RETRACTED: 'Beyond the Floyd Narrative': Reviewing racism through the lens of social psychiatry.

Abstract

The recent and unfortunate death of George Floyd in the United States (U.S.) has sparked the age-old debate and discourse on racism. The discrimination, stereotyping and othering based on skin color, ethnicity, caste, etc. have given rise to the 'social evil' of racism throughout the evolution of humankind. Irrespective of the numerous legal petitions, organizational and personal protests, media uproar and globalization, racism has continued to perpetuate in various communities across the world, amplifying the 'we versus they' dichotomy. The racist 'identity', the racist 'constructs', within group favoritism, stigma based on physical attributes, self-stigma and administrative apathy help in maintaining the vicious cycle of racist discrimination. The implications are immense and can be transgenerational, in socioeconomic, biological and psychological dimensions. Public awareness about the presence and effects of racism are still overshadowed by myths and misinformation. Several questions have been theorized in available literature, namely what leads to the perpetuation of racism and how does it affect generations altogether, in spite of the constant proponents of collectivism and humanity that try to fight it. This article attempts to answer some of these questions, by comprehensively evaluating racism from varied angles. It reviews theories in the genesis of racism, its biopsychosocial offshoots, the global problem statement and finally proposes 'minority stress' as a probable common pathway in mediating the vicious effects of discrimination based on race. The multi-pronged strategies possible to mitigate these effects are subsequently discussed.