Racism is the belief that characteristics and abilities can be attributed to people on the basis of race, and that some racial groups are superior to others. Throughout history, racism and discrimination have been used as social weapons to encourage fear and hatred toward others in times of economic hardship and war. For many individuals, the individual rights that have been ignored and violated by governments throughout history and resulted in a disregard for communities' cultures and customs led to racial caste systems. At its worst, racism has led to government endorsed genocide, and it is clear that when ethnocentrism is fostered within society that it negatively impacts every area of life within it. Societies that support racism do not allow for the collective contribution of all their citizens, and the denial of human and educational rights of groups of people within societies causes a lack of social and economic progress of nations. By prohibiting the participation of individuals on the basis of race within society, a society becomes increasingly ethnocentric, and this results in a failure of community social development because people become unable to appreciate others' differences and similarities.