Doctors For Equal
Rights For Physical And Mental Pain
8409 Carlynn Dr.
Bethesda, MD
20817 alensalerian@gmail.com
dralensalerian.blogspot.com
Founding members Siobhan Reynolds Kevin Byers Vanessa Mullin Alen J Salerian
Founding members Siobhan Reynolds Kevin Byers Vanessa Mullin Alen J Salerian
Psychobiology Of Racist Responses : Lessons From Chelsea Fans
science says racism is in our DNA but pfx may mature with education
Alen J Salerian MD
February 23, 2015
The abuse of a black football fan a by a bunch of hooligans in a Paris subway was a blemish for Chelsea fans. It is also an opportunity to study the psychobiology of our racial responses.
The abuse of a black football fan a by a bunch of hooligans in a Paris subway was a blemish for Chelsea fans. It is also an opportunity to study the psychobiology of our racial responses.
What many of us
may not appreciate about racism is its connection to our DNA.
As we living things have evolved we have developed more complex and more intelligent brains. Human brain has all the signature trait of evolution . Its architecture mimics
the evolutionary tree with the vestiges of
our mammalian ancestors well represented in the limbic brain . Our fight -flight
responses are regulated by hippocampus hypothalamus and amygdala. They
remain active in our brain under the governing influence of the prefrontal cortex brain, the brain region right beneath forehead.
In the jungle it's
natural to fight or flee living things that are of different color, shape ,smell
, motion. Animal brain reacts quickly. It's either positive or negative response.
That's why it is natural for us to be more easily unnerved by a stranger
who is different than us. Am I a racist just becauset my chest tightens up for a nano second when I walk by an
African-American at night.? I once felt ashamed of myself and proud that I did not yield to my DNA by crossing the street to avoid a black man.
It is important
to distinguish an instinctual response
from mean or consistently avoidant actions. What happened in Paris was mean.It was much more than instinctual. It was a brainchild of a bunch of ignorant prefrontal cortex'. The ugly acts revealed fingerprints of uneducated prefrontal cortex function .
Almost always instinctual responses are signs of life They are our DNA , they are our roots. No reason for shame. No logic to deny their existence. The Paris subway acts were shameful for all of us. It meant we failed to educate some ignorant PFX' cortex.
Almost always instinctual responses are signs of life They are our DNA , they are our roots. No reason for shame. No logic to deny their existence. The Paris subway acts were shameful for all of us. It meant we failed to educate some ignorant PFX' cortex.
No comments:
Post a Comment