RACISM AND SEXISM

Racism and sexism

Racism and Sexism in Society

Introduction

The elements of capitalism, racism, and sexism in our society have a put a damper of negativity on the male-female relations. More specifically the black working/ lower class relationships. He continues to defend his theory by explaining the four connections. Four connections he feels strongly contribute to the down fall of black-male and female relationships. The first connection is the cash connection; this is the ideal that everyone and everything is for sale. The second is the flesh connection. This connection is the ideal that sex sells and individuals overlook the importance of the flesh as an important part of a personal relationship between two people. The third connection is the connection of force. This is the ideal that this produces a character of violence and sexist violence towards both sexes (Bonilla-Silva, 2003).

Racism and sexism in society, how it's affected, and changed over time?

The deepening of capitalism's systemic crisis combined with the legacy of 12 years of Reagan-Bush's unprecedentedly racist offensive, which has been extended and deepened by the Clinton administration, have brought about a dramatic increase in the effects of racism. The fact that there are still some illusions about the nature of this administration has made it more difficult to fight in some ways. The increase in racism must be placed in the context of the crisis of capitalism - because it is the capitalist class which benefits from racism, using it to divide and to confuse the people about the reasons for the economic and social crisis of the system. Because the system is in crisis, there is an increase in the intensity and complexity of the ongoing ideological war on class unity and the principles and practice of equality (Bonilla-Silva, 2003).

The racist use of the crime issue, rising racist and police violence, deepening segregation, criminalization, attacks on immigrants, increasing poverty, homelessness and unemployment, an increase in stereotypes in the mass media, and environmental racism all indicate the depth of the crisis. These tendencies must be seen within the context of the intensification of the class struggle. Corporate "downsizing" and mass layoffs in industry have led to an overall decline in the living standards of the working class, especially its racially and nationally oppressed components, and have exacerbated the growth of racism. These things are directly connected.

Capitalism's systemic crisis adds a whole new dimension to these problems. "Downsizing" and mass layoffs have wiped out many of the past gains against discrimination in the workplace. As the economic crisis deepens, new forms of economic racism are making themselves felt. Massive unemployment, poverty and homelessness are its most direct and vivid result. Unemployment rates among African American, Latino, and Asian workers are twice those of whites, long-term unemployment is also particularly severe. A large percent of the homeless are Black and Latino. Economic racism's hideousness is particularly seen in its impact on Black and Latino children, close to half of whom live in ...