Social and Economic Impacts of Racism

This chapter examines the social and economic effects of racism by synthesising empirical findings from cross-disciplinary research on the impact of racism. While Chapter 4 focuses on economic causes of racism based on theoretical synthesis, this chapter focuses on its impact in society. Drawing on current national and local empirical research, it discusses how racism across wide-ranging settings affects minority groups as well as the wider Australian society. It shows how racism results in avoidable inequalities that affect minority racial groups disproportionately. A wide body of research across disciplines and geographic jurisdictions has documented such inequalities with multiple factors exacerbating the problem. Research has widely shown that exposure to racism is a stressor for racial minorities. Experiences of racism have strong associations with mental and physical health, labour market and educational outcomes, socioeconomic status and economic inequalities. Exposure to racism, in combination with other adverse factors including poverty, joblessness and unstable residential accommodation, can also increase the likelihood of committing violent crimes. The chapter reviews some of these associations in the Australian context, focusing on the experiences of ethnic minorities including migrants from non-Anglo-Celtic backgrounds and the Indigenous population. The empirical findings reviewed in the chapter corroborate the arguments advanced in relation to the structural processes that constitute institutional racism detailed in the book. Finally, the chapter contextualises and compares the findings with international research evidence.