Racism Representation Term Paper

Open, View, and/or
Download this Document

Total Length: 576 words ( 2 double-spaced pages)

Total Sources: 0

Page 1 of 2

Robert Miles, the construction and subsequent discourse of "race" is a complex, dynamic sociological phenomenon. Representations of the Other as distinct from the Self do serve specific psychological, political, and economic purposes. For instance, the notion of the Other creates groups of inclusion and exclusion, and influences self-perception. Moreover, construing the Other in a pejorative manner bolsters images of the Self and offers a sense of personal and cultural superiority. Therefore, representations of the Other are often linked intimately to class, although class is not the only determining factor of racial representation. One of the key threads running through Miles' chapter on representation is that the discourse of race has been largely used to "exclude and inferiorize," (51). Referring to early documentations of encounters with the Other, the author states on page 33: "A negative representation of the Other therefore defined and legitimated the 'positive' qualities of author and reader.

Stuck Writing Your "Racism Representation" Term Paper?

View All Our Example Racism Representation Term Paper

Have A Custom Example Essay Written

" However, the concept of the Other has not been limited to historical instances of colonization. The Jews in Europe are an example of an Other that is not exclusively linked to European colonization because the European Jews were not separated geographically from the Christian European world.

Fundamentally, representation formulates a "strategy for interaction and reaction," and is a "dialectic of Self and Other," (22). Creating contrasting characteristics to distinguish Self from Other is a self-serving, logical process that insures and enables political and economic domination as well as supporting moral and spiritual superiority. As the European world became increasingly geographically aware and due to increasing support for expanding world trade, it became necessary to formulate representations of the Other. These representations were reliably skewed in favor of the Europeans, although many times representations were 'positive' in….....

Show More ⇣

     Open the full completed essay and source list


OR

     Order a one-of-a-kind custom essay on this topic


sample essay writing service

Cite This Resource:

Latest APA Format (6th edition)

Copy Reference
"Racism Representation" (2004, June 08) Retrieved April 29, 2025, from
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/racism-representation-172461

Latest MLA Format (8th edition)

Copy Reference
"Racism Representation" 08 June 2004. Web.29 April. 2025. <
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/racism-representation-172461>

Latest Chicago Format (16th edition)

Copy Reference
"Racism Representation", 08 June 2004, Accessed.29 April. 2025,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/racism-representation-172461
   

Open, View, and/or
Download this Document
order custom essay example