<p>Would you consider a group like this racist? If so, why? </p>
<p>This group doesn't exist by the way, not to my knowledge</p>
<p>Keep in mind there are groups like Asians in Engineering and the Sciences and a Women in Psychology Society.</p>
<p>Theoretically, no. However, any white person who would be interested in joining is very likely to be racist, if what you see in “white pride” groups is any indication.</p>
<p>So are the black members of the Society of Black Engineers racist?</p>
<p>For most of of US history most professional organizations were composed of, and limited to, white men. Thus there was no need for a “Soceity of WHITE engineers.” White men were the only ones allowed into engineering schools and who got engineering jobs and everyone knew that. So the title would have been redundant. Same is true for other professional organizations. </p>
<p>That all changed with the Civil Rights Movement, affirmative action initiatives, and the social unrest that began in the '60s. Women became engineers, black people worked on Wall Street, Latinos became journalists, etc etc. The old organizations of mainly white men did not speak to the needs and concerns of those ‘others’ that had been shut out. They either did not want to deal with these ‘newcomers’ or did not know how. So the newcomers set up professional groups that would. Hence, women in psychology, asians in engineering, etc etc. It was not and is not racism that prompted that. It was mutual self-support.</p>
<p>i figure one response to this is “well they could have Irish Engineers or Scottish Engineers”</p>
<p>to which I counter: “they could have Ethiopian Engineers and Korean Engineers”</p>
<p>I don’t think you’re racist, but I do think you’re either ignorant of problems others face, or have trouble recognizing your own advantages.</p>
<p>^^^I agree that those societies were not prompted by racism of the members</p>
<p>but why would a society of white engineers be considered racist?</p>
<p>In any situation, there’s a big difference between <em>minority pride</em> and <em>majority pride</em>. </p>
<p>People tend to identify themselves by what makes them different, so when people group together by what makes them <em>normal</em> it tends to imply a certain hostility to those who <em>aren’t</em>.</p>
<p>^Well aren’t women the majority in psychology?</p>
<p>^^And that suggests that white people are the majority in a certain field and/or location. I can tell you that where my white mother grew up, she was most certainly not in the majority. She went to the only public school in her town and it was 98% black.</p>
<p>Honestly, I don’t understand why these groups exist. I have never understood why exclusive clubs have existed. But I think that’s just a product of the environment that I grew up in. I didn’t grow up in 50’s South Carolina where racism was heavily present.</p>
<p>I think one of the things I like about USC is the fact that they had a Minority Student Welcome Event at the beginning of the year during Welcome Week, but everyone was invited, not just ‘minority’ students. Inclusion, in my opinion, should be a group’s goal if they want to be a support group.</p>
<p>Most of those clubs welcome any ethnicity.</p>
<p>I know. So if I made a Society of White Engineers and allowed any race to join, why would people still see the group as racist?</p>
<p>Also, as I am applying for a bunch of co-ops, I can’t help but think I am hurting myself when I get to the Gender/Race/Ethnicity/Veteran section (Vet status aside).</p>
<p>
So far no one has said it would be racist, so…</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Why do you want to?</p>
<p>^^ right here</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>^I don’t. I’m just trying to figure out society of white engineers would be looked upon badly vs. asians in science and engineering or women in pyschology</p>
<p>You could apply this situation to anything…</p>
<p>i.e. black fraternities, asian women poetry groups, latin american architects society.</p>
<p>This question has been answered so many times before.</p>
<p>
It’s pretty much summed up right here. /Thread.</p>
<p>Well aren’t women the majority in psychology? </p>
<p>And Asians are close to the majority at some schools in science and engineering</p>
<p>^
But this certainly didn’t use to be the case.</p>
<p>For psychology,there could be such groups for men interested in giving talk therapy <a href=“Need Therapy? A Good Man Is Hard to Find - The New York Times”>Need Therapy? A Good Man Is Hard to Find - The New York Times;
<p>For science and engineering, while asians may be over-represented, they are still not the majority.</p>
<p>So… these societies are ok as long as they focus on a group that isn’t the majority.</p>
<p>… unless the society was created at a time when the group wasn’t a majority and now they are. That is ok too. </p>
<p>And even if a group still is a very large portion of something, as long as they aren’t the biggest, then their society is ok.</p>