts, agendas and their consequences, and racism has an everyday use and suggest alternatives to such misleading many everyday meanings. During and uninformative paradigms. I will the last fifty years or so, it has present, define, and suggest the Marxist become a key idea in daily discourse dialectical-monist approach as an as well as in sociological theory. Like alternative in comprehending race and KUFA REVIEW: No.9 / 2015 39 KUFA REVIEW: Academic Journal other elements of ‘common sense’ they are not the same (27). However, some discourse (Gramsci 1971:323–33), researchers believe that many people, much of the everyday language is regardless of their color, are racially uncritical, taken-for-granted. (Miles prejudiced through a learning process in and Brown:3) childhood. They suggest that humans are Thus, there is a growing body of research either taught or have developed themselves pointing out the negative consequences certain preconceived misconceptions of overusing the concept of “racism” about people from different religious and in everyday life. Many social scientists ethnic backgrounds (Zastrow 2009; Lane argue that the overuse of the concept of 2008; Barndt 1991). “racism” will eventually “diminishes the Rattansi (2007) on the other hand moral force of the word” and weaken the offers a nuanced approach on the issue of societal concern towards “racism and prejudice stating that: other racial wrongs” (Blum 2002:2). Blum the historical and anthropological makes it clear that “not every instance of evidence suggests that outsiders racial conflict, insensitivity, discomfort, and strangers are not inevitably miscommunication, exclusion, injustice, subjected to hostility. Empathy, or ignorance” constitutes a racist act curiosity, tolerance, dialogue, and (2). Although people perceive acts such co-operation are human traits as xenophobia, prejudice, injustice, and that are as common as hostility bigotry as racism acts, social scientists and prejudice. Outsiders are not have been arguing for more than two automatically feared or hated; they decades now that a distinction must be are as likely to be admired, found made between these terms (Blum:3; Isaac sexually attractive, to provoke 2004; Ridley 2005; Rattansi 2007). For ambivalence, or be envied. (3) instance, in his book Dismantling Racism: Rattansi asserts that fear and hatred The Continuing Challenge to White of strangers are not innate traits of America, Barndt (1991) argue that even humans. Instead, he suggests that though all acts of racism, prejudice, and the possibility of celebrating perceived bigotry cause negative consequences, 40 KUFA REVIEW: No.5 / 2015 Hayder Alkilabi: The Reality of Racism differences of strangers is parallel to word "race" was neither used to inferorize that of hating or fearing them. With the or superiorize people nor was it used to majority of people confusing acts of racism assign biological distinctions to them. with that of xenophobia, researchers The shift of the usage and the meaning have emphasized the importance of of the word “race” took place in the late distinguishing between the two concepts eighteenth and early nineteenth century. (Bourdeau 2010). For instance, Bourdeau Many thinkers of diverse backgrounds notes that while racism is the belief (e.g. philosophy, science) started to use that one race is superior to another, the term “race” to inferorize, superiorize, xenophobia is merely "the irrational fear and assign biological distinctions to or distrust of foreigners" (1). Therefore, certain groups of people. Social scientists, this paper will examine the phenomenon however, disagree in their explanation of racism in an attempt to uncover the of the reasons of such sudden shift of generalizations and oversimplifications in the meaning of “race.” While some have terms of understanding “race” and racism. argued that it is due to the advancement in Definitions and the History of the scientific inquiry “to explain the physical Race and Racism and cultural diversity that had been exposed through European colonialism In their attempts to trace the roots and overseas expansion," others viewed of “race” and racism in history, social the shift as a product of the “class structure scientists unanimously agreed that the and configuration of power relations” word “race” has been around since the (Satzewich:3). In the latter view, the shift fifteenth century, while the concept of is caused by the bourgeoisies who utilized racism is of a very recent origin (Miles “race” as a tool to enslave those “others” and Brown 2004; Reilly et. al. 2003; Blum who do not share the same biological, 2002). They presuppose that before the social and intellectual capabilities. In his late eighteenth century the term “race” article “Race, Racism, and Racialization: was used merely to refer to “a lineage or Contested Concepts,” Satzewich (1998) line of descent where particular groups writes about “race”: of people were attributed with a common history” (Satzewich 1998:2). Hence, the Rather than being used as a KUFA REVIEW: No.9 / 2015 41 KUFA REVIEW: Academic Journal category to define the “self”, it of biological differences between was now used as a way to define various races and the superiority “others,” be they “Arabs,” “Asiatics,” of one of them”; “A theory of the “Jews,” “Negroes” or “Blacks”. But hierarchy of races based on a in addition to changes in to whom belief that social conditions depend the concept of race referred, there on racial characteristics” (Robert); were also changes in its meaning. “A theory of racial hierarchy Categorizing certain groups as which claims the necessity of races became linked with the preserving the so-called superior negative evaluation of the “other’s” race from miscegenation and the social and biological capacities. (3) right to dominate other races” So far, it is evident that the task of (Petit Robert), ..UNESCO’s 1978 defining “race” is almost impossible “Declaration on Race” defines because races do not exist in a real or racism as “any theory claiming the biological sense, as many would like to intrinsic superiority or inferiority believe. As a result, it is also problematic of racial or ethnic groups which to give a clear definition of racism as a would give to some the right commonplace concept in the academic as to dominate or even eliminate well as political realms. In his study "What others, presumed inferior, or is Racism?" Benoist (1999) traces some basing value judgments on racial of the historical and recent definitions of differences.” Ruth Benedict racism. He cites various dictionaries to writes: “Racism is a dogma investigate the differences and similarities according to which one ethnic of the definition of the concept "racism." group is condemned by nature to Benoist makes a comparison between the congenital superiority.”…… Arthur following definitions: Kriegel has written: “Racism is an ideological-scientific system which “A system which affirms the divides the contemporary human superiority of one racial group species into sub-species, resulting over the others” (Larousse); “A from separate development and doctrine claiming the existence 42 KUFA REVIEW: No.5 / 2015 Hayder Alkilabi: The Reality of Racism endowed with unequal average the oldest forms of racism (4). Although, aptitudes. Miscegenation with the word was coined in the 1930s, these inferior sub-species could Fredrickson (2002) stresses the fact that only result in half-breeds inferior to the “phenomenon” itself existed long before the favored race.” (3) that. Fredrickson notes, though, that our Benoist’s thorough analysis of the perceptions of what constitutes racist acts various old and present definitions of the shifted and changed throughout history (5). term racism led him to two major findings: Rattansi (2007) sides with other scholars (1) All of the definitions overlap; and (2) all of and argues that the definition of racism the definitions neglect behavior and focus is extremely complex and “it requires on theories that suggest that inequalities of relatively sophisticated treatment” (1). Yet, races legitimize the domination of “inferior” what distinguishes Rattansi’s approach is races by “superior” ones (Benoist:4). the fact that he pointes out the ontological Researchers, therefore, note that problematic in understanding racism as agreeing upon one definition of the word a social phenomenon.