Introduction
Recognizing that there is variation and complexity in how people hold power is enhanced by adopting an intersectional perspective. Intersectionality is the term used to characterize how discriminatory systems based on race, ethnic background, sexual orientation, gender identity, disabilities, class, and other factors combine to produce distinctive dynamics and consequences. The texts written by Davis, Reardon, and TallBear are chosen for the current paper. The investigation shows that racism is an example of the discriminatory system that exists in American society, leading to the privileges of white people and the discrimination against racial minorities. The peculiar detail is that racial disparity aggravates when it is combined with gender and economic inequality.
Reardon and TallBear’s Perspectives on Racism
Society cannot be equal and just if some groups are discriminated against based on their ethnic heritage. Therefore, racism is a political issue discussed in the works by Reardon and TallBear (2012) and Davis (1983). Even though the authors appeal to different racial minorities and focus on slightly distinct details in their discussions, they come to similar conclusions. In both examples, racism is the social problem that is at the intersection of such categories as ethnic background, economic class, and gender. For this reason, the state should elaborate on a thorough multidisciplinary approach to solving this issue as a complex phenomenon.
The article by Reardon and TallBear focuses on the research of the indigenous population in the context of racism. The authors emphasize that historically, Native Americans were analyzed from the perspective of the European culture as superior to the local one (Reardon & TallBear, 2012). With time, the emphasis changed from this perspective to the idea that the dominance of European Americans could be explained better by the economic justification of their superiority. The authors write about “connections between whiteness and property” (Reardon & TallBear 2012, p. S235).
Another peculiar point they mention is the dualism in discussing racism in the United States. As written in the article, there is a “black/white picture” in describing segregation based on ethnicity in the United States (Reardon & TallBear 2012, p. S236). In other words, African Americans are typically regarded as the least privileged racial group in the US, and scholars and politicians do not discuss other minorities. It is possible to assume that the historical aspects are also significant in forming the discourse about racism.
Davis’ Exploration of Historical Racism and Stereotypes
Davis also discusses the intersection between history and racism in her book. She writes about “the experiences of enslaved Black women” (Davis 1983, p. 8). It means that the formation of the image and the character of the African-American female was significantly influenced by the centuries of slavery. The author concludes that women’s position in slavery was even more vulnerable than the one of African American men, and it is preserved in modern times (Davis 1983).
Another critical detail in forming the attitude of society toward racial minorities is stereotyping. Davis (1983, p. 101) writes about the “myth of the Black rapist” that creates a negative image of the African American male with aggressive criminal inclinations. In reality, the statistics do not support these accusations, showing that the number of white male rapists is not significantly less than the number of African Americans accused of this crime (Davis 1983). These examples emphasize the power relations existing in American society, showing the dominant position of white American males. These conclusions are consistent with the ones made by Reardon and TallBear regarding economic dominance and the importance of the historical aspect in studying the problem of racism.
Personal Opinion
I find the analyses of both authors persuasive because they use many details and theories to justify their claims. The authors use various perspectives in their intersectional analysis, including gender, economic, and historical lenses. It allows them to show the reasons affecting power distribution in American society. Their discussion shows that racism is a problem that has many lenses that focus on various vulnerabilities.
Logically, individuals belonging to people with low incomes or the working class are more segregated due to their race. In addition, women are typically less privileged compared to men, and women of color have even fewer opportunities for personal growth and expression compared to white women. This problem is connected to traditions, access to education, and the widespread stereotypical perceptions of these groups of people.
Conclusion
Therefore, the intersectional analysis allows scholars to evaluate such complex issues as racism as a combination of factors. The investigation shows that the perception of racial minorities is different depending on other circumstances. For instance, some races are the subject of more negative stereotypes than others.
People of color with low income are less privileged compared to those who have higher education and higher income. A similar situation applies to women who belong to racial minorities, and they are segregated twice due to their ethnicity and gender. The analysis made by Davis Reardon and TallBear shows that the topic of privileges and vulnerabilities has many aspects that are not typically considered when people discuss racism and the ways to eliminate it.
References
Davis, Angela Y. 1983. Women, Race & Class. Vintage Books.
Reardon, Jenny, & TallBear, Kim. 2012. ‘”Your DNA Is Our History”: Genomics, Anthropology, and the Construction of Whiteness as Property’. Current Anthropology 53(S5): S233-S245.