racialism
racialism — noun
1. the system of laws, practices, and social structures that give people of one rac
the system of laws, practices, and social structures that give people of one race lasting advantages while treating people of other races unfairly — for example, housing policies that keep minority families out of wealthy neighbourhoods, or hiring rules that favour white applicants.
A report found that racialism in banking prevented most Indigenous applicants from getting loans.
uncountable noun: racialism + in [sector]
The town's housing policies showed clear racialism, keeping minority families out of the wealthiest neighbourhoods.
Apinya showed the board that decades of racialism left poorer classrooms with fewer books.
Samir lost his job after speaking about racialism in the company's promotion process.
Many historians trace the city's racialism back to the housing laws of the 1930s.
- institutional racism
more specific term used in academic and policy contexts for discrimination built into an organisation's rules and practices
- structural discrimination
broader term that can also cover discrimination based on gender, class, or other factors, not exclusively race
- systemic prejudice
focuses on the prejudice embedded in systems rather than the resulting unfair treatment
- racial equality
the condition in which people of all races have the same rights and opportunities
文法句型
racialism + in [sector/system]
racialism + against [group]
用法筆記
This sense focuses on structural and institutional practices rather than individual attitudes. Often appears with nouns such as 'system', 'policy', or 'law'.
常見錯誤
2. unfair treatment, insulting remarks, or hostile behaviour that come from believi
unfair treatment, insulting remarks, or hostile behaviour that come from believing one racial group is naturally above others — for instance, a manager who only promotes people of his own ethnicity, or a colleague who refuses to work with someone because of their accent.
Lucía was hurt by the racialism from a colleague who refused to work with her because of her accent.
verb collocation: face + racialism + from [person]
The manager showed racialism by only promoting staff of his own ethnic background.
Aylin decided to report the racialism she overheard in the staff room to human resources.
Jabari's teacher dismissed his questions about Black inventors, and Jabari knew it was racialism, not ignorance.
Felix told customers their comments about foreign students were racialism and asked them to leave.
- racial prejudice
very close in meaning, but 'prejudice' emphasises pre-formed negative opinions while 'racialism' can also cover behaviour based on those opinions
- bigotry
stronger and more emotional term; implies stubborn, irrational intolerance toward other groups
- open-mindedness
willingness to consider different perspectives and treat people as individuals rather than as representatives of a race
文法句型
racialism + from [person/group]
face + racialism
用法筆記
This sense focuses on individual words and actions rather than systems or abstract beliefs. Common in contexts of personal encounters, workplace behaviour, and everyday interactions.
常見錯誤
3. the ideology that a person's character, abilities, and moral worth are determine
the ideology that a person's character, abilities, and moral worth are determined by their race, and that some racial groups are naturally superior to others — a belief system that has historically been used to justify colonialism, slavery, and discrimination.
The professor's lectures promoted racialism, claiming intelligence could be measured by skin colour.
Nora was shocked to find her grandfather's books promoted a form of racialism already rejected by other countries.
a form of racialism — quantifier + headword
Racialism was used by colonial governments to justify taking land from native peoples.
The politician's speech was filled with racialism, arguing some ethnic groups should not vote.
Tamar wrote her university thesis on how racialism influenced the development of early psychology.
- scientific racism
a historical subset of racialism that claimed to use science — now discredited — to prove racial hierarchy
- racial ideology
less charged term; describes any organised set of beliefs about race, not necessarily asserting superiority
- racial egalitarianism
the belief that all racial groups are equal in worth and potential
文法句型
belief in + racialism
racialism + as [ideology]
用法筆記
This sense refers to the abstract belief system that can give rise to both systemic discrimination (sense 1) and personal prejudice (sense 2). It is more theoretical than the other senses and is commonly discussed in historical, political, or philosophical contexts.