ANSWERS: 31
  • Fear. Ignorance and hatred stem from it.
  • hatred, i really doubt its fear
  • I believe racism is more of a fear. Fear that another group of people may do better at something. Not sure...it may be equal for all those things.
  • Instictive fear of the stranger. Basically you have all the ingredients in your question. Except that hatred and racism are almost the same. It takes a certain amount of courage to meet the Stranger with open hands and an open mind.
  • I think it's a negative opinion of a certain group, probably resulting from observing the behaviour of your role models during your most formative years. This results in fear, ignorance and hatred.
  • Ignorance more than anything. Racism is illogical since race is a biological fallacy. Fear also plays a part... and I believe fear and ignorance often lead to hatred. Sometimes a person has had a bad experience with a few people from a particular socially constructed "racial group", and therefore assume all people from that socially constructed "racial group" are the same. I believe judging all people from one group falls in the ignorance category.
  • I would say it is mostly ignorance that generates things such as hatred and fear when it comes to racism. People who are racist generally don't understand the cultures/races/religions they are prejudice or discrimitory towards. If they actually knew a member of the groups they display hate towards, I believe they would think and act very differently. Many of the racists I know can't differentiate between Muslims or Sihks because they do not know anything about the religions, and if they knew more about them I think they would be less inclined to be racist towards them. They have a 'them' and 'us' mentality when actually we are all one race - the human race. If more people realised this there would be so much less racist behaviour. A good way of measuring whether ignorance affects racism is to analyse different areas where ethnic minorities are more prominent. I have lived in two counties in the UK, in one there were many more people of different ethnic backgrounds than the other. In the one where people are more exposed to other cultures and religions there is far less racism. In the one where there are fewer people from ethnic minorities there is far more racism. I think this shows that ignorance is a key factor.
  • i think its a mix of those along with a superiority complex and a misguided ego.
  • All of those, and pride, too.
  • Racism is a broad term and in any given individual can stem from all those plus a few others, such as a belief in a superiority/inferiority paradigm, lack of exposure to diversity, feelings of being threatened, suspicion, a reflex triggered by negative memories, etc.
  • Neither. I think people need to feel above other people, it can be race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, class, nationality, it's just another excuse to make you fell better than someone else.
  • I would say all thse things
  • Racism is a big Black Hole in white folks brains whose head is too tight to expand with love and compassion.
  • it's ignorance
  • Racism is a type of self-hatred misdirected toward easily identifiable out-groups. It is an attempt on the part of some to make themselves feel better about themselves by having someone they can look down upon.
  • All those, and throw in some overinflated egos as well as a lack of cultural perspective, empathy and respect for other people, and you will have a foundation for racism. Racism is a sign of intolerable stupidity, and is should be named wherever it occurs so that it can be fought effectively.
  • that depends on if you hate aliens... i don't http://www.answerbag.com/a_view/3247131
  • I would say fear which really comes from insecurity
  • I think racism is just a natural part of life, everyone is racist to a certain degree, if you believe in a stereotype etc already racist it just depends on what race you are as to who is socially acceptable for you to be racist towards. And a lot of the time the stereotypes are based off of truths, when you think of serial killers and people that can't dance it's white people that come to mind etc
  • Go to India, China, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Russia, Korea, any country in Africa or S.America, and ask a local that question. Wear a bullet proof jacket or have a body guard with you.
  • I think racism is fear, hatred and prejudice which arise from out of ignorance. We must ride this tide and over our ignorance by understanding that unity, love and care could be achieved from our diversity.
  • I agree with all these answers. There are so many reasons, but no matter.. it never justifies anythings from what is morally right and wrong. Fear is something caused by the lack of understanding. Ignorance is having some knowledge but ignoring the reality of things, and hatred is just hatred!. It is more of an act than being discriminating.
  • It is accepted as a part of society.
  • Ignorance, hatred, stupidity, intolerance
  • Ignorance, fear, lack of education . Many people fear what they do not know.
  • People are not born racist, something has to happen to make that person racist, that something comes from a fact, a stereotype and when that fact rings true and it affects you or your country then I believe you have the right to be racist towards that race.
  • I'd say the hatred.
  • A little bit of all!
  • I've seen all of those used as reasons for being racist. Many people fear what they do not know, their opinions formed by propaganda or rumours or the opinions of family. Some of it is hatred and stupidity people have formed from how they were raised. Some people have had a bad experience (robbed, argument, etc.) with someone of another color and they project that hatred and stereotype onto all people of that color. And then society, the powers that be, continually strive to keep people of different colors at each other's throats because if we all got a long and saw eye to eye we might stop fighting long enough to turn our attention to the crap the government pulls and start making a change..they don't want that obviously...so they keep us fighting and hating and arguing and fearing one another.
  • It's easy to make the statement that racism is a result of ignorance or stupidity and evil/illegal. However, it's more complicated then that. First of all, in the US it's not illegal to be a racist. The government does not police thought and free speech is the best way for the schmucks among us to out themselves. Now, when you make a decision that effects another person for racial reasons, that could be illegal. There have been many very intelligent and wise people throughout history that were outwardly racist. People don't realize that the idea of racial equality, socially, politically, or legally, is a relatively new one. Even today, for most people, calling someone a racist is to be a hypocrite. Nobody can say they don't make any kinds of judgement or assumptions about someone based on their race. Here in the US, people commonly modify their behavior when they are around those of a different race. Honestly, America is far too obsessed with race and being "racially conscious" most of the time. Ignorance isn't always the source of racism, there are valid medical and cultural reasons for making an assumption about people based on race. Blacks are more susceptible to certain medical conditions than whites, and vice versa. There are even drugs that work better for those of certain races (this happened in an episode of House and the "why don't I get the white folk drug? You're a racist! thing came up). Distinctions of Native Americans in the U.S. is completely racist and seemingly arbitrary. Tribes get benefits and some even have reservations that are considered their own sovereign state and out of the jurisdiction of the U.S. Membership of these tribes is left solely to the leaders of the tribe, and it's quite a racist process. What the issue really boils down to is dogma. A set of beliefs or understandings about the world that are left unchangeable in one's mind. When one makes a judgement about someone that is unchangeable by anything, that's when it becomes dangerous. Zealots killing each other over religious differences is synonymous to racially motivated genocide in this way. Teaching people to always leave their mind open is really the only solution this.
  • All of the above and don't forget overwhelming stupidity and a serious lack of common-sense.

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