Post by Liza on Jan 5, 2017 11:35:16 GMT -4
I used to agree with the 'SJW' (yeah I know) crowd that race needs to be discussed in order to solve the problem with racism and race discrimination but i'm getting more and more conflicted in this question.
Obviously people aren't color blind and we have these concepts of different race categories that we do use in our daily life. People need to use categories otherwise we wouldn't be able to understand each other.
But is it really that bad to say that you don't see someone's "race" the first thing you see or that you don't identify with your "race"? Not wanting to define one's race is very provocative to some because they think this "race denier" doesn't want to acknowledge his/her privileges. Some SJWs also seem to believe in some kind of biological essentialism that different races are so distinct from each other that they naturally can't get along or listen to the same music. That reminds me of how far rightists and "race realists" resonate.
I know lots of this stuff about the differences between races is said in a joking manner (like white people not seasoning their food etc.) and I don't se a need for people to be offended by those but I just don't want it to go too far because we do not want to fall too deep in these race essentialist or gender essentialist ideas do we? Sometimes I do think the race discussions of today misses to point out that race is indeed a social construct. This used to be a very important standpoint among "progressives" but seems a little forgotten now.
In Europe identifying as "white" or "brown" or whatever instead of your own ethnicity is pretty new. Just ten years ago people didn't do that.
I'm just a bit tired of identitarianism and being forced to identify with stuff and being put into a category lol. The alt-right and other white nationalists are other examples of hardcore identitarians.
But I am conflicted in this question and I can see points from both sides. Maybe you have thought of something intelligent I haven't thought of. What do you think?
Obviously people aren't color blind and we have these concepts of different race categories that we do use in our daily life. People need to use categories otherwise we wouldn't be able to understand each other.
But is it really that bad to say that you don't see someone's "race" the first thing you see or that you don't identify with your "race"? Not wanting to define one's race is very provocative to some because they think this "race denier" doesn't want to acknowledge his/her privileges. Some SJWs also seem to believe in some kind of biological essentialism that different races are so distinct from each other that they naturally can't get along or listen to the same music. That reminds me of how far rightists and "race realists" resonate.
I know lots of this stuff about the differences between races is said in a joking manner (like white people not seasoning their food etc.) and I don't se a need for people to be offended by those but I just don't want it to go too far because we do not want to fall too deep in these race essentialist or gender essentialist ideas do we? Sometimes I do think the race discussions of today misses to point out that race is indeed a social construct. This used to be a very important standpoint among "progressives" but seems a little forgotten now.
In Europe identifying as "white" or "brown" or whatever instead of your own ethnicity is pretty new. Just ten years ago people didn't do that.
I'm just a bit tired of identitarianism and being forced to identify with stuff and being put into a category lol. The alt-right and other white nationalists are other examples of hardcore identitarians.
But I am conflicted in this question and I can see points from both sides. Maybe you have thought of something intelligent I haven't thought of. What do you think?