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Discussion: Precursors of ethnic or racial violence
Reginald McKelvin
School of Education, Liberty University
Author Note
Reginald McKelvin
I have no known conflict of interest to disclose.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Reginald McKelvin.
Email: [email protected]
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Part 1: Discussion: What are the precursors of racial or ethnic violence?
Racial or ethnic violence refers to aggressive behaviors towards a specific group of
individuals viewed to hail from a particular race or ethnic group. In some instances, a racial or
ethnic group can instigate violence against another group to show superiority over the other.
Discrimination and oppression based on ethnic or racial differences between various racial or
ethnic groups are the major precursors to violence. Ethnic or racial violence can be linked to
economic, social, and political factors. High levels of immigration and competition over
resources, such as jobs, housing, and other resources, are likely precursors to racial or ethnic
violence (Olzak, 1987). For example, in the United States, the whites feel threatened by the
influx of other races in the country, such as blacks, Hispanics, and Latinos. They fear that these
people migrating to the government will take over and utilize their resources, leaving them
economically disadvantaged. The feelings of competition and fear of losing their native
resources influence them to engage in hateful and violent actions towards the other races. These
factors show that the conflicts are not affected by the ethnic or cultural differences of the people
but rather by the social, political, and economic inequalities.
The social and political systems in nations that encourage and lead to inequalities
between various ethnic or racial groups contribute to conflicts and violence among the groups.
Most inequalities in the social, economic, or political settings are felt. Suppose one group of
individuals think that the social, political, and economic systems are designed to marginalize and
discriminate them from benefits. In that case, they develop violent tendencies towards ethnic or
racial groups deemed beneficiaries of the systems (Buehler, 2017). Further, if the groups feel that
their grievances are not addressed and do not offer solutions for the marginalization, conflict
occurs. Before violence occurs, feelings of marginalization of one ethnic or racial group for the
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benefit of the other are evident and predominant. An example of a system that encourages
inequalities is the police system, the use of police force on blacks to the extent of causing deaths
in the United States. The other races, predominantly white race are not meted with extreme
police force like the blacks—these inequalities in the system push for violent outbursts between
the races.
Some studies have highlighted historical dispositions as another cause of racial or ethnic
violence. Historically some racial groups were seen as lesser beings and their place being slaves
while other races were seen as superior. For instance, in the 17th and 18th centuries, the blacks
worked as slaves in the vineyard and industries while the whites were the superior race. These
superiorities of one race over the other led to long-term racial problems between the whites and
the blacks (Waters, 1996). The racial issues based on historical experiences have significantly
contributed to the violence based on ethnic or racial grounds. The historical experiences also
contributed substantially to the segregation of one racial group in the social-economic sector and
political arenas. Historically, the blacks who historically are considered the inferior race continue
to receive these segregations economically, politically, or socially, which instill violent feelings
and tendencies towards the white race. The historical injustices elicited significant levels of
mistrusts between races which significantly contribute to the racial violence.
Another precursor to ethnic or racial violence is a misrepresentation of the races by social
or mainstream media outlets. The 21st century is a hub for technological advancements and easy
access to information through Information, Communication, and Technology. Globalization has
also made it easier for movement across the globe. This flow of information and people across
the world denotes the flow of data quickly across the globe. The media, both mainstream and
social media, significantly impact how society views races and ethnic or cultural differences of
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different people. The media has kept the racial stereotypes alive and contributes to widespread
racism among other races (Mastro, 2017). When people consume images and messages about
particular racial groups as depicted by the media, they form an inclination towards the racial
group, contributing to violence. For instance, the media portray black men as criminals, which
influences the thoughts and views of other races about black men. Society's perceptions of black
men as criminals influences their violent tendencies towards black people contributing to ethnic
or racial violence.
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References
Buehler, J. W. (2017). Racial/ethnic disparities in the use of lethal force by US police, 2010–
2014.DAmerican journal of public health,D107(2), 295-297.
https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/full/10.2105/AJPH.2016.303575
Mastro, D. (2017). Race and ethnicity in US media content and effects. InDOxford research
encyclopedia of communication.
https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228613.013.122
Olzak, S. (1987). Causes of ethnic conflict and protest in Urban America, 1877–1889.DSocial
Science Research,D16(2), 185-210. https://doi.org/10.1016/0049-089X(87)90016-0
Waters, M. C. (1996). Ethnic and racial groups in the USA: Conflict and cooperation.DEthnicity
and power in the contemporary world, 134-136.
https://archive.unu.edu/unupress/unupbooks/uu12ee/uu12ee0o.htm
