The dictionary definition of race is “each of the major divisions of humankind, having distinct physical characteristics.” However, the definition fails to explain that race is simply an idea. An idea that has driven America’s complex history. “It’s development over the past few hundred years has left a legacy of misconceptions and confusion about race among many Americans” (“The Story of Race”, RACE). It has successfully justified slavery, segregation, and the near-elimination of Native Americans, while still claiming a foundation of liberty and justice for all. In addition, race has also been used by scientists to classify humans and use science to prove presumed biological differences: “Linking race to biology led to a ‘race science’ that …show more content…
Yet, to understand racial segregation, one must understand the history of race. The age of enlightenment is what sparked human studies and theories for human differences. Traveling to different continents, and allowed Europeans to discover peoples with different appearances, as explained in “Early Classification of Nature” (RACE). “A prime example of the Enlightenment’s influence in science is Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus’ system of biological classifications in Systemae Naturae, published in 1735..He formalized the distinction among the continental populations of the world and his work helped characterize the concept of race” (“Early Classification of Nature, RACE). The four subcategories he proposed were Americanus, Asiaticus, Africanus, and Europeanus. After the settlers came to North America, slave codes were first established in Virginia. To avoid the undermining of their plantations, wealthy planters preferred African slaves instead of imported English ones. Because of this and the belief that African were an inferior race, social and cultural separation of blacks and whites were created, as explained by RACE. All through the 1600’s and 1700’s laws were created and passed to restrict slaves from going where they want, from doing the activities they want, and to justify punishments for them, when they break these laws, such as lashes and whippings. The United States’ first Census was in 1790, and included the first racial categories of European, Native Indian, and African. Within this first Census, stated that slaves were counted only as 3/5 of a person in each state’s count. By the 19th century, the topic at debate was whether human biological difference was racial variation or was representing a completely different
Professor Dorothy Roberts discussed her latest book Fatal Invention where she made references to how science, politics, and big business recreate race in the 21st Century. She discussed with Tavis Smiley the different incentives that are used in science, business as well as the Government to categorized race. Despite research that showed that the black race and the white race is only .1% genetically different from each other many are still making an argument that the races are very different and merit ongoing discussions In terms of commercial incentives, Professor Roberts believed that many products are produced based on the assumptions that you can divide the human species into biological groups call race. This was evident in the labeling
If there is no biological basis for race, then it is clear race is created by human for their own purpose. Racial ideas are manifested in social inequality and unfair distribution. One of the factors of race is racial classification. The article of Colorblind challenges
1. In the video, it was stated that racial classifications are arbitrary. Please explain how racial classifications are arbitrary. Racial classifications are arbitrary. Many “scientists” in societies have tried to prove that some races were more evolutionarily developed than other races with the use of eugenics, but race is a social construct to categorize people with similar features into the same sub-groups. Humans are all one species, and race is nothing more than expressed phenotypes.
In Chapter 2, the author deals with early forms of categorization. During the years of Spanish and Portuguese colonial rule in Latin America, these two empires, believe that it is crucial to have ethno racial classification for each colony. The reason is because it helps these empires to exploit
Common Assessment Essay Race is defined as people who have differences and similarities in biological traits deemed by society to be socially significant. Throughout American history, race has played a key role in shaping the formation of America. Wars were fought over race, and many died due to the color of their skin. Native Americans endured a significant amount of hardship due to what others thought about them. They were known as savages and murderers.
What is race? Scientists have argued this for quite some time. Is it a social construct, wherein groups of people are classified having similar heritage (i.e. African Americans having ancestry throughout the continent of Africa)? Or is it a way of classifying people based on biological factors, such as how one may or may not react to a form of medical treatment, or drug. Does it give insight to one group of people’s risk factor for contracting certain biological diseases?
First, Gravlee explains the cultural perception of race in the United States and how
Race and Racism Integrative Essay Race, commonly tied with ethnicity, is a term that Europeans utilized from the 18th to 20th century to separate “differing” civilizations, especially during the times of Industrialization. While the idea of race and racism gradually changed overtime, the two terms were used resulted in prejudice and discrimination for political projects, which is seen through the idea of nationalism, leading to colonialism. Europeans utilized the biology and religion to justify the injustices towards non-traditional European individuals; however, it essentially unified cultures with a common goal of destroying the two terms altogether. (Paragraph about industrialization and European nationalism) While there is no distinct time of when
In the article “US Socioeconomic and Racial Differences in Health: Patterns and Explanations” they explain the effect socioeconomic and race plays on your health. We have discussed in class over and over again about the poor treatment that are minorities have. We also discussed how they have a higher chance of living in a location that is close to polluted waters or near factories that don’t practices the proper method of disposing of harmful waste. When they explain that the federal government only recognizes five races I became infuriated. There should be one race “HUMAN” we are all equal.
Race, nationality and ethnicity Race and ethnicity are seen as form of an individual’s cultural identity. Researchers have linked the concept of “race” to the discourses of social Darwinism that in essence is a categorization of “types” of people, grouping them by biological and physical characteristics, most common one being skin pigmentation. Grouping people based on their physical traits has lead in time to the phenomenon of “racialization” (or race formation), as people began to see race as more of a social construct and not a result or a category of biology.
“The Race of Man”, is a scientific explanation for the similarities among humans, which argues whether mankind is subdivided into species, or more closely resemble subspecies or races. Darwin uses his theory of evolution to explain why there is a multitude of similarities in the development and inventive minds of all races, yet any observed differences are negligible. Furthermore, most differences that are visible in man today “cannot be of much importance” (Darwin 217), however, if such differences were important, natural selection would have either “fixed and preserved or eliminated” (Darwin 217) any distinction. Darwin begins by explaining the cause of most resemblances throughout all race. Charles Darwin describes the distinct descendants of man by comparing it to the descendants of domesticated animals.
This adaptation triggers the social classification of race and these humans are looked at and treated differently because they are a different “race”. “Human "racial" diversity is a result of people in a geographic area intermarrying, being exposed to a number of biological processes, and adapting slowly to local environments. ”(Eugenie C. Scott. Evolution And Origin Races). “As noted earlier, geographically localized populations--as result of adaptation, migration, and chance--tend to have some characteristic physical traits” (Carol Mukhopadhyay, Rosemary C. Henze.
A race is a subdivision of a species of biology that is formed from certain characteristics that differentiate their other individuals. For several centuries ago, discrimination towards different races have existed, and over the years has been both worse and better. Racial segregation is the separation of people because of their skin color. Segregation was legal and normal in many countries around the world for many years. The largest cases of racism and segregation have been part of the white race towards blacks.
Attempts to distinguish based upon racial difference largely failed because racial categories cannot easily boil down to a handful of essentialized traits and terms, because there will always be variation among individuals. Consequently, Boas suggests that a more salient investigation of race would consider the conditions under which racial definitions emerge. Scientific discussion of the nineteenth century, for example, fixated upon the racial determination of superiority and inferiority. Subsequently, anthropologists circulated knowledge that supported hegemonic notions of the day that helped justify colonial and imperial subjugations. Boas further posits that cultural variations—emblematic of racial differences—became a site of racial inquiry in anthropology (29).
Charles Darwin’s essay, “The Race of Man”, is a scientific explanation for the similarities among humans, proving that each race man is not subdivided into individual species but closely resembles subspecies or races. Darwin uses his theory of evolution to explain why there is a multitude of similarities in the development and inventive minds of all races, yet any observed differences are negligible. Furthermore, most differences that are visible in man today “cannot be of much importance” (217), since, alternatively, if such differences were important, natural selection would have either “fixed and preserved or eliminated” (217) any distinction. The causation for the resemblances in all races of man is explicitly explained by Darwin. Charles Darwin describes the distinct descendants of man by comparing it to the descendants of domesticated animals.