{"id":76,"date":"2022-11-30T04:50:22","date_gmt":"2022-11-30T09:50:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/antiracismnursing\/?post_type=chapter&p=76"},"modified":"2023-04-21T14:54:52","modified_gmt":"2023-04-21T18:54:52","slug":"understanding-racism","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/antiracismnursing\/chapter\/understanding-racism\/","title":{"raw":"Understanding Racism","rendered":"Understanding Racism"},"content":{"raw":"

Racism<\/strong> is based on the belief<\/strong> that some groups of people are inferior or less human than others. This belief emerged from the erroneous idea that people are biologically different, which continues to be perpetuated. As a result, people have been classified into social groups called races<\/strong>, with racialized groups having less access to power, resources, and opportunities in society, than the dominant racial group (Williams et al., 2019). Stereotypes and prejudicial attitudes toward racialized groups also result in such groups being stigmatized and experiencing discriminatory treatment (Williams et al., 2019). One example is the stereotype that certain racial groups tend to engage in more criminal activity than others, which might result in these groups having less access to legal resources or fair legal processes or might be denied housing or employment. This kind of stereotype is often perpetuated by the media and other social systems (Allen et al., 2021).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Historically, race has often referred to a person or a group\u2019s physical traits (e.g., skin colour) (Yudell et al., 2016), but it can also refer to characteristics such as nationality, ethnicity, or religion (Williams et al., 2019). In short, race is based on social categorization rather than scientific evidence<\/strong> (Yudell et al., 2016). Why do social categorizations continue to exist? Consider what purposes they serve. The social categorization of race promotes the idea that white people are superior and thereby excuses or justifies the oppression of those who are not considered white. As a result, white people inevitably benefit socially, economically, and politically \u2013 simply by being white.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Have you ever heard the term [pb_glossary id=\"531\"]white supremacy[\/pb_glossary]<\/strong>? Believe it or not, the term has been foundational to the colonization of large areas of the world and to the systematic destruction, exploitation, and enslavement of vast numbers of non-white people over many centuries (Bonds & Inwood, 2016). Canada, for example, utilized notions of white supremacy to systematically:<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n