Other Is racial bias the same thing as racism

[Axiom Days]

Discuss.

 

[Venom Adhamm]

Depends on the context/justification. For example, if you're an employer and you choose not to employ a black guy for no other reason than he's black, then I consider that racial bias as well as racism due to the fact that him being black doesn't prevent him from being capable doing the job. On the other hand, if an Asian guy got rejected by a girl for no other reason than he's Asian, that's racial bias too, but I wouldn't really say not being attracted to a particular race is racist. You're probably a really shitty and shallow person, but I wouldn't call you a racist.

 

[pasta]

choosing a race over another for no reason is racial bias. if you choose not to let someone into your game because of their race, that's 100 percent racial bias. having preferences in who want to date isn't. for example someone may prefer to date white people over hispanic. it's not at all racial bias, it's just a preference. you can't help who you're attracted to. i see a lot of sjws calling it racist if you won't date a race when it's completely not.

 

[Zombocalypse]

I think it's the same. Anytime you assume a characteristic of another human based on his race, you are being racist.

 

[Imperator_tenebrae]

To me racism is more direct form of prejudice while racial bias is something more of a personal preference that can be misconstrued as something equally blatant due to the politically correct atmosphere.

So is it racism or bias that I congregate with other whites simply because I'm white or because is it out of happenstance in my own comfort zone on who I choose to associate with?

 

[thoughtless]

There definitely is a lot of overlap between racial bias and racism, and there are very, very few situations where being racial biased wouldn't be considered racism. Everyone tends to be racially biased from time to time. To use I Imperator_tenebrae 's example, choosing to hang-out around people of the same race doesn't necessarily equal racism. Usually it's because we know they're most likely to have similar experiences to ours and we'd be able to relate to them more. That is racial bias, but it'd only become racism if you're hanging out one race because you thought less of another and didn't want to be around them. For example, hanging out only around white people because you think that black people are "ghetto".

I definitely do think dating is a situation that is racially biased and perhaps even racist, simply because people tend to forget that society's and media's representation of races does affect how we perceive them (including how attractive we think they are) whether we're conscious of that fact or not. There's no way you would be completely un-attracted to one race when characteristics differ so much from person to person in that race, so I think that when people say they're not into a certain race there is definitely some racial bias there.

 

[TheRockInception]

rac·ism
NOUN
the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races.

If you think white people are inferior to black people, you're racist.
If you think black people are inferior to white people, you're racist.

Racism is the belief that a certain race is better than others. Racial Bias (from what I understand) is something like saying blacks are gangbangers. You aren't explicitly racist and clearly stating one race is better than the other, but you are being demeaning and/or being casually racist.

 

[Imperator_tenebrae]

Then again why are people so focused on race anyways?

That's like the last thing that goes through my mind when I'm pulled into small talk or mingling with a crowd of strangers. Until recently...

 

[Verdance]

Having more comfort interacting with your racial or ethnic in-group because of shared experiences is not inherently racist; seeking to be among your in-group to the exclusion of all others (for any reason other than like, being oppressed by the out-group) is usually racist; displaying unreasonable preference such as hiring biases, assumption of stereotypes, etc. is racist.

I Imperator_tenebrae I would guess that the reason people are focused on race is because people are literally killed and discriminated against due to race. The best way to solve injustice on a societal level is to talk about it and have people be aware of it. Silence is death.

 

[Imperator_tenebrae]

The best way to solve injustice on a societal level is to talk about it and have people be aware of it. Silence is death.

Hello darkness my old friend.

 

[FTR]

I love these loaded discussion topics so I'm gonna add a layer to it. But, I wanna make it like super clear I'm like not racist. This is simply for argument's sake. I am in no way, shape or form prejudice or otherwise discriminatory.

Are race statistics racially bias or do they counter the idea of racial bias through numbers?

 

[Windsock]

The only races we should recognize are moist and dry.

 

[Miracleist]

Hm, as I understand (and to me), racial bias is a state of mind about a given race. Your stereotypes and opinionated views about a specific race are a bias that influences your perception of said race. So, to use an example mentioned above - "blacks are gang-bangers" - that would be a bias if it stays a view and opinion you use to characterise the average black person. I believe you can still hold a bias despite knowing a black person (who might not be as your bias dictates). However, you challenge your biases by getting to know contrary examples.

Racism on the other hand, as with most -isms are generally actions. If you take your bias of black people into the active world, where you either ostracise and treat them differently, then that is racism.

If you're talking about who's racist and who's not... There was once a Broadway musical that summed up my entire stance on it (note, listening to it again, it covers my above explanations as well - I think)

EDIT: Well, huh, listening further, not fully... But well, close enough...?!

 

[Lycanthrosis]

What is a bias? _{"A preconceived idea or inclination."}
It's reasonable to conclude that a bias could be completely innocent.
What is racism, though?
_{"Prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior."}
Alright, so there are definitely some concerning things about racism, for sure.
_{I could have a preconceived idea about the new Asian guy knowing Kung-Fu.}

Is that racist? Do I automatically think I'm better than Mr. Asian because of that idea I have?
In this case, I don't think so. If anything, maybe I think less of my race. Lol.

_{So, no. They definitely intertwine a bit, but they don't seem to be the same thing.}

 

[Datbrony]

I don't think so, in my opinion if I say "black people are generally funnier to me than white people" and you call me racist, I will think you are wrong. I think the general "personality" that certain races represent can be judged over the other.

 

[Verdance]

So-called positive stereotypes often have negative outcomes. A lot of people would argue that groups like east Asians are assigned positive traits and roles (being studious or industrious, knowing martial arts, etc) but these stereotypes and generalizations are still a mental block from considering members of a group as autonomous individual people, which is one of the early steps of racism as a system. A lot of east Asian racism is founded in the idea that they are less emotional and more machine-like, disciplined, efficient and therefore needing fewer resources and less space.

While some stereotypes can be viewed in a positive light, the extremes of those stereotypes always lead to being seen as less worthy or human, and individuals who do not live up to the stereotype are considered failures and bad representatives of their race. In groups who are painted with negative stereotypes, individuals who defy those stereotypes are often considered less belonging to that race/ ethnicity, and more as 'exceptional.' (Generally, in countries with a white power-majority, white (especially Anglo or Western European) people are not considered representatives of their entire race or ethnicity if they are either failures or exceptional.)