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A Racialized Social System, Hierarchy, and Power

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How is a racialized social system created? What part does hierarchy play in this system? Consider the idea of institutionalized discrimination from the Aguirre text. How do these two concepts work together to create stratification and power differences in a given society?

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This solution will provide the student with a guide on describing how a racialized social system is created, what part hierarchy plays in a system such as this, and how hierarchy and institutionalized discrimination work together to create stratification and power differences in a given society.

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How is a racialized social system created?

First, you can take a step back and think about how a social system is created. A social system can be complex in terms of the structures that exist within it (i.e. class, sex, gender equality, and race to name a few). Usually there are at least two groups or structures that exist within a social system that is formed through self-organization. Self-organzation involves components such as language, cooperation, social roles, learning, knowledge systems, communication, and sustenance.

A social system defines the social relations that exist as well as the social life that is guided by those social relations. The entire system functions on how the structure, the relations, and life of the people are carried out.

Thus, a social system consists of an integrated network of individuals which, as a system, is composed of psychologically, socially, and/or culturally defined relations. There are socially defined roles held by individuals.

Now, a racialized social system consists of a racial category being employed in the organization of social relations with a society. In the case of the planter class/the colonizer, race became an independent element of the social system at the time. After social formation is "racialized," its normal dynamics will always include a racial component. In this type of social system, there is usually a subordination of one race (or races) and a ...

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