Our discussion in class made it clear that different\u00a0realms of American discourse evaluate racial discrimination by remarkably disparate\u00a0standards. While\u00a0social theorists such as Reskin point to a complex set of systems responsible for producing and reinforcing discrimination and inequalities, the rule-makers of these systems \u2013 and those who must adhere to their rules \u2013 apply standards with little or no critical analysis\u00a0of systemic racism.<\/p>\n
Economists primarily conceive of “statistical discrimination”: they claim that employers use race as a proxy for likely schooling and other predictors of productivity. They\u00a0rarely present concerns about combating disparities such as the achievement gap, and they offer little criticism of the resulting “statistical discrimination” except to say that it is unlikely to last. The textbook I have been assigned for my introductory economics course, for instance, notes that discrimination will probably not persist\u00a0in the labor market. It suggests that undervaluing\u00a0workers of color will lead competitors to hire these workers more cheaply, ultimately pushing up demand for workers of color until they are hired as readily and paid as well as white workers.<\/p>\n
Similarly, as Avni mentions in her post, the Supreme Court demands that claims of discrimination be bolstered by proof of intent. This standard disregards the extreme difficulty of proving intent. It also fails to acknowledge that intent is not necessarily important to prove, given that disparities themselves are evidence of discriminatory systems.<\/p>\n
These limited understandings of discrimination dominate\u00a0the economy and the courts\u00a0\u2013sites\u00a0where\u00a0many\u00a0people\u00a0of color confront and combat racism. A push for racial equality, economically and legally, therefore requires a transformation in how discrimination is interpreted in these domains. Perspectives\u00a0like the one Reskin offers in her race discrimination system could\u00a0prove crucial to this effort, but we must first render these views accessible.\u00a0In short, we must demand a nuanced, systemic understanding of racism and discrimination from other academic fields, and also from popular discourse.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Our discussion in class made it clear that different\u00a0realms of American discourse evaluate racial discrimination by remarkably disparate\u00a0standards. While\u00a0social theorists such as Reskin point to a complex set of systems responsible for producing and reinforcing discrimination and inequalities, the rule-makers of these systems \u2013 and those who must adhere to their rules \u2013 apply standards … Continue reading Discrimination in popular discourse: bringing in theories of structural inequality<\/span>