Racism based on power structures is not aggregate interpersonal antipathy

Evidence

But then Freud adds a rider: in moving from “minor differences” to major ones - let us say in moving from ethnocentrism to racism - we are, according to this argument, simply seeing the same principle “writ large.” This is the fatal leap in the argument which many Freudians have been only too keen to take (Kovel, 1988). Major differences, that is, differences that are based on structures of power and domination, are not simply interpersonal or intergroup differences aggregated. That is the prime fallacy of methodological individualism. An explanation that might plausibly apply to relations of sibling rivalry, or the territorial rivalry between two neighboring gangs, and which might also apply to rivalries between socialist or Christian sects, or between different groups of black immigrants, does not translate into a model for understanding imperial rivalries, genocidal attacks, or systematic racial discrimination. — David Theo Goldberg, John Solomos, A Companion to Racial and Ethnic Studies, 1387 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

I use racism, rather than racists as actors, because it is well-understood that racism as part of the structure of politics and law may continue to have effects and maintain the racial status quo even with seemingly neutral or sympathetic human actors. — Cyra Akila Choudhury, Racecraft and Identity in the Emergence…, 42 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Finally, we again find a slight improvement in fit by splitting symbolic racism into its individual and structural variants. Although the SR Theory model provides an acceptable fit to the data, the fit indices for the models that distinguish those variants are all somewhat better. However, the two variants of symbolic racism are highly correlated (f = . and .74). This again suggests that these items are tapping the same underlying attitudinal structure and can be treated as slightly different variants of the same belief system. — Christopher Tarman and David O. Sears, The Conceptualization and Measurement…, 191 (#complicates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Racism is a societal system of ethnic and racial domination, not merely ideology — David Theo Goldberg, John Solomos, A Companion to Racial and Ethnic Studies, 1051; Racism operates at a structural level irreducible to interpersonal group rivalry — David Theo Goldberg, John Solomos, A Companion to Racial and Ethnic Studies, 1388; Psychoanalytic racism theory should target institutional practice, not treat racist individuals — David Theo Goldberg, John Solomos, A Companion to Racial and Ethnic Studies, 1407 (+18 more)

Broader Connections

• Racism cannot be reduced to a scaled-up version of interpersonal prejudice #corroborates (0.95) — David Theo Goldberg, John Solomos, A Companion to Racial and Ethnic Studies, 1387
• Structural racism operates beyond individual intentions and prejudice #corroborates (0.93) — Cyra Akila Choudhury, Racecraft and Identity in the Emergence…, 42
• Individual and structural symbolic racism share a single underlying attitudinal structure #complicates (0.75) — Christopher Tarman and David O. Sears, The Conceptualization and Measurement…, 191