"Merit": Word Hijacks the Conversation around Racial Disparities

Welcome to the second installment of our new video series, WORD!, in which we take a look at the language that controls the discourse around race. Todays WORD! is:

"Merit"

In a meritocracy, perfection is realized. It has to be. Right? Every day we run into those undeniable virtuous people (our family, our friends, ourselves) who never needed a helping hand and purely through hard work and high moral character have earned their high social status. So those who dont excel in life (incidentally often people of color and the poor) get what they deserve. Or do they?

For extra credit, check out the Newsweek article "The President's Whiz Kids," about the limitations of meritocracy in action. http://www.newsweek.com/id/199166

about the WORD! series:
Words. You cant escape them. They headline the evening news, buzz around the water cooler and blow up your cell. They invoke powerful images that convey values, beliefs and an understanding of how the world works. And when repeated, words shape how problems are defined and which solutions are pursued. Words. They whitewash. They blindside. They leave you seeing red. In this series, Tammy Johnson of ColorLines Magazine looks at what we talk about when we talk about race.

As posted to RaceWire: http://www.racewire.org

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• arc
• colorlines
• tammy
• johnson
• racewire
• word
• merit
• meritocracy
• bush
• obama
• sotomayor
• disparities
• race
• racial
• justice

[jacobi2393]

You said it yourself, the problem is the crappy conditions people live in in the ghetto and similar places. All those people need is access to equal education and thats the ticket out.... after they work hard. The system isnt racist or necessarily made of racist people. Even the poor conditions in the ghetto arent "racist" they just suck and are the leftovers of crap from a long time ago

[ITHEREONETHATHASNT]

Love how she avoids mentioning affirmative action. Those who make the rules in the public sector are BLACK. There is no meritocracy we live in a country ruled by special interests and a big one is african american! How can she afford to make these videos I am willing to bet she has a public sector job or is on welfare or even more likely is an affirmative action hire! Or what we call dead weight in the corporate world, not all blacks a affirmative action hires but some are!

[mikem1234]

This is true for any kind of achievement in liberal democratic societies. Shouldn't this also mention gender and class issues too?

[MultiSmartass1]

First of all, America has never really been a meritocracy for most of its history.

It hasn't been until the post-world war 2 era that a anything resembling meritocracy has occured thanks to increased access to higher education, a robust economy, a rising middle class and wider employment opportunities.

Secondly, most people really don't believe in Meritocracy because it is founded on ability, intelligence and talent not mere hard work and muscle.

Besides, merit is valid and logical.

[Technate1]

Ah I understand, in that case I fully agree.

[boringstoreez]

At that point in the video, she's talking about "meritocracy" in the flawed execution that we all live with, pointing out how it differs from the theoretical ideal, and the problems that arise in an unquestioned system. The video's not arguing against meritocracy; it's questioning who benefits from wrongly referring to a rigged system as a meritocracy, and it does that by dissonantly pairing the word with the actual outcomes of the real system. I guess she could have used air quotes.

[Technate1]

But she said that Meritocracy is a "system which ignores racism", 'Meritocracy = The Lazy Poor' "It's a system that scapegoats people and uses that scapegoat to perpetuate racist laws" 'Meritocracy = Lifetime Assistance limits' "the theory behind meritocracy is if you play by the rules you get the reward"

None of that is Meritocracy. The real Theory behind Meritocracy is a system in which people are rewarded for character, skill, and ability rather than race, gender, or sexual orientation.

[boringstoreez]

You and the video are saying the same thing -- "People really want to believe that we live in a meritocracy," even though we don't, because it's easier to pick and choose facts (praise Obama, ignore Bush II) than it is to address the systemic problems that keep us unequal.

Watch it again. You're not disagreeing.

[Technate1]

No the Theory behind meritocracy is that a man or woman should be be judged by his or her character and ability.

[Technate1]

Meritocracy is great, but we don't live in a meritocracy. The problems you listed are NOT problems with Meritocracy.