Systemic Racism: A Wicked Problem
Societal conflict has existed for centuries in the form of disagreements over resources, territory, and human rights. Countless wars have been sparked, protests held, and deaths have occurred because people fought for what they believed to be true. But what do we do when these conflicts last for decades and result in inhumane conditions like poverty, homelessness, brutality, and debt? How can we learn from past mistakes and move toward a society where people are supported by their government in addition to their neighbors? A good place to start solving these wicked problems is by understanding social conflict.
Social problems come in two forms: exogenous (conflict
caused by outside factors) and endogenous (conflict generated from
within). Endogenous conflicts can be broken down even further into two types:
based on historical conditions of a society, or an expression of the structure
of a society (Dahrendorf, 1958). This type of conflict has been prominent in
American history in the form of racism, from the battle between the Union and the
Confederacy in the 1860’s to “separate but equal” laws in the 1890’s, all the
way to the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960’s. For hundreds of years endogenous
tension has existed between White and non-white individuals in the United
States, and this is likely due to social constructions of supremacy.
Ingram and Schneider (2005) posit that “social constructions of deservedness and entitlement result in an ‘other’—an underclass of marginalized and disadvantaged people who are viewed as undeserving and incapable”. This assumption is based on differences in experiences or characteristics (e.g. a person’s skin color). While there is no factual basis for this separation, it likely stems from the primal drive to survive—in this case, viewing oneself as more deserving of food, money, and resources (Ingram & Schneider, 2005). While the construction of white supremacy probably began in America in the 1400’s when settlers stole land from indigenous people, it became prominent in the 1700's and 1800’s while Americans were enslaving millions of people from Africa. In addition to the legality of owning slaves, public policies like the “three-fifths compromise” and Jim Crow laws were created by the American government to perpetuate social constructions of white supremacy (History.com Editors, 2019). The media also played a role in using anti-black imagery, songs, and plays to further stereotypes about Black folks.
Despite the progress the United States has made in eradicating slavery and legalizing "equality", there are numerous structures and policies that have been put in place to continue placing white folks above black folks. Experiments have shown that companies are less likely to hire (or even interview) someone who has a “racial name”, which could be a contributing factor for the lower income rates and overall wealth that black Americans experience (Gal, Kiersz, Mark, Su, & Ward, 2020). Black people tend to have higher bank loan denial rates than white folks, or when they are approved, banks like Wells Fargo knowingly guide them towards costlier mortgages they may be unable to afford down the road (Gal, Kiersz, Mark, Su, & Ward, 2020). There is also the school-to-prison pipeline, which sees students of color disproportionately being pushed from schools to juvenile/criminal justice systems through law enforcement policies at schools. Additionally, black folks are overrepresented in prisons (especially when it comes to marijuana charges), and there are higher rates of police violence towards black Americans (Gal, Kiersz, Mark, Su, & Ward, 2020). This violence is also seen in the healthcare system as many black folks do not receive adequate healthcare—whether it be because of racial bias in pain assessment or the fact that pregnancy-related deaths for black women are 3 to 4 times higher than those of white women (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019).
Knowing all of this, are we as a country doomed to
continue perpetuating the status quo of systemic racism? I don’t think so—but the
path to eradicating this wicked problem will not be an easy one. Rittel and
Webber (1973) note that there is no perfect “solution” to social problems
like these. With so many elements contributing to the marginalization of black people,
it is going to take many anti-racist policy changes to promote a more equal society. In Jeffrey Conklin’s book “Dialogue Mapping” (2001), he suggests that some steps towards making
change include ‘defining the problem’, ‘specifying parameters to measure the
solution’s success’, determining a few possible solutions, and trying one out. Whether
or not these steps were followed, the United States has seen a variety of
changes come from the Black Lives Matter movement that reignited after George
Floyd’s death in May 2020. People began seeking information about their privilege and how
to become an ally to BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color), they purchased from black-owned businesses and restaurants, companies
vowed to get rid of racist imagery (e.g. Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben), and white
actors stepped down from roles where they portrayed a person of color.
While these are small steps towards ending racist practices, they
are not necessarily the steps Black folks are hoping for. Over the last few
months, social media has played a big role in sharing the experiences and
thoughts of black Americans that are not often heard. And a resounding response to
the changes that have come from the Black Lives Matter movement thus far is
this: it’s not good enough. People want the officers who killed Breonna Taylor
arrested for her murder. If white folks are legally profiting off of marijuana
sales, why haven’t the black individuals who were arrested for doing the same
thing been released from prison yet? When it comes down to it, one of the biggest
changes we need to make in society is to amplify black voices. Zaid Hassan (2014)
asserts that the people who are impacted by policies need to be a part of the
response. We can take steps towards this by listening to and sharing stories and truthful information online, protesting, and providing BIPOC with a platform to share their experiences. On a macro level, we would benefit from having more BIPOC in Congress in addition to having more lobbyists to advocate for anti-racist policy changes that promote equality and
reparation.
Social movements are a powerful element in creating change
(Ingram & Schneider, 2005). It’s important that we continue using social
conflict to drive the fight for equality. We have been dormant for far too long,
and it’s important for all people (especially white Americans) to continue reminding
policymakers that Black Lives Matter.
References:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019, February 26). Pregnancy-related deaths. Retrieved September 08, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/pregnancy-relatedmortality.htm
- Conklin,
J. (2001). Dialogue mapping: Building a shared understanding of wicked
problems (1st ed.). Wiley.
- Dahrendorf,
R. (1958). Toward a theory of social conflict. The Journal of Conflict
Resolution, 2(2), pp. 170-183.
- Gal, S., Kiersz, A., Mark, M., Su, R., & Ward, M. (2020, July 8). 26 simple charts to show friends and family who aren't convinced racism is still a problem in America. Retrieved September 08, 2020, from https://www.businessinsider.com/us-systemic-racism-in-charts-graphs-data-2020-6
- Hassan, Z. (2014, April 29). Social Labs Revolution: A new approach to solving complex challenges, Zaid Hassan [Video file]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3Siqovj-RY
- History.com Editors. (2009, November 12). Slavery in America. Retrieved September 08, 2020, from https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/slavery
- Rittel,
H. & Webber, M. (1973). Dilemmas in a general theory of planning. Policy
Sciences, 4(2), pp. 155-169.
- Ingram,
H. & Schneider, A. (2005) Deserving and entitled (1st
ed.). SUNY Press.
Hi Madeline,
ReplyDeleteThank you for this thorough post on systematic racism. I was particularly drawn to your idea about social media. I have found personally, I am able to hear the voices of black people of both that I know, and don't know in new ways . The current racial climate bringing these stories to the forefront I hope will normalize the discussion for those who felt uncomfortable talking about it aloud from both people of color and those that are not. As with many movements that take hold on social media and traditional media I do have a fear that the momentum will be hard to sustain? How do we keep racial disparity on the minds of those who may not have considered it before?
I agree, I hope it will become normalized to talk about uncomfortable things like white privilege and systemic racism! Especially with our friends and family members. Between this being an election year and the BLM movement, many of my family members have been posting pretty hateful (i.e. racist) things online. After learning more about my own privilege and how to be an ally, the BLM encouraged me to speak up and have those tough conversations with my family. In regard to keeping racial disparity in the front of people's minds, I think it's important for us to keep talking about it! Even if we feel "annoying". Over the last few months I've posted resources on Instagram of ways people can learn, donate, and petition change. There are even YouTube videos you can watch where the ad revenue is donated to POC in need. Sharing these resources only take a minute and are so important for staying away from "business as usual", as Paula said in class tonight.
DeleteHi Madeline,
ReplyDeleteGreat post on highlighting systemic racism and the racial justice movement occurring in the United States. I agree social media has played an enormous role in the racial justice movement as a way to amplify voices, spread information, and hold companies, organizations, and individuals accountable for racism. It can be uncomfortable for individuals who have not previously acknowledged the privilege they have to discuss it; however, there has been such an influx of shared sources to learn about, reflect upon, and address individuals' privilege. While addressing racial oppression and privilege has been critical on an individual level, we need to see the most change in our inequitable systems. We can see just how white-washed big companies, politics, universities, and organizations are through a google search, showing the majority of boards, executive positions, etc. being held by white individuals. While many companies and organizations have pledged to create a more inclusive, diverse, and equal environment, it takes more than just inclusivity and anti-racism training and hiring more POC to do this. It takes significant work and restructuring of organizational policies and structures that have been perpetuated for so long to benefit white men disproportionately. Organizations will have to stay committed to continuing racial equality, as this is not something that happens overnight or without resistance. Public pressure and unity have historically been instrumental in enacting meaningful change in the past. I am hopeful that social media and the new age of accountability may influence organizations' responsibility to follow through with their committed promises.
Those are all great points, especially about public pressure resulting in change. I'm still confused about how companies heard people say "Black Lives Matter" and translated that into "let's change the image on our pancake syrup bottle". While it was nice of White actors to step out of roles where they were portraying cartoon characters of BIPOC, why did they have to wait until the BLM movement to make this change? It is frustrating to me that actors made hundreds of thousands of dollars before saying "okay, I'm done now, you can have a turn". They should have declined the position in the first place to make room for an appropriate actor. Oh well... there is lots of learning for all of us to do, and at least we are taking some steps in the right direction. I hope that people (especially young people) continue to call companies and organizations out on their racist practices and to encourage equality instead.
Delete