English
Etymology
From F. racisme (1935/36).

Noun
wikipedia
racism

1. The belief that members of one race are superior to members of other races
2. The belief that members of one ethnic group are superior to members of another ethnic group.
3. The belief that capability or behavior can be racially defined.
4. Aggression or discriminatory behavior towards members of a certain race or races.
5. Aggression or discriminatory behavior based upon differences in ethnicity.
6. Ethnically or culturally discriminatory behavior exhibited by members of the racial, ethnic, or cultural group dominant within a society.
7. The practice of asserting or assuming racially or ethnically defined cultural dominance.
8. The perpetuation of racial, ethnic, or cultural dominance of some groups over others.
9. Opportunity inequality resulting from preferential treatment towards others of a similar cultural background.
10. The act of using political, judicial, civil, and educational systems to oppress one based on their ethnicity.

Usage notes
rfc|This is an encyclopedic entry, and belongs in Wikipedia

Different people define race differently, so, naturally, different people define racism differently.
Racism is generally accepted as wrong in English-speaking societies, and the word racism carries strong negative connotations. Therefore, those opposing a certain practice might characterize it as "racist" in order to try to take advantage of those connotations, and conversely, those defending a certain practice might try to mitigate it by claiming that it is not racist.
While racism is, per se, usually tied to race, some speakers will (controversially) use the term in other cases as well:
*2002, Tom Carter-Smith, Sex – an Apology for Love, NORDISC Music & Text, ISBN 87-88619-09-5, page 99,
*:The reason for this was the general prejudice (read: racism) against gays among �straight� people; the government simply didn't want the public to be appalled by posters and TV adds with �queers�.
The term reverse racism has been used to describe racism (in one sense or another) by a group that has traditionally been oppressed, against a traditionally more-empowered group. However, some argue that this distinction does not need to be made, and advocate using simply the term racism; others have argued conversely that the term racism should not be used at all in such cases.
For many speakers, the term racism implies conscious belief or behavior, but this distinction is not universally held.

Derived terms
institutional racism
reverse racism

Related terms
racist
race
race riot
racialism
racialist
racial
racy
racial slur

Translations

Croatian: t-|hr|rasizam|m
Czech: t-|cs|rasismus|m, t-|cs|rasizmus|m
Danish: t+|da|racisme|c
Dutch: t+|nl|racisme|n
Finnish: rasismi
French: t+|fr|racisme|m
German: t+|de|Rassismus|m
Icelandic: kynþáttahyggja f, rasismi m
mid
Italian: t+|it|razzismo|m
Slovak: t-|sk|rasizmus|m
Slovene: rasizem m
Spanish: t-|es|racismo|m

See also
affirmative action
anti-semitism
apartheid
black is beautiful
Civil Rights Movement
cultural anthropology
cultural relativism
ethnic majority
ethnic minority
ethnocentrism
eugenics
Eurocentrism
hate crime
historical particularism
intolerance
multiculturalism
nationalism
political minority
Rainbow Coalition
unilineal evolution
social Darwinism
supremacist
tolerance
White supremacy
xenophobia

Category:Disputed usage
Category:Forms of discrimination
Category:English_nouns_ending_in_-ism

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• 2007-11-28 05:07 - Tbot - updated t/t-/t+ templates, added t for cs, it, sk

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