5 ms·

Seems like society works like a pendulum. People spend decades fighting discrimination based on race. But, in the end, their focus on race makes it a defining

Seems like society works like a pendulum. People spend decades fighting discrimination based on race. But, in the end, their focus on race makes it a defining characteristic. We try and fix one imbalance, and end up just shifting it around. Still I guess we're better off today than in the 1960's.

greglindahl 10y ago
When and where has race not been a defining characteristic?
- neveroffensive 10y ago
  Nowhere, but wouldn't it be nice if it wasn't? EDIT: I guess I meant we kept it a defining characteristic, just changed the definition
- jbmorgado 10y ago
  In many places. Ancient Rome for instance.
- rdtsc 10y ago
  > When and where has race not been a defining characteristic? When the individual doesn't want to make it their defining characteristic. Same thing with other "characteristics". Not all gay people make it their defining characteristic, maybe they are parents, athletes, engineers etc who happen to be gay. Same with immigrants (I am one) and so on. Assuming otherwise and forcing "defining characteristics" onto others is the problem here and what the article at hand is about.
  - jakelazaroff 10y ago
    > When the individual doesn't want to make it their defining characteristic. How do you not make the color of your skin a "defining characteristic"? People see you and make a judgement based on that. Are you denying that racial discrimination exists?
    - rdtsc 10y ago
      > People see you and make a judgement based on that. What kind of judgment. I think you mean it in a discriminatory sense with prejudices and stereotypes. Not just oh look someone has different shade of brown than me. > Are you denying that racial discrimination exists? Are you sure everyone automatically makes judgments based on that? What if the person is a woman also? What if they are gay? Which characteristic is the defining one? Should we assume and write a story about that or let them tell us what defines them? Maybe they want to be a parent first who happens to be black and not a black parent. Or they don't know any better and need a journalist to come and interpret that for them.
      - jakelazaroff 10y ago
        > I think you mean it in a discriminatory sense with prejudices and stereotypes. I do. That's what this whole discussion is about. > Are you sure everyone automatically makes judgments based on that? What if the person is a woman also? What if they are gay? Which characteristic is the defining one? We don't have to hypothesize here: there's a theory called intersectionality that specifically examines how these things interact. There doesn't have to be just one "defining characteristic".
    - mehaveaccount 10y ago
      >How do you not make the color of your skin a "defining characteristic"? People see you and make a judgement based on that. I don't.
- nitwit005 10y ago
  Probably most places, for most of human history, given the lack of travel. Not that they didn't find other reasons to dislike their fellow humans.
  - tomlock 10y ago
    A lot of genocides have been committed between races that, particularly from an outsider's view, are quite racially similar and nearby. For example: Hutu/Tutsi, Serbians/Croatians

greglindahl 10y ago

When and where has race not been a defining characteristic?

neveroffensive 10y ago
Nowhere, but wouldn't it be nice if it wasn't? EDIT: I guess I meant we kept it a defining characteristic, just changed the definition
jbmorgado 10y ago
In many places. Ancient Rome for instance.
rdtsc 10y ago
> When and where has race not been a defining characteristic? When the individual doesn't want to make it their defining characteristic. Same thing with other "characteristics". Not all gay people make it their defining characteristic, maybe they are parents, athletes, engineers etc who happen to be gay. Same with immigrants (I am one) and so on. Assuming otherwise and forcing "defining characteristics" onto others is the problem here and what the article at hand is about.
- jakelazaroff 10y ago
  > When the individual doesn't want to make it their defining characteristic. How do you not make the color of your skin a "defining characteristic"? People see you and make a judgement based on that. Are you denying that racial discrimination exists?
  - rdtsc 10y ago
    > People see you and make a judgement based on that. What kind of judgment. I think you mean it in a discriminatory sense with prejudices and stereotypes. Not just oh look someone has different shade of brown than me. > Are you denying that racial discrimination exists? Are you sure everyone automatically makes judgments based on that? What if the person is a woman also? What if they are gay? Which characteristic is the defining one? Should we assume and write a story about that or let them tell us what defines them? Maybe they want to be a parent first who happens to be black and not a black parent. Or they don't know any better and need a journalist to come and interpret that for them.
    - jakelazaroff 10y ago
      > I think you mean it in a discriminatory sense with prejudices and stereotypes. I do. That's what this whole discussion is about. > Are you sure everyone automatically makes judgments based on that? What if the person is a woman also? What if they are gay? Which characteristic is the defining one? We don't have to hypothesize here: there's a theory called intersectionality that specifically examines how these things interact. There doesn't have to be just one "defining characteristic".
  - mehaveaccount 10y ago
    >How do you not make the color of your skin a "defining characteristic"? People see you and make a judgement based on that. I don't.
nitwit005 10y ago
Probably most places, for most of human history, given the lack of travel. Not that they didn't find other reasons to dislike their fellow humans.
- tomlock 10y ago
  A lot of genocides have been committed between races that, particularly from an outsider's view, are quite racially similar and nearby. For example: Hutu/Tutsi, Serbians/Croatians