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[mincot]

This is reposted from a comment I made on txanne's journal about the recent discussions of racism and privilege. The discussion -- largely substantive and thoughtful, and uncomfortable in the way that means growth is happening--has been making me think a good bit

Comments

[katinka31]

I'd love to attend one of your classes. :)

[mincot]

I'd love to have you there!

[mincot]

This is a world history class, second half--you're right about earlier imperialism. I think that too much of the early modern and modern literature still uses the middle ages as an undifferentiated "other" (usually a bad other) against which to contrast modernity, and doesn't go much beyond that blunt comparison. Medievalists have done good work in discussing premodern colonialism (Ireland, anyone?) and imperialism, as have classicists (Alexander, Rome

[scifinut]

I, being a privileged white internet chick, and probably a different generation than many of your students, would LOVE to take one of your classes. I'm good with discussions like that, and it sounds like I'd enjoy the coursework.

Really, I would love to study more history. I never did get any history classes when I was in college, 'cause I never got around to them.

[ashtur]

I'm not one who looks to see a great deal of "progress". We might progress on certain issues to be sure. I certainly see progress on racial issues from 50 years ago, much less 100 years ago. Yet, coming with a firm view of the essential brokenness of humanity, I don't see we'll ever create something that isn't just simply horribly warped. The details of the warping will shift and change, but the warping remains. So, we've improved on issues of race and gender (though, improved is not to say that we've reached the mark, or even gotten especially close). Yet, in other areas, we've regressed. For instance, in the whole realm of community

[mincot]

Yes, indeed they are. nojojo has an excellent post about this very issue--that racism and blindness isn't something owned solely by people of European descent, but is part of human interaction that we all need to be aware of and work against.

Is there ever a time when the impulse is correct? Isn't that the whole premise of the United Nations and the various Conventions? And there's no easy answer, is there--One can say that genital mutilation, executions, etc. are wrong sui generis, but what then? When is acting the only right response, versus leaving another culture to itself or exerting slow pressure? And yes--I agree with you about any calls (from either side) to further polarize the nation or to castigate those who voted differently are more than questionable.

I need to think about this issue some more!

[texanfan]

You are right that it isn't an excuse, but I believe it is one of the sad truths that basic human nature doesn't change. That is why ancient sacred writing (not just the Bible) has such lasting applicability. What was true 5,000 years ago hasn't changed substantially. Oh, we shuffle it around, this week's bad guys may be a little different from last week's but the tendency to generalize, to hold ourselves above another group of people because of those generalizations is universal across time.

Keep in mind, the Muslim extremists who believe blowing people up have fallen into the same ageless trap as we have. Who is right? Is there a solution that doesn't involve massive bloodshed? These are the questions that keep people way smarter than me up at night because I don't think there are answers, not easy ones anyway.

All that said, getting people to think outside their comfortable boxes is always a good thing, not to mention the only way things will ever substantially change.