I dug up an old ass article and actually did a presentation on it. But i never got any views, as well as opinions, fom blacks.
heres the article.
STREET WISE
Because public interactions generally matter for only a few crucial seconds, people are conditioned to rapid scrutiny of the looks, speech, public behavior, gender, and color of those sharing the environment...The central strategy in maintaining safety on the streets is to avoid strange black males.
Many blacks perceive whites as tense or hostile to them in public. They pay attention to the amount of eye contact given. In general, black males get far less tine in this regard than do white males. Whites tend not to "hold" the eyes of a black person. It is more common for black and white strangers to meet each others eyes for only a few seconds, and then to avert their gaze abruptly. such behavior seems to say "I am aware of your presense," and no more. This eye work is a way to maintain distance, mainly for safety and social purposes. Consistnet with this, some blacks are very surprised to find a white person who holds their eyes longer than is normal according to the rules of a public sphere.
Many people, particuarly those who see themselves as more economically privileged than others in the community, are careful not to let their eyes stray, in order to avoid an uncomfortable situation. As they walk down the street they pretend not to see other pedestrians, a behavior many blacks find offensive.
My question is, in the second paragraph, do you get offended when a white man walks by you and doesn''t make any eye contact???
heres the article.
STREET WISE
Because public interactions generally matter for only a few crucial seconds, people are conditioned to rapid scrutiny of the looks, speech, public behavior, gender, and color of those sharing the environment...The central strategy in maintaining safety on the streets is to avoid strange black males.
Many blacks perceive whites as tense or hostile to them in public. They pay attention to the amount of eye contact given. In general, black males get far less tine in this regard than do white males. Whites tend not to "hold" the eyes of a black person. It is more common for black and white strangers to meet each others eyes for only a few seconds, and then to avert their gaze abruptly. such behavior seems to say "I am aware of your presense," and no more. This eye work is a way to maintain distance, mainly for safety and social purposes. Consistnet with this, some blacks are very surprised to find a white person who holds their eyes longer than is normal according to the rules of a public sphere.
Many people, particuarly those who see themselves as more economically privileged than others in the community, are careful not to let their eyes stray, in order to avoid an uncomfortable situation. As they walk down the street they pretend not to see other pedestrians, a behavior many blacks find offensive.
My question is, in the second paragraph, do you get offended when a white man walks by you and doesn''t make any eye contact???
