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by Doug Berger
A common myth about racism is that it is a learned behavior. Because of that view, methods to address racism attack the obvious expression of racism, namely words and actions. In reality, Racism is a biological response to a need by humans to form exclusive groups based on common interests, geographical or cultural isolation, or physical characteristics. This need to form groups is part of our evolutionary heritage. Racism is part of our fear response that has evolved over time. It isn't simply a learned behavior.
Efforts to eliminate racism won't work because you can't simply eliminate a product of evolutionary biology with punishments, rules, or laws. In order to progress we must acknowledge that simple fact. We must instead deal with the negative outward expressions of racism and try to lessen the fear of others that naturally occurs.
Humans are a social animal and at the drop of a hat will form groups. Such groups have been observed in all societies from the primitive to the advanced. These groups establish rules that define who and who isn't a member. The members also, naturally, imply to the members that they are somehow special and are better than those who aren't part of the group.
These attributes of the group lead to a feeling of commonality between members and feelings of discord with those who aren't part of the group. Discord can lead to the attaching of negative characteristics to anyone outside the group. This can lead to isolation, which means dealing only with those of your group and avoiding or shunning outsiders.
When a group decides to exclude others or develops fears about associating with other groups, factors outside one's control are used to distinguish "Them from Us". Such factors include ethnic, racial, and gender. Racial hatred and prejudice are obvious examples of using fear to exclude people from a group. Since racial features are out of one's control, it is easy to think people with such features are different and by extension, somehow inferior.
All of us, no matter what race, religious, gender, or ethnic background are susceptible to use of our fear response when confronted with groups we don't belong to. This fear is normal and unavoidable. It's what we do with this fear that counts.
To achieve racial or ethnic harmony in our current society, we need to recognize this fear and put it aside. We need to acknowledge that laws or rules that attempt to change our behavior without creating a method to address the fear portion of it, won't work. Punishing someone for being offensive without teaching that person why he or she was offensive isn't going to help and made make further offensive behavior worse.
We need to continue efforts to create better understanding between people of different groups. This will lessen the fear response and lessen racial hatred. A good way to think of these efforts is that America isn't a melting pot, it is a Cob Salad. Together we make a great dish and its parts are just as tasty.
