Race and gender as structuring factors of election: a typically American reality?

Résumé du document

Does racism still prevail in the US? The last election in the United States was a forceful reminder that race and gender have always played a role in the American elections and, more generally, in the American society. It is only in 1920 that American women were allowed to vote and much later in 1964 that Blacks were treated as citizens with rights akin to his Anglo Saxon counterparts. On the other hand, a lot of examples around the world show that misogyny and racism are not exclusive to America.

Let us retrace American history. The Civil War(1861-1865) resulted in the abolition of slavery. However, African Americans continued to languish as second class citizens until the Civil Right Act in 1964. In fact, since the creation of the modern America, the (male) white Anglo-Saxon Protestants have monopolized all branches of society. For instance, they wield substantial political clout and are very active in the Ivy League universities.

Extraits

[...] Race and gender as structuring factors of election: a typically American reality? The last election in the United States remembered us that race and gender have always played a role in the American election and, more generaly, in the American society. Indeed, it is only in 1920 that the women were allowed to vote and in 1964 that blacks became equal citizens. On the other hand, a lot of examples around the world show likewise that misogyny and racism are not exclusive to America. [...]

[...] Nevertheless, we couldn't say that these discriminations are specificially american. For instance, the french women's suffrage was put in place 24 years later than the American's. And racism exists just as much in Japon (where you could hardly success in life if your blood isn't Japanese) as in the United States. Moreover, the 2008 United States presidential election was a post-racial and a post-feminist election. People could have elected a woman or a black. Ultimately, the Bradley effect didn't happen and the great majority of Americans hadn't care about the Hilary Clinton's gender. [...]