Final answer:
People justify racial stratification through superiority complexes and systemic structures that perpetuate privilege and discrimination. Critical race theorists highlight that even neutral-designed systems can foster inequality. Actively dismantling these systems and engaging in combating systemic racism is necessary for social change.
Step-by-step explanation:
Some people justify racial stratification by perpetuating beliefs of superiority complexes, invoking history, maintaining status quos, and other covert mechanisms that contribute to the systemic nature of racism. The mechanisms might range from individuals exploiting their presumed superiority to the institutionalization of discriminatory practices. Anthropologists and social theorists have provided insights into how social inequalities, such as racism, classism, and sexism, are embedded in society's structures and perpetuated through various means.
Critical race theorists argue that many societal structures, such as education and employment systems, inadvertently perpetuate privilege and discrimination. Even well-intentioned individuals may contribute to systemic racism if they fail to actively combat it or if they benefit from the existing hierarchy in subconscious ways. For instance, standardized testing in education, initially designed to be neutral, could inadvertently favor certain demographics due to historical and ongoing societal disparities.
The legacy of past discriminatory practices continues to affect current social systems, and while overtly racist beliefs such as those that deemed certain races as sub-human have mostly been discarded, subtle forms of racism persist. This includes people who may not show overt racist behaviors but do little to challenge or change systemic racism.
Understanding that addressing racial stratification requires active engagement and systemic change is crucial. Acts of solidarity, education, and reforms in various societal sectors are necessary to dismantle entrenched racial hierarchies that disadvantage certain groups.