Based on my small sample of 'clients' worked with over the past few years I have become somewhat racist. I acknowledge this. In fact, as I am about to get a new one, I think I am just going to come out and say, give me a Maori person, please. Why?
Well. I have just come across the formalised answer. It comes from a paper commissioned by the Ministry of Social Development. The research was based on the Q methodology. The sample wasn't large (20) but it is larger than mine. It assesses people's attitudes towards being on welfare.
The hypothesis here is that there exists a significant difference in the responses of Māori and NZ Europeans to the benefit system. In general, Māori have a more accepting and positive response than NZ Europeans, the latter having a more strongly developed sense of being “owed” by society.
This is good and this is bad. While Maori have a better attitude towards being on a benefit it quite probably (partly) explains why there are too many of them there!
Back to my own experience, it is difficult to motivate people who think they are "owed" whereas people who have retained a sense of humour and optimism are far more receptive and will give and take of themselves.
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3 comments:
I was on a benefit for a while - only because I was desperate - and I found it depressing and humiliating. It’s something I ever want to do again.
Linda
Sorry, that should read 'never' want to do again.
L
Your title "Why I am racist" puzzles me. I believe you are responding to a person's culture (their sum total of beliefs and values) rather than their race.
However in todays politically correct society any criticsm of the culture of a person of different colour is deemed racist.
I describe myself as culturist rather than racist.
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