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Will Racism Alter the Election?
A recent issue of The Boston Globe included an article about Mahzarin Banaji, a Harvard professor who studies
the psychology of bias. For two decades, Banaji has been a leading
researcher into the nature of our implicit, unconscious biases.
To divide up the world by the preferences that you have is utterly human. We all have unconscious biases that often dictate who we like and who we don't. The bias may not be about race. It might be a preference between men and women, religions, community, even how people dress.
In experiments designed to test our unconscious biases, the psychologist found that 80 percent of whites show a preference for the company of whites, while 40 percent of blacks show a preference for the company of other blacks. But blacks, much more so than whites, are more vocal in saying so.
The best way to deal with bigotry and bias is to acknowledge it. By accepting your own biases you have the best chance at countering them and working to correct them. Unconscious motivations have the power to control our behaviors and the more conscious the thought you have, the better the chances that you can control it. Everyone has some amount of bias about something. We can all work toward a more equitable and accepting world by knowing our own human minds and helping each other to keep the playing field fair and level.
Get more information from TODAY at Todayshow.iVillage.com
To divide up the world by the preferences that you have is utterly human. We all have unconscious biases that often dictate who we like and who we don't. The bias may not be about race. It might be a preference between men and women, religions, community, even how people dress.
In experiments designed to test our unconscious biases, the psychologist found that 80 percent of whites show a preference for the company of whites, while 40 percent of blacks show a preference for the company of other blacks. But blacks, much more so than whites, are more vocal in saying so.
The best way to deal with bigotry and bias is to acknowledge it. By accepting your own biases you have the best chance at countering them and working to correct them. Unconscious motivations have the power to control our behaviors and the more conscious the thought you have, the better the chances that you can control it. Everyone has some amount of bias about something. We can all work toward a more equitable and accepting world by knowing our own human minds and helping each other to keep the playing field fair and level.
Get more information from TODAY at Todayshow.iVillage.com
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racism shouldn't effect the race. Obama is just another person running for the president of the United States. It would be the same if Hillary clinton had won the nomination. why any one would want to be President is beyond me. But i think that Obama would make a good one.
Of course race shouldn't be a reason to not vote for someone, but there are other reasons to not vote for Obama. People who want to talk about these valid reasons are labeled racists.
It would be helpful to see this addressed also.
Dear IVillagers,
I feel that to not speak about race - or to not speak about gender - during this election (or any other election) would be a sign of censorship, even when self-censorship, and that censorship is unhealthy, overall, for America.
I believe in these United States of America, as being the very best nation we are able to build. I love America, and I believe that candidates for any political offices in our nation ought to love America, too ... I believe that each of them ought to truly put our country first.
I have grown to believe that each vote ought to be decided by trying to determine which candidates would be more likely to simply follow the USA Constitution, because our nation's Constitution really does try to guide our people to the maximum possible level of personal and individual freedom, while avoiding anarchy and certain ruin.
Our USA Constitution really will guide all citizens - and all politicians who adhere to it are being guided very well, indeed.
Read (or re-read) the Declaration of Independence; and our USA Constitution; and our USA Bill of Rights; and every single Amendment to our USA constitution. I believe that you, too, shall love America more fully for doing so, and I believe that you, too, shall vote for the politicial candidates in whom you believe that you will see put our USA Constitution first, and thereby place country first.
Pray for all of our nation's leaders, and for all of our nation's citizens, that we may stay as free as we are now.
G-d Bless America.
ForeverHugs,
--Genie
I think that in America racism was, is and will be for ever! tha's not a question of presidency, that the american mentality and some hundreds years old history... I'm nit sure one person can change it...