Aversive racism
Aversive racism is a form of implicit racism that manifests in subtle attitudes and behaviors toward individuals from different racial or ethnic backgrounds. Unlike overt acts of racism, aversive racism is often unrecognized by those who exhibit it, as they may not consciously acknowledge their biases. Individuals displaying aversive racism may harbor negative stereotypes and views about other racial groups while simultaneously believing themselves to be fair-minded. This disconnect can lead to the expression of microaggressions—small, often unintentional insults or dismissive comments that remind marginalized groups of their societal struggles and inequalities.
The roots of aversive racism are often found within systemic racism, which structures societal advantages for certain groups while disadvantaging others. Although significant progress has been made in addressing racism, such as through the Civil Rights Movement, the legacies of systemic inequalities continue to influence modern interactions. Understanding and addressing aversive racism is crucial for fostering more equitable social environments, as individuals must first recognize their own biases before they can engage in meaningful change. Consequently, antiracist education plays a vital role in dismantling these implicit attitudes and promoting a more inclusive society.
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Subject Terms
Aversive racism
Aversive racism is a type of implicit racism common in modern society. Racism refers to the ways in which society works to position people based on their physical characteristics or ethnicities. Though society has made great strides in fighting racism, primarily through the work of Civil Rights activists, the problem remains prevalent in the modern era.
Aversive racism specifically refers to the justifications that people make to explain their aversion to other racial groups, and tends to play out in subtle ways. This may include stereotypes and preconceptions that the aggressor refuses to change. In many cases, these biases are expressed through the use of microaggressions. Microaggressions are small but significant acts and statements that remind minorities of their constant struggle for equality. In many cases, the individuals using microaggressions may not be aware that their actions are harmful, or that their actions could be considered racist. For this reason, they tend to be confused or offended when informed that their actions hurt the people around them.
Both aversive racism and the microaggressions that accompany it are often the result of systemic racism. Systemic racism, also known as institutional racism, refers to the means by which societies have been constructed to privilege certain groups at the expense of others.
Background
Racism is the way in which society categorizes individuals based on their genetic backgrounds and physical appearances, including skin color, eye shape, hair type, and face shape. In the past, many people believed that different groups of physically or ethnically distinct individuals varied in intelligence, physical capacity, or other forms of worthiness. They built systems designed to elevate people bearing one set of characteristics, while oppressing people bearing other characteristics. For example, many parts of the United States once legalized enslavement and forced labor of Black Americans.
Over centuries, activists fought against racism, working to secure the rights of oppressed peoples. For example, the American Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s fought against racism to secure equality for Black Americans, and won several major victories. Though these activists made substantial progress by ending segregation, securing suffrage through the 1965 Voting Rights Act, and gaining the right to hold political office, the fight against racism continues.
The history of Western racism has left an enduring legacy in Western society and institutions. Some institutions were constructed in a manner that gives an advantage to White people while harming minorities. Though many relevant laws and societal constructs were developed decades or centuries ago, some modern-day people benefit from these institutions and, in many ways, contribute to their continued oppression. For this reason, many activists continue to fight against systemic racism, working to alter society in a way that reduces inequality.
“Privilege” is a term often used to denote innate advantages afforded to one racial group by systemic racist policies and traditions. For example, in the United States, White youths may have more favorable relationships with law enforcement, have wealthier families, or secure access to better-funded schools than minority children.
Overview
Psychologist Joel Kovel coined the term aversive racism in his book White Racism: A Psychohistory (1970), distinguishing traditional bigotry from the emerging trend of self-unaware racist tendencies. Kovel's theory states that people may secretly believe in White superiority, but knowing the socially unacceptable nature of their belief, they suppress these thoughts and may experience guilt. Unlike more blatant displays of racism, such as hate crimes, aversive racism is a type of implicit racism and can often be subtle. In many cases, unless they critically examine their own beliefs, individuals who exhibit signs of aversive racism may not realize they are acting in a racist manner. However, deep down, individuals exhibiting aversive racism often hold negative views toward individuals different from them. They may ascribe negative stereotypes or believe themselves or their racial group superior to other racial groups. This is shown through the presence of microaggressions.
Racial microaggressions are small insults and indignities often aimed at members of minority groups. These insults are generally given to minorities without knowledge by people in privileged positions. The individuals offering such insults may not realize that there is anything wrong with their actions. Regardless, the microaggressions remind minorities of the privileges they may lack and of the suffering of their ancestors. Individuals who perpetrate microaggressions are acting in line with bias that they may not know they possess. These biases are often taught by friends, relatives, and forces within social and political systems.
According to activists and researchers, confronting individuals who carry out microaggressions is often a difficult and dangerous process. Because people are often unaware that they contribute to aversive racism, which they express through microaggressions, they are often upset or offended by those who point out their racist thoughts, words, or actions, and often become defensive. Having such beliefs pointed out threatens the way they view themselves, typically as a good person who holds no racist tendencies. For this reason, they tend to view such accusations as a falsehood or injustice. This prevents some people from acknowledging their inherent racist tendencies, stopping them from confronting those attitudes and changing.
Despite the difficulties inherent in this process, antiracist education is essential for the breakdown of aversive racism. If people are unaware of the biases they hold, let alone of the causes of those biases, then they cannot be convinced to change their actions. For this reason, combatting aversive racism is considered an important step in fighting systemic racism.
Bibliography
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