Michael Omi And Howard Winant Define And Break Down The...

In the world of sociology, the theory of racialization is a widely known and occasionally frustrating topic. However, two sociologists have successfully been able to define and break down the essential information behind this theory. Within their own writing, Michael Omi and Howard Winant (1986) define racial formation as,† the process by which social, economic, and political forces determine the content and importance of racial categories† (Omi and Winant 16). In essence, this theory frames the very meaning of â€Å"race† itself. The stereotypes of race are rooted deep within the contexts of history, allowing these concepts to be subject to gradual change over time. In addition to the original standards of racial formations, there have been other writings that parallel very closely to the ideas set forth by Omi and Winant. Richard Wright, Pem D. Buck, and Karen Brodkin are three notable authors that have excellently highlighted the concepts set forth by Omi and Wi nant. Beginning with the findings from Buck’s Constructing Race, Creating White Privilege, there are multiple, brilliant examples of racial mixing and establishing â€Å"whiteness,† both being main points discussed in Omi and Winant’s racialization theory. Buck establishes that ideas about race weren’t truly established until the late 1700s, and how physical differences were seldom ever noticed beforehand. This is illustrated with stories of different individuals living together with little conflict. Buck uses the