Racism In Tuskegee

Racism and Research
Name
Institution Affiliation
Racism and Research
Section 1: Introduction
The Tuskegee case study was an experiment initiated to determine the natural course of untreated syphilis among the black males. It involved 400 syphilitic men and 200 uninfected individuals used as controlled trials. The victims were, however, denied access to treatment. For instance, when penicillin was made available in 1950, the drug was not provided to the victims yet this was a preferred treatment for syphilis. It was, therefore, termed as an infamous and unethical study due to disregard of social values and human rights. While ethical and racial issues dominated the study, underlying socialization reflected the primary behaviors taken by involved racial groups.
Section 2: Sociological Research and Ethics
Ethics is a moral term that governs a person's behavior (Paul & Brookes, 2015). The study was, however, unethical since it targeted the Negro male individuals, and this reflected on different aspects of the racial worldview. Besides, the study failed to establish informed consent with the students (Paul & Brookes, 2015). Considering the major social problems that then faced the African-Americans, most of them failed to afford adequate care for the conductions. Through the free medical care and insurance provided through the project, many students enrolled with the aim of accessing quality care. Medical injustices are often prevalent in multi-racial communities. For the case of Tuskegee College, the biased study of participant contributed to significant problems and increased prejudices among the White and the Black populations.
Section 3: Culture
Culture reflects the norms and values of a particular community. It is controlled through different groups and varies from one group to the other. For the case of the Tuskegee project, one culture influenced and dominated over the other. The dominant group in the university was the Negros whose beliefs originated from the African culture. However, the controlling group was the researchers from the American culture. Major ethnocentric beliefs that existed in the late 19th -20th century influenced the study's intentional targets (Paul & Brookes, 2015). There based on the fact that the Americans were more superior as compared to any other race in the US. Through cultural relativism, the dominant influence on minority groups despite the outlined social and civil rights that existed during the time (Brandt, 1978). A local nurse was hired with the intention of recruiting men and driving them to government doctors when they visited the clinics. In some occasions, the nurse followed the men to make sure that they did not receive the treatment.
Section 4: Socialization
Socialization enhances interaction among human beings. It is through socialization that a person is inducted into morals, norms, attitudes, values, and motives — socialization defined American culture during the 20th century (Brandt, 1978). The cultural changes that resulted from postmodernity raised different debates which blamed institutions of families for regressing the social norms. According to Brandt, (1978), learning institutions were the major socialization agencies used to influe...