9.4 Types of Racism

LO 9.4: Explain the different forms of racism.

Racism is the social practice of applying different and usually substandard treatment to some groups due to the ideology that some racial groups are inferior (see Fields & Fields 2012/2014; Chapter 5). Racism involves discrimination (actions) and  prejudice (attitudes). However, discriminatory actions can persist without prejudicial attitudes, and vice versa. For example, the law forbids a White hiring manager who may be racist from blatantly discriminating by refusing to hire a qualified Black employee. Regardless, the hiring manager may engage in everyday acts of subtle racism during an interview, such as mispronouncing the applicant’s name. The applicant may “voluntarily” not accept an offer of employment because of this experience.