Gates, Jr., Race as the Trope of the World
- Gates, Jr, argues that race is a trope, i.e., a word/concept that is used figuratively, what does he mean by this?
- Contiguously, is there a problem with the metaphor that he offers? More specifically, does Gates, Jr., by relegating race to an abstract concept, a metaphor, fail to account for the real, material effects fomented by race?
- Gates writes that (pp.591 of the original text) many Western writers and (pseudo)scientists have sought to reify race by arguing that it is inherently biological, i.e., on page 595 of the original reading, that it is “natural, essential, and absolute.” What, in your opinion, would prompt these writers and scientist to espouse this particular stance, and, whose interests does it serve (explain)?
- Likewise, Gates argues that there has been and continues to be an (erroneous) conflation between “race” and intelligence that permeates and pervades western thinking regarding innate ability/intelligence; who are the beneficiaries of this line of thinking?
Fredrick Douglass, Narrative life of Fredrick Douglass, An American Slave
- On page 53 of the original text, Douglass recounts the vicissitudes of his own literate awakening. What does his account speak to regarding the internalization of negative, oppressive reinforcement?
- What caused Douglass’ aversion to thinking? Why did it quickly become the bane of his existence?
Laurie Olson, We make each other racial...
- In your opinion, is there anything particularly glaring that Laurie missed in her analysis of and and explanation of the racialized spatialization of her target school?
- Does Laurie’s assertion that “we make each other racial”, in your opinion, exculpate people and apparatuses that support and benefit from long-standing vestiges of institutional and structural inequity?
- More specifically, in your opinion, does she simply address a symptom while eliding an authentic discussion of the root cause (the disease, if you will)?
When Gates refers to race as a trope, he is referring to the concept that race is an idea spouted from societal prejudice. He affirms that race has no biological import and in fact that it stems almost entirely from stigmas set from one group onto another.
ReplyDeleteThe problem with Gates' metaphor is that by asserting that race is only an abstract concept, he discounts many sources and effects of racism. On a purely biological perspective, Gates ignores the obvious which is physical appearance. Instead of dealing with the issue head on and acknowledging that people can look different, he almost seems to be saying that society should IGNORE the physical differences instead of simply observing them impartially. On a more prevalent note, Gates also pushes the issues of cultural and socio-economic differences to the side when turning these issues into strict metaphors. Although he does forego some important issues, he nonetheless seems to be headed in the right direction!
Although many would consider literacy to be a piece of good fortune, Douglass soon found out that it was not as great of a skill as he initially thought. Douglass pursued literacy for many years by misleading various children to teach him to read and write. When he began to read novels that discussed the issue of slavery, Douglass soon lost himself in the examination and concept of slavery.
ReplyDeleteAfter exposing himself to the many views of slavery and after exploring the concept of his current state, Douglass realized life is much easier to be ignorant. Literacy had brought him a burning rage in his heart against those who had enslaved him. He began to abhor his existence as a slave and wanted nothing more to be free of the circumstances he was in; at one point he wished “[himself] a beast” because he could not bear knowing he was to be enslaved for life.
Nearly simultaneously, literacy gave Douglass a reason to want freedom and dream for a better future. The same fire that hatred lit in his heart, fueled Douglass’ desire for freedom.
People of western thought are the direct beneficiaries of this line of thinking. As Gates argues, they use language incorrectly to concoct a meaning of race that permeates all facets of life and minimizes existence to a rank order. Because western thinkers are the possessors of the language they always hold sovereignty over those they label with race and thus everyone outside of western thought is relegated to this "otherness". Moreover, the use of the language created an exclusivity amongst Westerners (Europeans) and resigned other races to a low rank. This exclusivity served to preserve a political and economic order for Westerners and they argued that as long as Africans didn't attain reason through acquiring the language, they could never attain humanity and question the labor they were resigned to. Language maintained this social, political, and economic order and relegated Africans to the outskirts of the language as they had no means for expressing their voices and attaining humanity in the eyes of Europeans.
ReplyDeleteGates, Jr. espressed in his work that race is a trope, in other words a metaphor. I believe that he is saying that race does not exist in its "literal sense" because race is not a biological classification where assomething in the realm of gender would be. Stating that it is not a biological classification, he rather emphasizes that race is more socially constructed between groups of people. People are the ones who create these differences amoung each other between cultures, linguistic groups and so forth.
ReplyDeleteI feel Olsen spends a lot of time focusing on the reactions of the whites, blacks, and Latinos at her target high school, but doesn't take much time to introduce us to how the Asian students and the English as a Second Language students (the ESLers) feel. On page 65, she notes that when she asked the students about the absence of the ESLers in their social map, the students merely said, "We just didn't think of them." Olsen is also in the same situation; she seems to overlook the ESLers in her analysis as well. This, as well as the general overlooking of Asians, might be due to the fact that Olsen wanted to focus only on the white students in her analysis, but it does paint an incomplete picture.
ReplyDeleteI feel it would be difficult for Olsen to describe more than a symptom, because her focus is on only one school, and she narrows this focus even further by emphasizing the feelings of only the whites and blacks (and one Latina student). The basis for her analysis is much too specific to be able to address the root cause, although I do feel that at some points, she slides over issues that she would rather not bring up. For example, when it comes to racism, she seems to suggest that it would be impossible for any of the white students to be racist, because they see themselves as in the same class as the blacks.
In Laurie's piece, We Make Each Other Racial, she makes two argument: students “hanging out with kids they identity as of their own culture, as sharing the experience of skin color..,has a positive meaning” as well as the theory of “the more diversity there is, the safer students are because...there is not any one dominant group that can get away with 'getting down' on others very easily”. Both of these arguments demonstrate that although she believes sharing cultural experiences is important and positive for students, in the end, diversity prevails because it assures safety, a top priority in schools.
ReplyDeleteThus, no where in her main arguments does she justify or support the institutional, unequal tracking system that many schools use. Laurie proves this by support two students of color, Trina a bright, African American student whom she encouraged into a college-prep math course, and Juanita Sanchez, a Mexican whom tested into sophomore English and history as a freshmen. Her support for both of these students reveals that she in no way, exculpates the people nor apparatuses that support inequity in institutions, especially school. Although she and the students in her 6th period recognize that racism is fueled by the students and in turn causes the racialized grouping created within the school and thus “the place, the world that racializes them” none of them saw the prejudice and stereotypes fair or justifiable.
The naturalization of racial differences allows the dominant power to justify subjugation of the purportedly inferior race. The Western writers and scientists are men in power, and the attribution of race, and by extent, intelligence, to biological causes serves both to affirm that their intellectual superiority is natural and to validate their mistreatment of men of other races. Intelligence has always been deemed a particularly human trait, and the conflation between race and intelligence is used as evidence that those of other, subordinate races are mentally deficient. With reason idealized as it was by the Enlightenment philosophers, intelligence became an even weightier measuring stick than it had been before. As a result, the supposed lack of intelligence is used to argue that blacks are not human beings; therefore, they do not have to be treated humanely and have no claim to basic human rights. Kant’s example demonstrates that the black man’s race, rather than his statement, is used as the ultimate proof of his stupidity. Not only does this essentially sanction the various cruelties done to people of color, but it also elevates the white men in power by means of comparison. By depicting race as biological, the Western proponents of this thought ensured that their own superiority would be “natural, essential, and absolute.”
ReplyDeleteBy arguing that race is a trope, Gates Jr. means that race is not based upon objectively classifying people from their biological attributes. Gates Jr. reasons that race is based upon the differences “between cultures, linguistic groups, or adherents of specific belief systems,” therefore it being a trope because it is not used in the literal physical sense. To support his claim that it is incorrect how the term race has been given different categories a fixed definition, Gates Jr. questions the readers whether they have actually ever seen a person who is actually the color black, red, white, yellow, or brown. Since the question towards the audience was rhetorical because people do not distinctively bare these colors, Gates Jr. shows that our interpretation and manner of using race contextually is misguided.
ReplyDeleteWhile I do agree with certain aspects of Gates Jr.’s argument that race is metaphorical, I do also believe that the blatant physical differences in people of different races is also the basis for the metaphorical race. For example, although race is a concept that is based upon its differences in values of different cultures, events such as slavery in America was solely based on whether or not the person had physical attributes of someone of African decent to determine if they were a slave. However, on the larger scale I do agree with Gates Jr.’s arguments and ideas of race because while that term is dependent on cultural differences, I feel like a term such as ethnicity could be better appropriate to describe biological attributes.
In Douglass's pursuit of knowledge and literacy, he realizes through reading the book that although the book directly preaches human rights and abolotion, he also learns to hate the slave owners for essentially robbing his ancestors and turning them into slaves. His desire to become educated in a sense backfired on Douglass since he lost sights of freedom. He had see it appear, only "to disappear no more forever". And now that Douglass has seen his chances at total freedom gone, it reinforces the inequality between whites and blacks and negatively reinforces the one-sided relationship. The knowledge of his tragic ancestors made Douglass realize the severity of slavery as well as the difficult of reversing it
ReplyDeleteI feel that one important thing that Laurie Olson missed, ironically, is a more profound description of the environment. She does a great job of revealing what the students of her target school think of their surroundings, and she describes where the different cliques hang out, that’s about it. She alluded that certain activities were used to describe cliques, other than race, such as “band,” “basketball,” yet she didn’t elaborate on the overall value the school as a whole placed on them. If she had included more detail on what goes on in school, in terms of extracurricular activities at least, then she could have gained some insight on how the environment affects the connotations of certain social groups.
ReplyDeleteThe reason I think it would have been important for her to look for the sources of positive/negative connotations of social groups is that it differs greatly depending on the school’s atmosphere. In my high school, there were little to no clubs outside those of sports. The reason for this is that it was a brand new school - we were the first graduating class. Because of this, athletes who made the teams stood out as more active, yet they weren’t exactly celebrated; our school did not yet belong to any specific competitive brackets. Furthermore, since it was the norm not to belong to any extracurricular activities, those who did were seen as “schoolboys,” a term use to belittle the “good” students. A little more information on Olson’s target school regarding extracurricular activities could have provided some contrast for those groups (if any) belonging to other activities, like the arts, literature, and cultural events.
Gates, Jr., argues that race is a trope because it claims to be an objective form of measurement when it in fact holds no scientific legitimacy. Gates posits that race is instead a social construction, which has unjustifiably used arbitrary classifications to repress or ostracize groups throughout the ages, e.g. slavery. Thus, he sees the process of classification steeped in the random decisions of those in power, not biological criterion: “when we speak of ‘the white race’ or ‘the black race’, ‘the Jewish’ race or ‘the Aryan race,’ we speak in biological misnomers and, more generally, in metaphors” (590). This arbitrariness is where Gates finds his problem with inscribing, as “the term ‘race’ has described and inscribed differences of language, belief system, artistic tradition, and gene pool, as well as all sorts of supposedly natural attributes such as rhythm, athletic ability, celebration, usury, fidelity, and so forth” (590). It is this sense of agency that Gates finds a problem with. The story of Phillis Wheatley, thus, is used to show how Western beliefs and standards proactively inscribed what blacks could and could not do. Phillis was examined thoroughly because it was considered at the time beyond a black person’s capacity to produce poetry.
ReplyDeleteNow, though there are many discernible distinctions between people, Gates is merely suggesting that just because a group’s appearance may be different does not make them any less human. Gates instead desires to move away from the Western writers’ notion that race is “natural, absolute, [and] essential” (591), wherein people have employed these superficial and unqualified distinctions to their advantage. Alternatively, Gates’ divergence from race as a legitimate classification reveals his examination of humans holistically. For Gates, then, with race “so arbitrary in its application,” he believes race has only perverted and “[exacerbated] the complex problem of cultural or ethnic difference, rather than to assuage or redress it” (591). Therefore, Gates advocates a holistic examination of our commonalities rather than the subjective whims of arbitrary distinctions, which have caused such atrocities as slavery.
Douglass’ improvement in literacy proves to be not as beneficial and empowering as he once thought. By reading different books he realizes the immoral aspects of slavery. Whereas before he thought of his slave status as unfair but haven’t given it much thought, now he internalizes the struggle and perceives his lack of basic human rights as a deprivation, almost as personal insult.
ReplyDeleteIt appears as to Douglass ability to read only brought internal conflicts and struggle. However, I disagree that literacy in this case proved to be a burden - change always requires sacrifice, and a victory that is easily won doesn’t result in long-lasting pride or satisfaction. By constantly reviewing the challenges, Douglass is forced to think of solutions or improvements as well, and in most cases it results in some sort of action.
In comparison, throughout the United States history, the campaigns for civil rights, such as women’s suffrage or de-segregation, did require literacy. Whether the concerned party found out about the cause in a local church meeting, by reading a newspaper (or having it read to them), or by a word of mouth, mobilization almost exclusively happened by spreading printed materials. Increased awareness leads to comparison of differences between minorities and desire for justice. Furthermore, it is these comparisons that give groups a common goal and thus often a clear direction for change.
In response to Laurie discussing a symptom instead of the root cause of the racialization at Madison High School, I believe that there needed to be more information about how to show the students that everyone can be accepted as simply different, but inherently the same. This somewhat connects to the question about anything Laurie skips in her analysis. It seems like she was more interested in showing the intense differences that the students are already consciously aware of, though they would much rather bury the fact that they are aware of it. The students know that they avoid different groups to escape the "white-washed" or "wannabee" stigma; the important question is how to make these labels extinct in the school environment so that students can choose with whom they want to socialize on a more independent level instead of through an intricate, social tradition. The initial focus on how white students don't believe that they receive preferential treatment and the closing point about Juanita is interesting because it shows how Juanita, who chose to hang with students outside of her "kind," was still relegated and had to make the decision to work before she could afford to go to college. This example shows how the racial differences the students perceive they have between them is more a matter of class. It would have been interesting if Laurie could elaborate on class, perhaps citing that as the main cause of the racial discrimination within Madison High School. Focusing attention on this as the main issue would at least make it possible for the students to see past race and possibly grapple with the true underlying problems they must contend with when applying to colleges or making decisions about life after high school.
ReplyDeleteLike everyone else, Douglas, at the beginning, thought of being literate as a way of enriches one’s life. So, master Hugh’s viewpoint of slaves’ learning only leads them to torment their souls’ to ‘unutterable anguish’ couldn’t stop Douglas’ desire to read and write. However, he regrets his ability to read when he became to be able to read documents about slaveries. He became to abhor the enslavers and agonized by his current situations of not being able to get a freedom. He said being able to read gave him ‘a view of my wretched condition, without the remedy. It opened my eyes to the horrible pit, but to no ladder upon which to get out.’
ReplyDeleteGetting to know slavery through reading agonized him, but, simultaneously, literacy gave him impetus to learn more about ‘abolition.’ And, by virtue of literacy, Douglas became to think about changing his current situation and organize a specific plans for his escape.
I believe Olsen’s depiction of the racialized spatialization of her target school gets at the very basis of the specific school she is studying, and how those students see the racial stratification as those students view the racial boundaries. Her analysis focuses on one African American girl and one Latino girl. I think her arguments would be further supported by closely examining other races and genders as well. I also think Laurie should have further examined the issue of racial consciousness among whites. She begins to examine this a surprising finding in which the white students struggle with their racial identity. I think this is a pressing issue in that whiteness is less often described as race; instead, other races are viewed as groups that are differentiated.
ReplyDeleteI also think Olsen could have given more of a background to the target school as well as the students she analyzes. While her research is centered on the school, I feel that the geographical setting of the school would have been appropriate. Having an idea of where the students came from would also benefit this study to get a background of where their racial beliefs might stem from. If these students construct boundaries at school, they must receive ideas from somewhere else as well.
In my opinion, Olsen misses several points in her analysis. The school is described as separated into multiple groups, except she focuses on the normal Whites, Latins, and Blacks. She does touch upon the ESL students, the Asian students, or the other white kids (skater, smoker, cheerleader, etc) very much. There is essentially no explanation for why these students are separate from the rest. Olsen also does not account for factors such as tradition and prior history. For White students, their elementary schools were predominantly white. As smaller schools fed to bigger schools, the group that was friends in elementary school would still be friends in middle school. Because of preset groups, mingling at middle and high school levels could be greatly diminished.
ReplyDeleteOlsen’s statement “we make each other racial”, in my opinion, cannot justify historical trends. As many of the white students said, they don’t “think of themselves as white until someone makes us think of ourselves as white”. Another student said “everybody at this school seems to talk to everybody. We don’t hang out a lot with each other, but we talk to each other”. From these observations, it appears there are no longstanding differences between students that draw impregnable boundaries between them. They aren’t incapable of being friends, but because of tradition, simply choose not to be friends.
Through Douglas’ reading, I was able to see effects of the internalization of negative, oppressive reinforcement. First and foremost, I see this negative, oppressive reinforcement as a real concept. Two people living in the same situation will experience severely different experiences, and therefore outcomes based on their own thought process. In the case of internalizing oppressive reinforcement, people who have this thought process are convinced with certain thoughts that oppress oneself from thinking otherwise. In the case of Douglass, the more he read, the more he could not get rid of the thought of how slave owners were a “band of successful robbers, who had left their homes, and gone to Africa, and stolen us [Douglass and other slaves] from our homes, and in a strange land reduced us to slavery” (53). He was filled with hatred and unforgiving anger toward the slave owners, and wished actually, to be in ignorance. (It reminded me of the quote: Ignorance is bliss…) The thought of this hatred oppressed Douglas from being content with his life as a slave, though for the better, feeling pure loathing for his, and other slave owners. In a sense, one could say that the negative, oppressive reinforcement binded him to a certain concept he could not shake off.
ReplyDeleteFirst and foremost, the attention Douglass got from his kind mistress in the beginning, allowed him to learn how to read. This chance allowed him to be exposed to the wrath of the master, who stated through his anger that if anyone taught a slave to read, then the slave would be unfit for a slave, and he would become unmanageable. In other words, Douglass took this as a way for freedom. At once, he strove to learn to read and write, making it his purpose and light through the dark and atrocious days of his time in slavery. He clung onto the idea of his freedom, because “for the hope of being free, [he had] no doubt but that [he] should have killed [him]self” (54).
Gates' definition of race as a "trope" states that race is in fact not an objective qualification as we a re traditionally led to believe. He asserts that our idea of race is a metaphor created by cultural differences and is therefore invalid. To Gates, race is a complete construct. The example he uses to pose this idea to the reader is very compelling. He asks them if they have ever actually seen someone who is "black" or any other arbitrary color. And of course, no one has purely black skin and this lends itself very well to his idea that race is a result of societal differences.
ReplyDeleteThis second paragraph was written before but I deleted it after some careless clicking. It will be more concise than the first time through.
Gates' argument seems to advocate the popular idea of "color-blindness". However, I believe it to be impossible to ignore the obvious differences in the simple biological difference of skin color, and the intricately different cultural histories of different peoples. I think that becoming blind to color, or race, or ethnicity, or however you want to say it, is essentially dismissing the importance of cultural contrast in human society.
Since Western Civilizations restricted the definition of reason to only writing language while also restricting Africans from learning how to express themselves in writing, it was impossible for black men to achieve the status of human. Slavery was justified by the belief that black men and women were not human, and therefore did not have the ability to master the ‘arts and sciences.’ Mastery of writing was important in the eighteen century because they believed that this could demonstrate whether Blacks were reasonable and hence men. For this reason, in places such as South Carolina, it was against the law to teach slaves how to write. This rule was created to keep African American from achieving the status of human and thus maintained the belief that the white race was superior. In addition, authors such as Kant made the association between black and stupid as if stupid was a typical characteristic of the black race. Clearly, white men were the beneficiaries of this line of thinking because it allowed them to justify their action toward other races, and maintain power over them.
ReplyDeleteWhile Douglass acknowledges that literacy can be his path to freedom, he problematizes his quest to be literate: “It had given me a view of my wretched condition, without the remedy” (53). This particular statement especially moves me. Douglass’s depression stems from his inability to change his situation. Though education and literacy can give him the tools to understand it, neither can ameliorate his reality, since his condition is socially and racially regulated. These regulations provide no avenue for freedom; Douglass is no better off than the slaves who cannot read, who are equally as imprisoned but not as troubled by overthinking. Applied today, I can see how organizing around social justice goals can be similarly disillusioning. Four hundred years of racist systems, in education and other institutions, has produced America’s wretched condition. Students of color are daily denied equal access to quality education, and as Laurie Olson’s piece shows, they are constantly aware of it. At the same time, they are told that education is the tool for freedom and social mobility. But if we do not give students the tools, in ways they can understand and are willing to pursue, we make their reality more permanent. Most importantly, we risk that students will become disillusioned. Like Douglass, they will seek ways to forget about their condition, thus distancing themselves from education. But can we blame them? If freedom seems beyond reach, how can we inspire students to challenge the system that oppresses them, even if that only means surviving within it? Personally, how can I, a white student who benefited significantly from privileges in education, ask my students to fight for power that was awarded to me without a second thought, let alone know the strategies to help them?
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ReplyDeleteWhen Gates, Jr. argues that race is a trope, he means that people are categorized into racial groups based on the differences in their cultures and use of language, not on any biological differences. He uses the example of the difference in men and women as a biological difference and argues that race is not explicitly defined. There is no literal meaning to the word “race” in this sense because race stems from perceived differences. This metaphor builds on the idea that there are ultimately “irreducible differences between cultures.” Gates acknowledges the reality that perception of race is typically based on physical appearance but also argues that the use of language can also signify such differences. He tries to go deeper into the meaning of what race is and how there is no solid defining line between races.
ReplyDeleteLaurie's article describes how different students felt about the racialization at their school, and how race played an integral role in their class ranking. According to Laurie, it is the social structure of the school itself that causes racial segregation. A common complaint was that, prior to entering Madison High, students had friends of different racial backgrounds--however, when they adjusted to the social structure of the school, they lost touch with these friends. Many students felt safer and more in place with their own race--in fact one black girl dropped out of the college track because she said the students "didn't speak her language" (although they all speak English). Those who didn't identify with racial stereotypes were outcast as "white-washed" or "wannabees". One girl said the other black girls shunned her because she "didn't have hair out to here or have lipgloss all over her face".
ReplyDeleteAlthough I think it's true that teacher's expectations and the resources available affect how a student succeeds, Laurie makes a dangerous statement that "it is easier for students who are asian or white to find their way in the higher tracks of the school. it is harder for latinos or blacks to make their way out of the lower tracks to which they are relegated". In my opinion, her assumption almost substantiates stereotypes.
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ReplyDeleteGates, Jr, argues that race is a trope, is a metaphor because it associated with different attitude, ability, intelligence, and language. It was not objective, but full of subjective value. This term ‘race’ is not based on biological classification, but is socially constructed. The differences in appearance, skin color, cultural background and language provide the cues for the public to categorize people into different races. These differences form the ‘racial characteristics’. In this case, race sounds an objective term/idea and accepted by the general public.
ReplyDeleteThe term ‘race’, however, attached of a variety of stigma about people’s competence, intelligence, and financial situation which aroused racial discrimination. In the past, many Western writers and scientists have sought to reify race by arguing that it was inherently biological in hope to maintain their superior social position over other non-western group, like African. I agree with Yvonne Lin that the dominant group emphasized their superiority in intelligent development over other racial group. By assuming African people was biologically inferior in intelligent development, Western people lifted up their power over them. Those people in power in Western society believed that they had the authority to control the black slaves which legalized their mistreatment over them.