How does racism evolve?

Question

What conditions generally exist for racism to occur?

Answer 1

It is part of our mental constitution.

This has a very long history. Ancient Indians knew that there are races outside India called Greeks before Alexander invaded India. Greeks knew there are races called Persians and Hindus outside Greek when Alexander was not even born.

Due to Alexander's invasion, Greek blood mixed with Indian blood. Many parts of North India the racial mixup happened. Before this happened, Greeks were not respected in some parts of India. They were called as impure but a brilliant race by some ancient hindu authors. Then came Persians, Kushans, and then finally Mughals and Brits. So due to extreme mix up of races, Hindus forgot racial differences. However, there was still the problem of caste differences in the society.

So racism would go of, once mixing up of different races happens frequently. In the long run it will wiped off.

Answer 2

It basically evoles out of fear of the unknown. What one doesn't know or understand causes fear and suspicion. It also usually takes some small-minded people who don't care to see we're basically all the same.

Answer 3

the idea which is transferred from generation to generation is what is known as a 'Meme'. this is the transfer of ideas, and even like evolution of ideas and what not. look into a meme for further explanation.. i remember reading about this in book 'The Selfish Gene', it talks about biology and evolution...

Answer 4

too much pride and not enough empathy

Answer 5

it is instilled into us by our society(s), relatives and friends.

Answer 6

Racism appears to be an ancient cultural construct & most relatively isolated cultures refered to themselves as "the people" while calling outsiders "the others."  This was once a necessary construct to keep outside influence from inducing unwanted cultural influences that reduced the leaders influence on their people.  

Any number of conditions can influence a form of racism... war, different religious views, different cultures, different colors of skin, hair, or eyes.  The main construct of racism is, "they are different."

Answer 7

racism evolve with lack of knowledge and social norms

people dont know about the other race and create crazy guess

(chances are that guess is a bad one)

you treat them badly because you guess wrong and without knowing insult them

you view of them is now negative

that negative attutide spreads to everyone around you

etc etc

Answer 8

THE NEED TO BLAME SOMEBODY FOR YOUR FAILURE

IT WORKS WHEN PEOPLE ARE HUNGRY AND NOT EDUCATED

TOLERANCE IS NOT EASY NOT EVEN FOR SMART PEOPLE

Answer 9

There can be no such subject as racism, as there is only one race of people on earth. Of course a lot of people dont know that, and that is why we have colour predudice.

Answer 10

ignorance and fear

Answer 11

While there has always been discrimination against foreigners, the idea that humans are divided into distinct races doesn't date back much before the 19th century. Racism tends to evolve because it benefits certain dominant groups in various societies. For example, if you have founded a country devoted to the principle that all men are created equal, how can you justify owning slaves? Well you can define a certain group of people, Africans in this case, as an inferior race. If you want to invade somebody else's country and make it a colony, you can say that the inhabitants are racially inferior. (Of course, your group is always the superior race.) Euro-American justified taking land from native Americans and even invading Mexico and annexing the Philippines partly on racial grounds. The British justified their rule in India on race. (The fact the Indian civilization was older than theirs was conveniently ignored.) The n***s justified their conquests in Eastern Europe on the supposed inferiority of the "Slavic race."

Answer 12

I think it's a bit too simplistic to suggest that it originates from people's parents and friends. I think that it's hard-wired into us to be wary of differences. This instinct goes all the way back to tribal times when different people may well have been enemies.

I think as parents we have to actively encourage our children to treat others as equals. It doesn't always happen automatically and it isn't always the parents prejudices which rub off onto our children. In my opinion, tolerance is part of the wisdom that comes with true maturity, rather than something we are born with.

Answer 13

They learn it from their parents and friends.

Answer 14

It is a natural thing that legislation etc will never eradicate. People do not like something different or races or people who threaten their existence. So whether its East Europeans taking jobs or opposing Football supporters hatred of each other then racism, tribalism or whatever you like to call it will always exist. Look at Iraq today, liberated but tearing each other apart.

Answer 15

We, humans, are always attempting to define ourselves and others, largely by physical appearance, and then by inherent traits, the way we adorn ourselves, either in dress, jewelry, piercings, tattoes, and the possessions we have or don't have. But our character is what makes us unique and stand apart from the next.

So many contradictions when you really pick it all apart... We want to be looked at as an individual, different from all others, but then we spend our entire lives desperately seeking the approval of others, wanting to be accepted, assimilating ourselves into one group, and looking at any differences outside the group, or EVEN INSIDE, as bad. Even in areas where physical characteristics, such as skin color,  do not differientiate a person from the next, ethnicity, which most times are affiliated with a certain religion and/or political agenda, cause the divide, or "line of seperation", and produce as much hate.  Ahh! Freud defined it best..."the narcissim of little differences".

Answer 16

Fear.