Topic StatementI chose to use racism as the social event on which to base this essay because racism is still a strong factor in our social climate today. As highlighted in an October Daily News article, a young black male, Trayon Christian, was arrested at a high-end department store, Barney's, in New York City for purchasing a $349.00 belt. The article indicates that Trayon was accused of using a fake debit card to purchase the belt. Trayon claims he was saving paycheck to paycheck to purchase the belt and was racially profiled by the sellers. He filed a lawsuit claiming that the New York police arrested him because they couldn't believe he could afford such an expensive belt. This is clear evidence of stereotypes and how racism still affects the world we live in. Furthermore, the New York Times reports that this is not an isolated case. There have been several lawsuits against large companies including Barney's and Macy's. Several complaints have emerged from black shoppers who believe they have been victims of racial profiling. These complaints also target famous people (Goodman, 2013). Introduction After reading the articles, several questions came to mind, such as why the seller thought the debit card was fake and why was this young male detained by the police for so long? On the other hand, why did this young black male and many others feel the need to purchase an expensive item like this? Is it about status and/or recognition? Although this is a clear case of discrimination, stereotyping and racism, there are several theories that can be related to this case. However, the social behavior perspective relates best to this...... middle of paper ......ayon is in the conventional stage where he seems to have felt the need to conform to society by following the tendencies of some artists of show Today. Branded items have become so mainstream that regular kids want to follow these trends and go to great lengths to do so. The salesman relates better to the postconventional phase because he treated Trayon unethically and immorally. The conflict perspective also refers in this case because there is conflict between two social groups. One group (Barney's salesman) is the dominant force and is causing conflict. “What may be perceived as fair on an individual level may be perceived as unfair when viewed from a group perspective” (Hutchinson, p. 340). Trayon obviously felt he was being treated unfairly but the salesman felt it was fair practice because he was following the store's protocols for shoplifting.