Definition

1. Noun:
   • Racism; racial prejudice or discrimination: The belief that some races are inherently superior or inferior to others, often leading to discriminatory or abusive behavior towards members of another race.
   • A policy, system, or ideology based on such beliefs: The practice or advocacy of racial discrimination, segregation, or antagonism.

Usage

• Racialism is a formal and often academic term synonymous with "racism." It describes both the ideology of racial superiority/inferiority and the resulting discriminatory practices. It is typically used in sociological, historical, or political contexts to discuss systemic issues.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The country's history is marred by a legacy of racialism and segregation.
  • His writings were a critique of the scientific racialism prevalent in the 19th century.
  • Laws were enacted to combat racialism in employment and housing.

Advanced Usage

• "Scientific racialism": The now-discredited use of pseudoscientific theories to justify racial hierarchies.

  • The exhibit detailed the history of scientific racialism and its devastating social impacts.

• "Institutional racialism": Racial discrimination that is embedded in the laws, policies, and practices of institutions.

  • The report focused on dismantling institutional racialism within the criminal justice system.

Variants and Related Words

• Racism (n): The more common synonym for racialism, encompassing prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race.
• Racialist (n/adj): (Noun) A person who advocates or practices racialism. (Adjective) Relating to or characterized by racialism.
  • He was denounced as a racialist. (n)
  • The group promoted racialist ideologies. (adj)

Synonyms

• Racism: Racial prejudice or discrimination.
• Xenophobia: Dislike of or prejudice against people from other countries (can overlap with racialism).
• Bigotry: Obstinate or intolerant devotion to one's own opinions and prejudices, especially regarding race.
• Discrimination: The unjust treatment of different categories of people, especially on grounds of race.

Antonyms

• Egalitarianism: The doctrine that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities.
• Tolerance: The ability or willingness to tolerate the existence of opinions or behavior one dislikes.
• Integration: The process of bringing people of different races into equal participation in a society.

Related Phrases and Concepts

• "Systemic racialism": Refers to racialism that is built into social, political, and economic systems.

  • Activists called for reforms to address systemic racialism.

• "To perpetuate racialism": To cause racialist ideas or systems to continue.

  • The media was accused of perpetuating racialism through biased reporting.

Noun

1. discriminatory or abusive behavior towards members of another race