Race and Human Services Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Race and Human Services - Essay Example The American society is a clear example of inequality along lines of race that constitute the society. This paper examines how race affected the distribution and access to resources. The study uses the critical race theory to explain reasons for poor social support for these communities and the effect it has had on the communities. Pertinent factors on race The history of race clearly reveals that people became full society members if they grew up within the society or adopted the society’s cultural norms. While for most societies, membership to society was based on tribal or familial affiliation, physical characteristics were also considered. Skin color particularly has greatly influenced membership to a society. These physical characteristics are in turn linked to moral, intellectual and psychological qualities. Societies will always assign to their own the highest qualities while assigning lower qualities to the outsiders. Societies in American are based on races, which has led to racism. Racism is the practice of denying a group of people their rights to resources and representation because of racial differences. Institutionalized racism involves use of social institutions such as education, social services, housing, judicial and the government, which touch all aspects of society (Loury, 2005). America comprises of various ethnic communities, a fact that has greatly led to discrimination of such communities as the Native Americans, African American and the Latina. The Native Americans occupied America before the colonial era. The Europeans in an effort to access the American territory for land and its natural resources resulted to massacres, wars and forced displacement. The natives were also subjected to food rights restrictions, impositions of treaties; their land was snatched from them and many more hardships. The European immigrants justified this treatment to stereotypes such as the natives were â€Å"merciless Indian savages† and the man ifest destiny where the conquerors would receive divine blessing for the new land ownership in the US (Hochschild & Weaver, 2007). The displaced natives were relegated to reservations constituting 4 percent of the US territory. The natives were forced to attend the residential school system that aimed to civilize them by teaching them the settler economy, values and culture. To date, Native Americans are the most affected by racism and remain economically disadvantaged compared to other groups. The Native American race suffers high levels of suicide and alcoholism due to lack of future prospects (Hochschild & Weaver, 2007). The African American is the second groups affected by racism. The European settlers needed labor force to work in their vast plantations. Court ruling in the 18 century allowed slavery towards black Africans. Legal discrimination and institutionalized racism were hardened during the 19th century. Though slavery was abolished through the fourteenth amendment and A frican Americans were able to technically vote, many were subjected to acts of terror, poll taxes and discriminatory laws that kept the African Americans disenfranchised especially in the south (Wilson, 2011). Racism during this period was worse than any other period before or after. European supremacy,