Arizona sun., 1948-06-11
Some Social Types
(By ODD S. HALSETH.) }

The great American Philosopher,
John Dewey, in one of his many
significant statements points out
that anything that obscures the
moral nature of a social problem
is harmful and that any doctrine
that eliminates choice of values
weakens personal responsibility for
judgment and social action. It thus
becomes formula which supports
the totalitarian state. Among stu
dents of social problems it is gen.
orally recognized that the socalled
Negro Problem in the United
States is not one which is confined
to struggle between people of
different origins, but that the con-
flict goes on within groups of SIM
liar background and even within
the individual member of ANY
group. The area of race relations
is full of conflicting situations
which often weakens individual
judgment and social action, as
Dewey points out, and which tends
to create accommodations which,
in turn, lead to the establishment
of social types in both the majority
and minority groups.
AS member of the minority
group which is forced to deal with
the majority, the Negro has learned
a great deal about white social
types and how to adapt himself to
different situations in contact be-
havior. Too seldom, however, do
white Americans recognize that
definite social types exist within
Negro society, and without such
recognition there can be no under
standing of the complexity of prob
lens involved in the betterment of
race relations. Recent studies
touching on this subject classify a
number of social types as recog-
nized by Negroes themselves. Most
white people perhaps recognize the
type referred to as ''Uncle Tom"
How many know the distinction
between a trace leader" and
race man" or trace woman?"
Speaking as a member of the
white group, I am forced to admit
that we not only are totally ignor-
ant of the complex problems of be-
ing a Negro, but that too few of us
are really trying to understand the
underlying causes for social be-
havior so that we intelligently may
apply remedy to the basic ills in
our social structure without Great
ing new attitudes of conflict. Toll
erance is essential to good human
relations everywhere, but it isn't
enough to be sympathetic. Social
hunger impels one to take on the
values of the group to which he
belongs, and many whites, both ad-
ult and children, who have a toll
Grant feeling toward the Negro are
afraid to express it in conduct, be-
cause of fear of public opinion
within his immediate group.
Likewise, many sincere Negroes
who have a constructive plan for
the betterment of race relationship
are handicapped by% a prejudice
among some members of their ra-
cial group. It is easy to give advice,
or even to point out faults in our
inter-relationship, but neither of
these is sufficient in themselves.
What we need is joint action, and
it is in this field of relationship
see the greatest hope for improve
ment through the organization
known as the Urban League. 1t is
worldwide in it's plan, national in
scope, and by attacking problems
on the community level, the Urban
League is the one agency in this
field which works for both Negroes
and whites as members of the COM
munity, as citizens of the nation,
and as potential elements in a
world of dignified men and women
who alone can preserve the peace
and help mankind toward better