Essay - According to Robert Miles, the Construction and Subsequent Discourse of...

According to Robert Miles, the construction and subsequent discourse of "race" is a complex, dynamic sociological phenomenon. Representations of the Other as d*****tinct from the Self do serve specific psychological, political, and economic purposes. For instance, the notion of the Other creates groups of inclusion and exclusion, and influences self-perception. Moreover, construing the Other in a pejorative manner bolsters images ***** the ***** and offers a sense of person*****l and cultural superiority. Therefore, representations ***** ***** ***** are often linked intimately to class, although class is not the only determining fac*****r of racial representation. One of ***** key threads running through ********** chapter on ***** is that the discourse ***** race has been largely used to "exclude and inferiorize," (51). Referring to early documentations of encounters with the O*****r, the author states on page 33: "A negative representation of the Other therefore defined ***** legitimated the 'positive' qualities of author and reader." However, the concept of ***** Other ***** not been limited to historical instances of colonization. The Jews in Europe are an example ***** an ***** that is ***** exclusively l*****ked to European colonization because the ***** Jews were not separated geographically ***** the Christian European world.

Fundamentally, ***** formulates a "strategy for interaction and reaction," ***** is a "dialectic of Self and Other," (22). Creating contrasting characteristics to distinguish Self from Other is a self-serving, logic*****l process ***** insures ***** enables political and economic domination as well ***** supporting moral and spiritual *****. ********** the European world became increasingly geographically aware and due ***** increasing support ***** exp*****ing world trade, it became necessary to formulate ***** ***** the O*****r. ********** representations were reliably skewed in favor of the Europeans, ***** many times representations were 'positive' in nature, as with ***** concept of the "noble savage." With hierarchy ***** class deeply rooted in the European consciousness, it was only a logical and small socio***** leap ***** ascribe hierarchy to the peoples encountered during ***** expansions. Many representations of the Other ***** religiously construed; others focused on physical (somatic) features, or cultural practices.

***** changed over time to ***** the developing interests of the in-group. For *****, as religious ideology became subordinate ***** scientific ideology, ***** of the Other changed. Where***** once Jews were perceived solely in terms of their theological inferior*****y, secular anti-Semitism replaced earlier anti-Judaism (30). Representations serve the needs of the politically and *****ally dominant group because they justify actions such as slavery, military aggression, oppression, ***** usurpation of land and power. ***** Europe, "representations ***** hierarchically ordered around the view that *****s were superior by virtue ***** ***** 'civilization' and achievements...the condition of the O*****r was represented as proof of that interpretation," (35). This ***** especially true in terms ***** the ********** between white-skinned Europeans ***** dark-skinned Africans. Skin color became one of the most convenient ways of representing ***** other and creating inferior social groups. So, too w***** religion, as Islam ***** Judaism are similar employed as symbols ***** *****ity.

***** impact of representation on