indifference towards racism

[lsuacner]

http://www.news24.com/News24/Technology/News/0,,2-13-1443_2450628,00.html

Washington - A surprising experiment that exposed some college students to a racist act found indifference at best.

Here's the scene: Researchers in Toronto recruited 120 non-black York University students for what purported to be a psychology study.

A participant was directed to a room where two actors posing as fellow participants - one black, one white - waited. The black person said he needed to retrieve a cell phone and left, gently bumping the white person's leg on the way out. The white actor then did one of three things: Nothing. Said, "I hate when black people do that." Or used the N-word.

Then a researcher entered and said the "psychology study" was starting and that the student should pick one of the two others as a partner for the testing.

Half the participants just read about that scene, and half actually experienced it.

Those asked to predict their reaction to either comment said they would be highly upset and would not choose the white actor as their partner.

Yet students who actually experienced the event did not seem bothered by it _ and nearly two-thirds chose the white actor as a partner, the researchers report Friday in the journal Science.

"It's like these nasty racist comments aren't having an effect," said York University psychology professor Kerry Kawakami, the lead author.

"It's important to remind people that just because a black man has been elected as president does not mean racism is no longer a problem or issue in the States," she added.

The study cannot say why people reacted that way, although the researchers speculate that unconscious bias is at work. They have new experiments under way to see if maybe these witnesses suppress that they're upset to avoid confrontation.

"The failure of people to confront or do anything about racist comments is pretty widespread in the real world," said Indiana University psychologist Eliot R Smith, who co-wrote a review of the experiment. "People may feel uncomfortable if someone makes a remark like this, but it's rare they will actually confront them."

Seems more to me like people are indifferent towards insignificant racist acts like name calling. I would be more offended if someone called me dumb than a racist name for bumping in to them.

I think indifference when it comes to race and racism is a good start for any society.
When I was little I remember my parents being uncomfortable when in 1994 I played with a black kid, back then I had no idea what racism was until it became such a sensitive issue when I attended a majority black school. Now I've been taught to see the world through a politically correct lens leading to all sorts of associations which is indeed prejudiced and racist.

 

[koffiejunkie]

Would it have been any different if they had chosen 120 black students, had the white guy get up and bump into the black guy, and have the black guy make some comment?

Making a fuss about it just feeds the animal.

 

[marine1]

Would it have been any different if they had chosen 120 black students, had the white guy get up and bump into the black guy, and have the black guy make some comment?

Making a fuss about it just feeds the animal.

Good point. Looks like the study had an agenda.

 

[Sackboy]

If an offended person wanted to react by using words alone, would they use:

1. A word that would offend greatly?
2. One that would offend mildly?

Sometimes simple logic is missed by a scientist on a mission.

 

[Balstrome]

I just love critical thinking, way to go marine1 and koffiejunkie

 

[marine1]

Critical or realistic?