race in society

... Michael Gillott Sociology Professor Brooks December 8, 2006 Racism is, indeed, the national obsession. Universities are on full alert for it, newspapers and politicians denounce it, churches preach against it, America is said to be racked with it, but just what is racism? There are several sociological concepts which relate racism; these include dysfunction, social conflict theory, taboos, impression management and paradigm. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines racism as "a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race." Dictionaries are not much help in understanding what the word "racism" means. When Americans speak of racism they mean a great deal more than the dictionary's definition. Nevertheless, the dictionary definition of racism is a clue to understanding what Americans do mean. A peculiarly American meaning derives from the current dogma that all ethnic stocks are equal. Despite clear evidence

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