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Originally Posted by PepsiFree
Do you deny the existence of systemic racism Cliff? Because it seems like that's what you're getting at, or at very least denying the relevance of it in society.
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Today, in 2017, I believe systemic racism has a marginal effect on social outcomes in Canada. I do not believe our laws and institutions systematically oppress people of colour. Even garden variety private bigotry seems to have little effect on outcomes. Otherwise how do we explain how well Asian-Canadians perform in school and in the workforce today?
Basically, I'm not a structuralist. I do not believe our systems and institutions are the only - or even the primary - determinants in the outcomes of groups and individuals. I believe culture plays a bigger role, including sub-cultures from communities right down to the family level.
Someone who grows up in a home with a single parent is likely to have worse outcomes than someone who grows up in a stable family with two parents. Someone whose extended family and community does not place a premium on education will have worse outcomes than someone in a community that does. Someone who grows up in a neighbourhood or culture that upholds honor-based values will likely be more violent than someone who grows up in a neighbourhood or culture that recognizes the authority of the state to hold a monopoly on violence.
Of course, some of those conditions may be the result of historical racism. But that's a different problem than systemic racism today. And we won't have success addressing those issues if we mis-diagnose their source. Changing college admissions criteria isn't going to knit families back together again.
The truth is it's actually easier, and more emotionally appealing, to behave as though modern-day racism is at fault. Then all we have to do is change our institutions and teach people not be racist and the bad outcomes will go away. But the real source of the problems are much more difficult to address. How do we put families back together? How do we encourage people to value education if they have no books in the house and no family history of pursuing education? How do we get people to move beyond toxic sub-cultures they grow up in?
Tough questions. Easier just to blame systemic racism.