This essay will attempt to explore the processes of prejudice, stereotyping and systemic discrimination with reference to the category of racism in a 21st century Western context. It will be argued that as the traditional, obvious manifestations of racism and racial prejudice have fallen into disrepute, racism has been revised in more subtle incarnations. Conflict theory will be used to explore racism from a sociological perspective because, as will be seen, its emphasis on systemic discrimination and power relations - with a particular focus on economic exploitation - allows us to analyze how racism converges with other forms of discrimination, such as that based on class, in a modern context. While the author acknowledges that some would disagree, this paper will argue that we cannot discuss racism in the 21st century without understanding how this "new racism" functions in a veiled fashion under the cloak of more "reputable" social phenomena such as nationalism and patriotism. 12 pgs. 4 sources.
