TEN THINGS EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT RACE Our eyes tell us that people look different. No one has trouble distinguishing a Czech from a Chinese, but what do those differences mean? Are they biological? Has race always been with us? How does race affect people today? There's less - and more - to race than meets the eye: 1. Race is a modern idea. Ancient societies, like the Greeks, did not divide people according to physical distinctions, but according to religion, status, class, even language. The English language didn't even have the word 'race' until it turns up in a 1508 poem by William Dunbar referring to a line of kings. 2. Race has no genetic basis. Not one characteristic, trait or even gene distinguishes all the members of one so-called race from all the members of another so-called race. 3. Human subspecies don't exist. Unlike many animals, modern humans simply haven't been around long enough or isolated enough to evolve into separate subspecies or races. Despite surface appearances, we are one of the most genetically similar of all species. 4. Skin color really is only skin deep. Most traits are inherited independently from one another. The genes influencing skin color have nothing to do with the genes influencing hair form, eye shape, blood type, musical talent, athletic ability or forms of intelligence. Knowing someone's skin color doesn't necessarily tell you anything else about him or her. 5. Most variation is within, not between, "races." Of the small amount of total human variation, 85% exists within any local population, be they Italians, Kurds, Koreans or Cherokees. About 94% can be found within any continent. That means two random Koreans may be as genetically different as a Korean and an Italian. 6. Slavery predates race. Throughout much of human history, societies have enslaved others, often as a result of conquest or war, even debt, but not because of physical characteristics or a belief in natural inferiority. Due to a unique set of historical circumstances, ours was the first slave system where all the slaves shared similar physical characteristics. 7. Race and freedom evolved together. The U.S. was founded on the radical new principle that "All men are created equal." But our early economy was based largely on slavery. How could this anomaly be rationalized? The new idea of race helped explain why some people could be denied the rights and freedoms that others took for granted. 8. Race justified social inequalities as natural. As the race idea evolved, white superiority became "common sense" in America. It justified not only slavery but also the extermination of Indians, exclusion of Asian immigrants, and the taking of Mexican lands by a nation that professed a belief in democracy. Racial practices were institutionalized within American government, laws, and society. 9. Race isn't biological, but racism is still real. Race is a powerful social idea that gives people different access to opportunities and resources. Our government and social institutions have created advantages that disproportionately channel wealth, power, and resources to white people. This affects everyone, whether we are aware of it or not. 10. Colorblindness will not end racism. Pretending race doesn't exist is not the same as creating equality. Race is more than stereotypes and individual prejudice. To combat racism, we need to identify and remedy social policies and institutional practices that advantage some groups at the expense of others.
the ones who voted "other" could you please specify what you mean? write what race/ethnicity you mean. thanks
kazakh, turkish, arab, hispanic, samoan, polynesian, american indian, half japanese. seems as if i could be everything with black hair and eyes and maybe a bit darker skin.
This poll will close on Jul 28 2013 at 07:46 AM so please hurry up. i want to reach as many as possible votes
Okay. Here we go. I'm going to go full steam ahead and commit to you on this subject: Alright lets start from the top and work our way down. 1. So we can see that Race does indeed have a basis in Genetics according to science. What is evident here though is that scientist are rather annoyed that such a thing exists because they understand what the social implications would be if they were to legitimize race. This is the number one problem society faces today, is dishonest and politically correct science. Race is a term used to describe the genetic variation between populations. Or to be more specific the difference between haplotypes. So from an honest scientific stand point, yes, race does very much exist. 2. See point 1. Specific genes are found within haplotypes, this is the genetic basis from which race is derived. For example: The R1B gene is only found in Europe and the ExE3b gene is only found in Africa. 3. Technically all non-african people have 4% neanderthal DNA and the neanderthals were classified as a sub-species of homo sapien. Though this classification of neanderthals is shaky theory because so little is known about them. 4. Incorrect. There is more to genetic variation among humans than skin tone. For example, sickle cell is a genetic mutation found almost exclusively among black african people. Another example is difference in skeletal shapes and skull shapes. Below is an example of the variation among the races skull shapes: 5. Race is derived by specific genes found within populations. You're referencing phenotypes, which is a universal gene classification. Race is based off the basis of haplogroup DNA. For example, Blue eyes is found predominantly in Europe and Asiatic eyes are found pre-dominantly in Asia. 6. Incorrect. Race has existed long before man could even speak. 7. Race and Freedom are not synonymous of one another. One is based off genes the other is a conceptualized idea formulated in the minds of men and women. 8. Social inequalities is the reason why scientist fear legitimizing race as a concept and instead decided to dismiss it despite this dismissal being inconsistent with the philosophy of science. What this means is that sciencist are being dishonest when it comes to race, perhaps at the behest of their political leaders. Or perhaps because of their own personal beliefs. This is where the Race Realism movement has come from in recent years. It's a growing movement that's gained alot of traction and the signs of its progress can be found everywhere among a variety of people. 9. Race is biological as I have pointed out above. Racism is one such social inequality that has prompted scientist and politicians to denounce the concept of race as illegitimate. 10. Ending diversity would end racism. Racism only exists in a diverse environment. Homogenety will not end racism, but the ills and problems of racism would cease to be a relevant issue. And that sums it up. I look forward to your reply and I look forward to responding to it with another lengthy wall of text.
Yeah right you can. A blonde french girl could could look like a swedish blonde girl and vice versa. It would be easier to tell if the populations hadn't been interbreeding a bit, but let's not pretend that they haven't. There exist no 'pure' people anywhere, but they have all mixed with their nieghbors. Swedes and french are mostly interchangable.
Perhaps the swedish and french example was a bad one. But the japanese and chinese comparison was good. Or greek and swedish is a good comparison too. Ethnic greeks have noticably different appearence than ethnic swedes, but both are white caucasian.
Try comparing a somalian to a nigerian. Both are black, but they have radically different physical appearances. Nigerian: Somalian:
While I'm not good at all for distinguishing african groups from one another I know that the groups exist. There's very much diveristy in africa, and I reckon a somali and nigerian is like a chinese and swede.
Race doesn't matter. In fact, it doesn't even exist in humans. While that may sound like the idealistic decree of a minister or rabbi, it's actually the conclusion of an evolutionary and population biologist at Washington University. Alan R. Templeton, Ph.D., professor of biology in Arts and Sciences, has analyzed DNA from global human populations that reveal the patterns of human evolution over the past one million years. He shows that while there is plenty of genetic variation in humans, most of the variation is individual variation. While between-population variation exists, it is either too small, which is a quantitative variation, or it is not the right type of qualitative variation -- it does not mark historical sublineages of humanity. Using the latest molecular biology techniques, Templeton has analyzed millions of genetic sequences found in three distinct types of human DNA and concludes that, in the scientific sense, there is no such thing as race. "Race is a real cultural, political and economic concept in society, but it is not a biological concept, and that unfortunately is what many people wrongfully consider to be the essence of race in humans -- genetic differences," Templeton said. "Evolutionary history is the key to understanding race, and new molecular biology techniques offer so much on recent evolutionary history. I wanted to bring some objectivity to the topic. This very objective analysis shows the outcome is not even a close call: There's nothing even like a really distinct subdivision of humanity." Read more...
i think thats difficult to understand because differences which characterise certain populations like white skin, blue eyes or even muscle performance are largely genetic. also ancestry (like sub-saharan african or european) can be inferred from genetics and police uses it too as a DNA fingerprint. i dont say it is wrong though, but it is difficult to understand.
I hear what you are saying but race is not defined genetically It is defined culturally, socially, and geographically. It is used as a means to create sub-groups for other purposes. Their is no such thing. I can conceive and birth a child with any human on Earth. Ask yourself that question. The other question is that every human on this Earth understands the meaning of the sound "Shhhhhhhhh". Yes, there are variations of genetic material but it does not define race.
The biological concept of race . . . has no basis in science. Dr. Harold Freeman, Celera Genomics Corp., quoted in the SJ Mercury, "Race not seen as factor in variation of genetic code," Feb. 20, 2001, G1. http://www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/ssrg/misc/race.html
even stormfront accepts them as white. also southitalians and greeks. in US census even middle eastern is white, but in my poll middle eastern is asian like west asian. but serbian/albanian/romanian is certainly white caucasian, they are europeans.
