Sociopsychological and cultural factors in race relations.

The theory of race relations is in confusion because of the failure to distinguish the sociopsychological which is universal from the cultural which varies. It is a universal human fact that people tend to consider as different those who look different; the differences are evaluated in cultural terms. Thus segregation is rooted in sociosensory perception, not in a social system, cultural pattern, or prejudice. Members of cultural and racial minorities must realize and accept the fact that in certain significant aspects of their personalities they actually are different. Otherwise they are likely to misinterpret as a plot what is actually only a natural majority reaction to personal differences.