Would color meanings play a role in racism? (Brown, stereotypes, Jesus)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Thought of this theory like last summer or so. Anyways, this perspective interests me. really I always thought racism just existed because for the sake of wanting to feel superior, but what if is just some fear with you know all the negative stuff represented by the colors themeselves that's caused the racism? Really, I can't say that even racism is really that powerful as its made out to be when we had a patriarchy as early as the Roman Empire times, but supposedly no racism existed at that time. Then again I am just starting to take world history more serious...
Watcha you say: Do color meanings play a bigger role in racism? Why or why not?
This connection also makes more sense and says it all:
Thought of this theory like last summer or so. Anyways, this perspective interests me. really I always thought racism just existed because for the sake of wanting to feel superior, but what if is just some fear with you know all the negative stuff represented by the colors themeselves that's caused the racism? Really, I can't say that even racism is really that powerful as its made out to be when we had a patriarchy as early as the Roman Empire times, but supposedly no racism existed at that time. Then again I am just starting to take world history more serious...
Watcha you say: Do color meanings play a bigger role in racism? Why or why not?
This connection also makes more sense and says it all:
Blackness=masculinity
Whiteness=femininity
You could reverse that question, you know. Does racism play a bigger role in the perception of color...?
I don't know that either color is associated with sex. But black has always been associated with fear, evil, the unknown while white has been associated with purity and good. If that's what you're getting at.
I think these associations carried into racial stereotypes, too. It would make sense, anyway.
I don't know that either color is associated with sex. But black has always been associated with fear, evil, the unknown while white has been associated with purity and good. If that's what you're getting at.
I think these associations carried into racial stereotypes, too. It would make sense, anyway.
A good contemplation, but heaven forbid Hollywood get a sniff of this! The politically correctness would be worse than ever. Like most things, the perception and symbolism of colour, is cultural. In the USA, we wear black at funerals, but there are cultures that consider red or white appropriate.
The earliest dreams I can remember as a little child or a baby were formless color dreams. It was pink and yellow against black. Black being Evil and pink and yellow were Good. I knew nothing about races of people then.
But blacks aren't really black, they are different shades of brown.
The earliest dreams I can remember as a little child or a baby were formless color dreams. It was pink and yellow against black. Black being Evil and pink and yellow were Good. I knew nothing about races of people then.
But blacks aren't really black, they are different shades of brown.
Are these your associations or is this part of some non-Western culture's scheme?
Having studied Western culture through literature, religion, history, and archaeology, I would say the main associations in Western culture with the colors are:
Whiteness = purity
Blackness = corruption
This keeps your question raised, but I don't think that racial strife centers around perceptions of gender.
It is my opinion that these associations (whiteness with purity, blackness with corruption), which pre-existed any racial associations by millennia, were used, after the fact of racial animus, to bolster ideas of race rather than suggesting them in the first place.
Another wrench in the works would be the fact that white people are often of a pink complexion, a color that up until the 20th century was actually connected with masculinity.
edit: There has also been an association in the West of white (and yellow) being associated with weakness or lack of courage, too. For example, in pre-Christian Norse society, Norse people who were resisting the mission activities of Christian disparaged Jesus Christ by callling him the "White Christ" or "White God" to signal that he was a pacifist, in a negative sense.
But I still don't think this has anything to do with racism in the psyche of Western people.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
