Critical race theory emerged from legal studies to examine the way the law is impacted by race. Critical race theory, developed from its founders’ standpoint. As students of color in law schools, serves to “[challenge] ways in. Which race and racial power are constructed and represented in American legal culture and. More generally, in American society as a whole” (Crenshaw et. al 1995).
In its essence, critical race theory views racism as a significant level of stratification in the United States. Where white privilege persists and where people of color are oppressed (Farley 2004). While racism’s previous role in society occurred through slavery. Segregation, exclusion, and assertions of white supremacy, it mainly takes the form of institutionalized racism today (Taylor 1998). It prevalence in society has made it resilient; when it declines in one place, it erupts in another (Farley 2004).
Critical race theory argues that racism is so deeply ingrained in the fabric of social structure. That it is largely invisible to the general population. These theorists oppose two general ideas -meritocracy and color-blindness – that work against. The goal of racial equality (Taylor 1998). The “myth of meritocracy” allows white individuals to have false faith in their neutrality. By justifying its oppression of minority groups. The idea of color-blindness, which ignores racial differences, denies the historic patterns where people of color have been the oppressed group and where white people have been the privileged group. These ideologies reinforce white privilege and obstruct racial minorities’ abilities to point out racism against them.
Borrowing from the methods of standpoint theory. Critical race theory embraces the experiences of racial minorities in order to obtain knowledge about social structures. Legal scholar Derrick Bell noted a major characteristic of critical race theory in its “frequent use of the first person, storytelling, narrative, allegory, interdisciplinary treatment of law, and the unapologetic use of creativity” (1995).
This methodology has disconcerted sociologists who support a more scientific approach. They assert that storytelling violates legitimacy of scholarship in two ways: “first, it substitutes passion for reason and emotion for logic; and second, in its celebration of partiality and “voice,’ it substitutes perspective for truth” (Hayman 1998). However, the collection of individual information gives a voice to people of color who have been suppressed by the overall narrative of the majority (Aguirre 2000).
Sociological analysis of institutionalize racism in society and the narratives of marginalized groups enable sociologists to obtain a more complete understanding of social truths. Critical race theory calls for a comprehensive understanding of racism in society in order to overcome racial barriers (Crenshaw 1988).
This overview of feminist theory, standpoint theory, and critical race theory has illustrated the importance of the minority role in overcoming oppression. Feminist theory examines facets of patriarchal society as the source of women’s oppression, though varying ideologies differ in their proposed solutions. Liberal feminists tend to encourage women to “work within” a patriarchal system. Radical feminists disagree, stating that women cannot “make it” nor can truly thrive within a patriarchal society. Instead, they argue that patriarchy must be over thrown in order to achieve women’s liberation.
Standpoint theory claimed that the vision of the privileged group formed society’s normal view. Thus, the viewpoint of society is biased, but since all members of society are forced into this social system, this vision cannot be denounced as false. Instead, sociologists are encouraged to examine the standpoint of the minority group as a method for obtaining knowledge of the social structure. Critical race theory shared a portion of standpoint theory’s methodology, as a means to overcome institutional racism. These theorists supported the acquisition of stories, narratives, and other works from people of color in order to access their standpoints and further the knowledge of social truths.
As forthcoming sociologists, we can utilize the feminist theory, standpoint theory, and critical race theory to shape our understanding of social structures and to analyze the ways that social privilege affects and oppresses minority groups. These supplementary perspectives can provide initial supplementary perspectives to a developing foundation of sociological theory.
