I think a lot of it is inbred,fed to them with their mother’s milk.
Like the sectarianism here in the west of Scotland and NI .I well remember stones thrown at the children in the catholic school by children in the playground in the next door Protestant school .Interestingly that wee four class school was closed and the catholic children split between schools in different directions.
That sure.y gave credence to the belief that “they” were right and catholics were the enemy .
It’s similar to the blind devotion given to the royals too,I have never understood why millions of people believe the RF are better /. more deserving of a good life while the mainly working class struggles and still pays taxes towards keeping them in their privileged position.
In a lot of cases the people who are deprived living in poor housing ,barely able to afford even basics will find someone to blame.Never the real culprits government and the establishment so they blame the immigrants ….people who are worse off than they are .
And then that attitude gets passed on ,by being repeatedly amplified,publicised by the media……all media.
Gransnet forums
News & politics
Racism is a result of poor psychological functioning
(375 Posts)Steve Taylor, a senior psychological university lecturer has produced an article which outlines how racism may develop, and the 5 stages leading to it.
“ Research shows a link between prejudice and poor psychological functioning, including poor relationships with insecurity and aggression. This can often be traced back to a disturbed and insecure childhood. Other research has shown a link between racism and anxiety, demonstrating that people become more prejudiced during challenging times.
More generally, studies demontrate that when people are made to feel insecure or anxious, they are more likely to identify with their national or ethnic groups. This enhances their self-esteem and their sense of identity, as a defence against insecurity and anxiety.
There are clearly social and economic factors that encourage racism, such as hierarchy and inequality. But the above research suggests that racism is largely a psychological defence mechanism against anxiety and insecurity.”
The 5 stages
1. L“the process begins when a person lacks a sense of security and identity, which generates a desire to affiliate themselves with a group. This affiliation strengthens their identity and provides a sense of belonging.
What’s wrong with this? Why shouldn’t we take pride in our national or religious identity, and feel a sense of brotherhood or sisterhood with others who share our identity?
2. Because group identity often leads to a second, more dangerous stage. In order to further strengthen their sense of identity, members of a group may develop antagonism towards other groups. Such hostility may make the group feel more defined and cohesive, as if they can see themselves more clearly in opposition to others.
3. A third stage of the process is when members of a group withdraw empathy from members of other groups, limiting their concern and compassion to their peers. They may act benevolently towards members of their own group but be indifferent or callous to anyone outside it. The withdrawal of empathy turns other human beings into objects, and enables cruelty and violence.
4. Fourth is the homogenisation of individuals belonging to other groups. People are no longer perceived in terms of their individual personalities or behaviour, but in terms of prejudices about the group as a whole. Any member of the group is a legitimate target and can be punished for the alleged transgressions of other individuals from the group. In contemporary terms, any asylum seeker can be punished for the alleged crime of an individual asylum seeker.
5. Finally, people may project their own psychological flaws and personal failings onto another group, as a strategy of avoiding responsibility. Other groups become scapegoats, and consequently are liable to attacked or even murdered. People with strong narcissistic and paranoid personality traits are especially prone to such projection, since they struggle to accept their personal faults, instead searching for others to take the blame.
In other words, racism is a symptom of psychological ill-health, a sign of anxiety and of a lack of identity and inner security. Psychologically healthy people with a stable sense of identity and security are very rarely (if ever) racist. They ultimately have no need to strengthen their sense of self through group identity.
The Conversation
16/9/25
JenniferEccles
It seems to me that these days anyone who is on the political Right is automatically assumed to be a racist.
That’s how daft things have got.
Couple that with admitting to being a Daily Mail reader and there is definitely no hope for you!
We have to keep a sense of humour to cope with the madness!
It seems to me that these days anyone who is on the political Right is automatically assumed to be a racist.
I don't think that is correct JenniferEccles. There are branches of the "political" right whose leaders do use racism as a recruitment tool and they do attract those who chose to blame an amorphous group of "others". These "others" are a useful tool to the joiners as the only real definition of them is "they are not us". This gives the seemingly easy solution that a) it was "not us" that caused the problems and b) if we rid ourselves of those who are "not us" we have a solution. Unfortunately for the blamers this solution not only doesn't work it causes many additional problems.
There are, however, those on the right - generally the centre right, who know the issues in this country are real and only acknowledgement of that reality and real solutions will help.
Martin Luther King:
"I have a dream...
That one day this nation will rise up, live out the true meaning of its creed:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that
all men are created equal.”
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia sons of former slaves and the sons of former
slave-owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream . . . I have a dream that one day in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification:
One day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
full text
www.gilderlehrman.org/sites/default/files/inline-pdfs/king.dreamspeech.excerpts.pdf
Lathyrus3
I think it’s an interesting five point analysis, but I think he’s mistaken in two respects.
The first is to confine the process to racism. I would like observe that this is pretty much what happens in society in various situations where any group forms - whether it be an area of town, a place of belief, a club of some sort, albeit with lesser consequences.
Secondly I disagree that it’s a symptom of psychological ill health. I think it is a natural throwback to when we were a species that needed to form groups for survival. I don’t believe we can escape that need.
So I suppose I reject his first two points as part of an ongoing development of racism. I believe they are part of people negotiating living as a society.
The last three points I accept as a development of insecurities and an unhealthy need for affirmation as an individual.
Lathyrus
Nail on the head. As a species we are tribal. Short of wiping us all out and starting again it’s never going to change.
Looking at this map I was very interested to see 2 countries that I know very well ( bordering each other)
Both counties under the communist cosh for 50 years, more or less the same characteristics but scoring very differently to each other. Why is that?
Re: using it as an excuse, a get out clause.
Its not.
My ex-husband was very abusive. he was also Mentally ill (bi-polar 1).
Horrendous things were done and said. Personally of course it sets up a whole series of knotted quandaries as I'm very MH aware and have Psychotherapy qualifications as well as personal experience.
So..*it is not an Excuse but it is a Reason*.
The O/P makes this clear. We are discussing reasons not excuses.
Lets live by that.
(and thank you for the Dylan song)
Babs03
I don’t want to call someone a racist but if anyone wants to ally themselves with Yaxley Lennon, this country’s most notorious racist am really struggling to not call them this.
After all , if it quacks like a duck, walks like a duck….
I agree Babs03.
I don’t want to call someone a racist but if anyone wants to ally themselves with Yaxley Lennon, this country’s most notorious racist am really struggling to not call them this.
After all , if it quacks like a duck, walks like a duck….
Whitewavemark2
GrannyGravy13
In other words racism is a a symptom of psychological ill health
Taken from your post Whitewavemark2
Definition of psychological ill health - a mental disorder, also known as mental illness.OK I take your point, but I can’t understand how identifying the cause of racism puts more pressure on those suffering from mental health.
To my mind it brings much greater understanding and perhaps an answer to the unhappiness we are witnessing.
Anyway, we all have degrees of Mental Health and Mental illness. There isn't a line you cross - it's a matter of degrees of our sense of well being or otherwise. Clearly when it come to psychosis, you have crossed that line, but outside of that, we all suffer or thrive.
Excellent O/P, and your web reference NotSpaghetti.
Aveline
Interesting but it's only one theory produced by one psychologist. I'm sure there are many others.
It would be interesting if you could add them to the thread Aveline.
Thank you Whitewave, what a fascinating article. Hopefully there will be additional comment from the world of psychology. I would guess that many psychologists would find Taylor’s emphasis on the psychological underpinnings of racism valuable and its certainly seems consistent with existing research. However, some, including those of us without direct psychological training, might also want to stress the importance of integrating social, cultural, and systemic explanations to fully understand racism's development. This might include areas others have touched on such as the importance of education.
Studying psychology itself must be fascinating but if anyone is thinking of doing a later-life Masters there are many that combine psychology and your main subject such as psychology and business or psychology and sport.
We are "programmed" from birth and use that programming ourselves but it's useful to know it can be used by others or overwritten - for our own good or for theirs.
Thank you Doodledog that quote from the Bob Dylan song is brilliant and absolutely spot on.
Only a pawn in their game. So true.
Ach, it's not long ago that Labour supporters were constantly accused of anti-semitism.
There is a big difference between supporting Sunak and supporting Farage though.
It seems to me that these days anyone who is on the political Right is automatically assumed to be a racist.
That’s how daft things have got.
Couple that with admitting to being a Daily Mail reader and there is definitely no hope for you!
We have to keep a sense of humour to cope with the madness!
I don't think that in this case 'ill health' is the same as 'suffering from illness'.
Having a medical condition, whether that is chicken pox or psychopathy is not the same thing as being 'unhealthy', which may mean an absence of actual disease, but being unfit and having bodily systems not working as well as they might.
So the article is saying that racism is born of (amongst other things) not feeling good about oneself, which is psychological ill-health, ie not being in good shape psychologically.
Anyway. I think it is interesting. I also think that there is an element of not wanting to be at the bottom of the pile, so people who feel they might be look for reasons to put others there instead.
Bob Dylan put it better than I ever could:
A South politician preaches to the poor white man
"You got more than the blacks, don't complain
You're better than them, you been born with white skin, " they explain
And the N*gro's name
Is used, it is plain
For the politician's gain
As he rises to fame
And the poor white remains
On the caboose of the train
But it ain't him to blame
He's only a pawn in their game
What is the definition of a racist? It is not given here - and how can we judge these comments if we do not have a definition
I get the impression that what is being talked about here is people taking part in violent and aggressive demonstrations against immigrants to this country and those people who do nothing of the sort, and would not in a month of Sundays, but just have a general fear of the unknown and anything that disturbs their routine life. People like this will be unsure of anyone who is different to them, whether that difference is colour, race, nationality or the mere fact that they had a completely different up bringing. People who worry about the sudden influx to their area of unfamiliar people (in the recent past this has included Scottish, Welsh and irish people)
This caution is an ingrained precautionary reaction that stopped humanity dying out before it got started by eating new and poisonous foods or jumping off cliffs and expecting to survive. Anything new is suspect until proved safe.
As Aveline says, this is just one researchers opinion. i would be very interested to know about those chosen for the sample he used to reach these conclusions. Are they just aggressive demonstrators (as opposed to quiet principled demonstrators), did it include o control group of ordinary people who do not go on demonstrations but who fear the unknown and many changes in their lives.
I heard to people in their 80s having a conversation yesterday, bemoaning all the changes in life that had occurred since they grew up in a village where no one locked their doors, and everyone knew everyone, and now they did not know everyone in their street and the postman kept changing, and they hated gong into town. Colour and immigration did not arise because in the remote part of Northumberland I was in there are not many foreigners of any kind. But there are many people like that and I would feel a lot happier if I knew that this man's research base was represnetative of people as a whole, and studied other attitdes they had as well.
AGAA4
I think people like Farage have allowed the closet racists out. I've noticed some people have been more open about their views.
Agree.
TR also blew the whistle on the Asian grooming gangs before we demonise him entirely. Our governments have been ignoring what the silent majority have been saying for several years and now they are not so silent and are being inspired by TR because they see he is vocalising their concerns albeit at an extreme level.
What I cannot stand is the idiotic chanting by both sides which blinds both to any logical argument. It reminds me of the methods used by Hitler who incidentally lead a Socialist party. Things are always way more complex than we think, and methods of controlling can be used by any side.
Does this also apply to sexism and in both directions. Is excluding someone because they are a different gender to you acceptable and will it be in a 100 years time. (I am not talking about toilets and changing rooms where privacy is involved)
I think people like Farage have allowed the closet racists out. I've noticed some people have been more open about their views.
What is the definition of racism? Too often these days people are accused of racism because the accuser is incapable of entering into a logical discussion. So what did Steve Taylor use as his base for racism? And he said poor psychological functioning may lead to racism not that it did. We need to be careful of taking a theory and turning it into facts when a condition is caused by many factors not just one. Psychology is an inexact science.
Oreo
Flag waving nonsense! …you see right there that the elite and those in protective bubbles just don’t understand that when people are pushed to their limit they do become angry and show that they want something to be done about it, in this case immigration both legal and illegal.The flag waving is far from nonsense and must be taken seriously.
I take it you are aware that TR and his cronies have been hauled up for being openly antisemitic in the past and denied the Holocaust? The swastika tattoos are a bit of a give away. And that they and others like them are behind the recent ‘flagging’ in the UK.
I would be very confused if I thought you are not against all this.
Oreo
Flag waving nonsense! …you see right there that the elite and those in protective bubbles just don’t understand that when people are pushed to their limit they do become angry and show that they want something to be done about it, in this case immigration both legal and illegal.The flag waving is far from nonsense and must be taken seriously.
Mm, interesting🤔
It was OK to be racist 100 years ago, I think. Racial stereotypes, white man's burden, all that.
It was the accepted wisdom then in western countries that WASP people were somehow intellectually superior. Probably to justify the colonisation & exploitation.
So accepting that everyone's equal was a bit of a sea-change. And we were getting there till recently.
Flag waving nonsense! …you see right there that the elite and those in protective bubbles just don’t understand that when people are pushed to their limit they do become angry and show that they want something to be done about it, in this case immigration both legal and illegal.The flag waving is far from nonsense and must be taken seriously.
AGAA4
I think racism can be passed down through families too. Hopefully with better education more people learn to reason.
Most things can, but I know a fair few people whose parents were / are racist who are not themselves similarly afflicted.
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