QUESTIONS ON THE ON-LINE Excerpts from Racism: A Short History

If you have trouble writing a response using your own words, you may not yet understand the author's arguments. Reread the passage until you do understand it and so can answer in your own language.

1) Using your own words (and only your own words), carefully describe what the author thinks distinguishes racism from "mere hatred for a group" (aka, xenophobia)? Read closely as Fredrickson's thoughtful definitions of racism and xenophobia differ from the sometimes sloppy use of those terms common in popular discussion. In short, don't assume you know the answer without reading carefully. Moreover, don't decide you know the answer until you read up to the line in the text that reads "chapter 1." Finally, pay close attention to the reading hints I've embedded into the text; think hard about this question as it represents a quarter of your grade for this homework and is essential for your upcoming paper. (25 points)

2) Identify three pieces of historical fact that the author provides to support his argument that European anti-black racism did NOT precede the start of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade?

(that is, what evidence does the author have that European societies exhibited little anti-black racism from ancient times all the way up through the 15th century? in other words, chronologically the enslaving of Africans by Europeans comes before racism against Africans by Europeans.) (5 points)

NOTE: Only one of your pieces of evidence for Question #2 can come from Ancient Greece and Rome. Be sure that you chose 3 historical events -- rather than the author's wrap-up or summary of events. So, for example, Fredrickson's sentence regarding negrophilia would NOT be appropriate as one of your 3 pieces of historical fact since he is merely summarizing another historian's conclusions in that sentence, rather than providing a specific event. Use your own words.

3) Take ONE piece of historical fact from question 2 and use it to write a paragraph that both answers question 2 and follows the claim/evidence/warrant format. Present your evidence in the form of direct quotations of no more than 10 words. If you don't know how to reduce a quotation to fewer than 10 words, see here. (15 points)

Here is a sample way to organize this paragraph -- although you can organize your paragraph as you wish. Remember, your warrant explains how and why your evidence supports your claim. Europeans exhibited little anti-black racism from ancient times all the way up through the 15th century. For example,____evidence____. We can know from this evidence that Europeans did not demonstrate anti-black racism in this period because __warrant_____.

4) According to the author, which non-European societies adopted anti-black racism long before such views became prevalent in Europe? (a phrase will do here) (5 points)

5) As the author notes, in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, European attitudes towards Jews became more hostile. Yet why, according to the author's definition of racism, did this new violence and hated towards Jews in this period NOT amount to racism and instead represents xenophobia? Use your own words. Read closely as Fredrickson's thoughtful definitions of racism and xenophobia differ from the sometimes sloppy use of those terms. In short, don't assume you know the answer without reading closely and thinking carefully. (10 points)

6) What ultimately changed in Sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Spain such that the actions and attitudes of the country's Christian majority towards its Jewish minority population should be considered racist (as the author defines that term)? In other words, what events or circumstances lead Spanish Christians to adopt attitudes and practices towards Jews that are best described as racist (rather than merely xenophobic, as they had been in the 12th and 13th centuries)? Use your own words. (10 points)

7) complete the following time line using information from the on-line excerpts from Racism: A Short History. Be sure to fill out BOTH columns of the chart; in the the last row, you will need to fill in the date that goes with the event (in italics) already in the chart. Keep in mind Fredrickson's central argument about the timing of racism's emergence when filling in the chart. (5 points)

You may want to keep a copy of your answers to this chart for when writing your upcoming paper. (DOWNLOAD THIS TABLE AS AN MS-WORD DOCUMENT)

date	what event occurred in Christian/Jewish relations in Europe (or Spain)	What does the event reveal: (A) racism or (B) xenophobia
1096
1391
1412
	sheer numbers of converts made traditional forms of assimilation more difficult

(DOWNLOAD THIS TABLE AS AN MS-WORD DOCUMENT)

 

Shiloah Questions

1) When exactly are the Moroccan Baqqashot performed? And what makes them different from Shirat Ala? (Hint: Instrumentation, lyric themes, performance context).


2) How is Najjara's purpose for writing Hebrew songs similar to that of the Moroccan baqqashot?