Study: "White People Avoid Race Topics"

[JIM]

White people, even children as young as 10, avoid talking about race because any opinion may appear prejudiced, according to new research, but that approach often backfires as blacks tend to view that approach as evidence of prejudice, especially when race is clearly relevant.

 

 

 

http://www.scientificblogging.com/news_ ... pics_study

 

 

 

I found this study on my online travels and found it a really good read. I'm from a mix-raced family (my mums side of the family are black Jamaican and my fathers side are white English) and this study is interesting for me as I've seen this issue from both sides of the track.

 

 

 

I think how we look at the issue of race and how we choose to go about defining ourselves as a species is more important now than it's ever been. There are 6.5billion people on the planet, the world is smaller than it's ever been with the advent and acceleration of new technologies and inter-racial mingling is increasing exponentially...

 

 

 

...if society as a whole doesn't get the bigger picture soon, we're all going to be hiding from the mushroom clouds before long.

[spyderownzyou]

it's the world we live in, seems impossible to be racist to white people, but racism against other races..well another story (steps away from topic, before i get in trouble with mods or police :? )

 

Most sane people won't touch this topic with a 10 foot barge pole to avoid being called racist tbh

[obfuscator]

As a white person, I try to stay away from race topics because really anything can be seen as racism. It doesn't seem to happen much the other way around though.

[scootlaboot]

it's the world we live in, seems impossible to be racist to white people, but racism against other races..well another story (steps away from topic, before i get in trouble with mods or police :? )

 

 

It is called a double standard, and like political correctness, it needs to frickin stop.

 

 

 

And if a race topic starts up, I will join in, and if i get called racist, its the price I have t pay.

[dsavi]

I do admit that I avoid them so that I don't accidentally say something racist that I don't mean.

[JIM]

I do admit that I avoid them so that I don't accidentally say something racist that I don't mean.

 

 

 

If you don't mean it to be racist and you're not a racist, is it racist? :)

 

 

 

The political correctness movement has harmed the race issue more than it's helped it, IMO.

[ElkNight]

Nope, I try and make fun of all the races equally.

 

Stereotypes are hilarious.

[Lionheart_0]

I avoid the topics because there is no reason to single any race out. We are all human, lets treat each other as such.

 

 

 

 

 

(And talking about countries != talking races).

[Racheya]

I've grown up dealing with cocky British muslim chavs who you literally can't say one word to without them calling it racist. So I just try to avoid it. -.-

[Quoi_Tu]

I've grown up dealing with cocky British muslim chavs who you literally can't say one word to without them calling it racist. So I just try to avoid it. -.-

 

You should try saying something actually racist and see how they respond. I think you'd catch them off guard.

 

 

 

I've never had significant issues talking about race, but I've never known anyone to think it as too big a deal. I guess my generation is a little bit disconnected from the previous generation's tension. Clearly, there are still race issues, but they seem to be slowly dissolving.

[chazzycaz]

I've grown up dealing with cocky British muslim chavs who you literally can't say one word to without them calling it racist. So I just try to avoid it. -.-

 

You should try saying something actually racist and see how they respond. I think you'd catch them off guard.

 

 

 

 

Saying a racist comment to a gang (allowed?) of Muslims is NOOT a good idea. Is that comment racist? Sterotypical? Prejudicial? Topics like this are dangerous.

 

 

 

I agree that white people now go out of their way to make sure other races do not get offended. Obviously not all white people, but many out of politeness. (or fear)

 

Being classed as a "racist" is a fate one does not wish for in a multi-racial society.

 

 

 

Political Correctness has gone way too far though : Not allowed to wear cruxifixes? Not allowed to have a Christmas tree in offices? The Nativity scene no longer used in many school plays and public events?

 

To me, Christians have bowed down in order to stop offense, much more than most other faiths. (In England that is) I see public Muslim celebrations much more than I see Christian ones, even though this is a Christian country!

 

 

 

This also related to Mod Vince's "Niggles" comment, not in the use of the word, but in the fact that he removed it afterwards...

[JIM]

I've grown up dealing with cocky British muslim chavs who you literally can't say one word to without them calling it racist. So I just try to avoid it. -.-

 

 

 

Believe me, I feel your pain!

 

 

 

I live in a little town in Buckinghamshire ATM with a large Asian population. I'm not generalising by any means but I have noticed the race card being played an awful lot from that particular demographic.

 

 

 

However, if you look at this from a higher perspective, you'll see that the race card, even if it is over-used, is generally used for a reason. The Muslim/Asian communities feel increasingly under fire from the media, the police force and the media-influenced populace. They are being demonised to a large extent and in that position, who can blame them for being a little defensive?

 

 

 

As always, IMO education and empathy lead the way forward.

[Barihawk]

And here I am writing papers on black history using the term "black" and "white" like candy and nobody really cares. Of course this is East Texas, but meh.

 

 

 

Don't shy away from racial topics. But don't be racist about it either. We may all be the same on the inside, but the way different races were treated for thousands of years led to distinct differences in culture and ideologies. We are different, and it's ok to talk about it.

 

 

 

Personally I think we should try to celebrate our differences rather than attempt to hide or eliminate them.

[Faux]

I have black friends who are pretty much used to saying this phrase "it's because i'm black isn't it?"

 

 

 

and they're jamaicans. i don't even know any real africans. most black people here are from the caribbean

[hellbellz]

I'll talk about race. I don't care if someone thinks i'm racist.

[Wongtong]

Nope, I try and make fun of all the races equally.

 

Stereotypes are hilarious.

 

As a wise hobo once told me,

 

You're not racist if you hate every race equally.

 

Well... I think he was a hobo anyways. Or just a scummy man.

 

 

 

I'm asian myself and I'm pretty racist but I don't really have a part in this because I'M NOT WHITE.

[megakiller32]

I have an example where that was true, people would dance around the fact that a friend I knew was black and if they ever reference to him slightly as black, they wouldn't just say, "You're black." They would end up prancing round the topic.

 

So there must be some truth in it. But I personally think it's worse avoiding topics when they need to be tackled and dealed with.

[SirHartlar]

I make a point to not avoid race topics at all, seems stupid to do otherwise.

[Wisp]

I'm only a quarter white (one of my parent's dad was white). The topic of race rarely comes up for me, but if anyone says anything I would consider racist to me, I usually just laugh it off. I don't really think a lot of things that people think are racist actually are racist.

[rangeor]

Well, I used to live in a pretty ghetto area and a lot of people tried to avoid saying things like that. Chances are if you were a white person and said the word "black" and a black person heard it, they'd be pretty pissed off. Sometimes they even got into fights #-o

 

 

 

Now I live in a rich-kid neighborhoods and people are a lot more tolerant. It's amazing how much safer I feel :P

[OldJoe]

It's a strange subject.

 

I don't know how other countries media is, but i will write a little about mine.

 

 

 

In Sweden, you may not always get called racist but probably 75% of the time if you question the immigration and immigration laws.

 

And this is why it's still (altho getting better each day) "forbidden" to talk about the failed immigration.

 

Media is always trying to get a word in about a party or a person who questions the immigration, not necessarily the word racists but "xenophobia" instead.

 

Now tell me how i become that. I question the immigration because; There's not enough apartments and houses for everyone - these families who come often lives 5-10 people in a 3 room apartment.

 

They commit a large amount of crimes - looking at the amount of them (but they you NEVER see names like "Muhammed robbed a guy on his phone" instead it's "Martin robbed a guy on his phone" or instead of names they are called swedes in the media).

 

Currently we take in 100k immigrants (2008), while we are loosing jobs. Volvo has since the fall fired over 5500 people - example. And it just continues, companies are firing people left and right.

 

And if i question the sanity of this, i get called a racist or xenophobiac. I am not. I am technically not even 100% swedish.

[llcoolguy972]

it's the world we live in, seems impossible to be racist to white people, but racism against other races..well another story (steps away from topic, before i get in trouble with mods or police :? )

 

 

It is called a double standard, and like political correctness, it needs to frickin stop.

 

 

 

And if a race topic starts up, I will join in, and if i get called racist, its the price I have t pay.

 

This. People seem to think that only whites can be racist. If a white person said "I hate all of the black people at that table. They're such jerks." They'd get jumped on for being racist but it's OK for a black/native/asian/etc to say that. -.- Honestly, the most racism I've come across has been against whites, not with(?) them.

[Nenga]

I've gotten pretty used to people saying everything is racist so I just ignore it now. I say what I will and forget about everyone else. The word racist is losing meaning because its overused, especially now that Obama is president. You were racist if you didn't vote for Obama, you are racist if you disagree with Obama, and you are racist if you think anything bad will happen to him. And lets not forget you are racist if you don't think Obama is the greatest president america has ever had.

 

 

 

I wouldn't doubt people voted for Obama for that reason alone.

[ThurinEthir]

I've gotten pretty used to people saying everything is racist so I just ignore it now. I say what I will and forget about everyone else. The word racist is losing meaning because its overused, especially now that Obama is president. You were racist if you didn't vote for Obama, you are racist if you disagree with Obama, and you are racist if you think anything bad will happen to him. And lets not forget you are racist if you don't think Obama is the greatest president america has ever had.

 

 

 

I wouldn't doubt people voted for Obama for that reason alone.

 

You're also apparently racist if you think the other way. If you think Obama is the greatest president ever, apparently you hate all white people and love blacks. :roll:

 

To those saying that it's stupid how only white people are labeled racist - Though that would be stupid, Asians, at least, are labeled racist for doing the same things. Probably not as much, but it still happens a good deal of the time.

 

Oh, and according to my former French teacher, she can't be racist because she was born in Africa and has lived in more countries than we have. And she's a woman. :wall:

[mmmcannibalism]

does it count as racist if Im fully white and think asians are smarter then us(whites)? always wondered about that

 

 

 

on topic

 

 

 

I think white people avoid race topics because either

 

 

 

a. they are racist, and lets be honest racist people arent known for their ability to hold fascinating conversations

 

 

 

b. they are fed up with the fact that basically our ancestors were a-holes and wish they didnt have to deal with hearing about it constantly or have non white people try to guilt trip them(sorry if end of that sounds racist)

 

 

 

Also, the sheer amount of stupid people ruins a lot of good discussions on race. Specifically the whole you voted against Obama because you hate black people scenario and the classic Jesse Jackson blaming anything that happened on racism just because it affected a black person(Im thinking hurricane katrina here, saying george bush was racist and kept away aid). Yes, there is still a lot of racism present, but trying to guilt trip the non racist people isnt going to help anything.