Nicholas Kristof
Nicholas Kristof is an American op-ed columnist for the New York Times whose columns consist of his opinions on topics ranging from human and women’s rights, to health and nutrition, to global affairs. Not surprisingly he has a belief on the topics that he writes about, but with all of the facts and statistics that he enters in his columns, it is very hard to feel as though he is being biased. However, he does include the things that back up a point he is trying to get across. He chooses quotes and writings from people that believe what he wants to prove/inform the public of.
In May of 2015, he wrote one column about racial equality, and how thoughts regarding other races that human brains have could have been evolved. Kristof believes that from birth, humans of different races have different opinions on other races. It is not something that is learned, but something that is intrinsic. Mahzarin Banaji, a psychology professor from Harvard was quoted throughout the entire column. Kristof tends to use one person throughout his column and follow up with his/her studies or beliefs. Banaji has done different tests of unconscious biases, one of which being on four year olds in different parts of the world. During one study he showed different races, pictures of different skin colors/faces and asked which race which picture they prefered. The result was that white infants prefered white faces and black infants living in Africa prefered black faces. The people working on this study concluded that whichever race the infant is around the most and sees the most, becomes the familiar one. In earlier times, for example if a tribe member prefered another tribe besides their own, punishments as harsh as death would occur, so no one ventured outside of the familiarity of their tribe. So people today, instinctively just chose the race that they are accustomed to. That’s why black infants in Africa chose the black skin tone. They do not hate nor treat the other race differently but they just prefer the race they are used to. This column was not about racism or racial inequality, but the different opinions that each race thinks of the other. We’re all human, we all know that we have our beliefs and opinions on the matter. So what do you personally think? Do you believe that thoughts regarding other races are developed through society’s influences or are these thoughts something that you are born with?
While there may be no real way to figure out if these thoughts regarding other races are developed through society’s influences or if they are instinctive, everyone will have their own opinions. I believe these thoughts or ideas are most definitely developed through society’s influences. If a young black infant is living with a white family and is told to choose between someone who is black or someone who is white I strongly believe the baby will choose the white person. The infant has grown up with this white family and it is all that he/she knows. Babies do not warm up well to strangers, they will go to the person they feel most comfortable with, and that person will most likely be someone that looks like their mom or dad. Even though the baby is black, it doesn’t necessarily mean he/she will pick the black person, it is whoever they feel the strongest connection with.
I believe thoughts regarding other races are developed through society’s influences. Kristoff appears to know what he is talking about by researching and explaining the results of Banaji. By providing evidence Kristoff gets his readers to really think about the topic and keep their attention while they think about their opinions. I believe that opinions regarding different races come from society because of the study Banaji provided. It was clear that the race you spent more time with you appreciated more and were more familiar to that race. There is nothing wrong with thinking that but I do not believe you can be born with these thoughts.
This is a very tough topic to have an answer for. Scientifically I do see the point he is trying to make, but it does lean back towards society’s influence on us. If a child grew up around whites and blacks is it fair to say the child would like both races then? Anyone will enjoy something more familiar than not, but the actual familiarity is created from society. It is your parents choice to isolate you from whites or blacks or any nationality. Parents are a formation of society. Everything does lead back to society in any way you look at it. Somehow society feeds in to the race issue and leans you towards which race will be familiar to you molding your mind into what it will be. You are born like a ball of clay waited to be molded into whatever the sources around you choose, therefore the way you think will always be society’s fault and not a scientific way of thought when it comes to your opinions. Opinions are created along the way you aren’t born with opinions.
I think that racial preference is something that comes through societies influence. Although children may become accustomed to seeing a certain skin tone at a young age, they are still accepting of all people and will welcome any other children to play with them, regardless of skin color. As we get older, society corrupts us and puts unrealistic ideas in our heads, such as the idea that black people are more likely to commit crimes than white people. Statements like these aren’t true and cannot be traced back to skin color. Racial remarks are made through media and teenagers are vulnerable enough to believe anything they hear. I think that the only way certain thoughts regarding other races can be put in your head is if family or other members of society put the ideas in your head and make you feel the same way they do. Unlike what Kristof says, I don’t think that you are born liking/disliking another race nor do you have a particular preference or opinion on other races at birth.
I believe that no matter what people will always have an opinion, just just for this topic either, every topic theres always an opinion. With that said of coarse people would choose the color thebare most COMFORTABLE with. Its not that they have opinions about the other races it is just the simple matter that they are not used to it. If you hurt yourself as a child you wpuld most likely go to your mom rather then your friends mom? Because you see your mom more, your more comfortable with her. Weather or not it is insticnctive or not people will always have an opinion weather it is good or bad… Sadly some people still have some bad looks on the other races.
I feel that beliefs regarding other races are developed through society’s influences and not something we’re born with. I feel that the study Kristoff cites is redundant, people are naturally more inclined to stick with something they like, we see it all the time in our daily life and we don’t even realize it. When we go out to eat we often order something we’ve had before because we know we’ll like it because we’re used to it. Our thoughts on race are something we are taught, we hear these thoughts on television and from people we meet and as kids it sticks in our minds, no one is born racist.
I personally think it is an equal mix of both. If I was born on an isolated island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean the only white people populated this land, I think it would be fair to say that seeing a black human for the first time in my life would feel alien. Evidently I would have to say I would feel more comfortable around people of my race, white in this case. It is when society influences me and lets me form an opinion (either based off of the knowledge I am told or learn for myself) that I would say is when my thoughts regarding other races’s will come into play. So I think it is a fair mix.
I believe that from birth you become accustomed to certain things, skin color being one of them. If your parents are white then as a young child you are more accustomed to people with the same skin color. It becomes familiar to you. So yes I think Nicholas Kristof is right by saying that naturally a young child will prefer the familiar skin color over the non familiar one. However I do not believe humans evolved to be this way like Kristof tries to show. I believe no matter what somebody who has not seen much of this world will choose what they’re used to every time. When it comes to judgmental or racial thoughts over skin color I believe that is something that is influenced by todays society, not something we are born with.
I don’t agree that people have those thoughts from birth. I believe those thoughts are developed by learning from their surroundings. For example, if there’s a racist family, and they are openly racist around the child, the child will then feel the same. Brains learn and develop by observing.