Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Maya Silver
Intermediate Writing 2010
February 24, 2016
Identifying Our Race is Offensive
Introduction
Identifying our race is offensive to some people because they are created through social
and historical processes. Throughout history, we have been labeled by the dominant group,
forcing us into these categorizes that we might not identify with. This is the base for social
constructivism, where people believe race is created by the dominant group rather than being a
part of our genetics. This results in harm to ourselves and others because of the status we are put
into. These statuses creates advantages for those who are seen as worthy and disadvantages
others. Although race is seen as a social construct, they can be explained through biology,
When we fill out papers to choose between a list of races and pick which one defines us
the most, we never stop to think why it was created. Some believe we are living in a society
where the dominant group can socially construct our identities. People believe this because race
has always been an issue, ever since the European colonists set foot onto this land in 1492. The
issue in the past, was when the Americans forced the Native Americans and African Americans
to be their slaves. Today we still have a similar issue with race that includes every ethnicity.
In the years before, we only determined someone as Black or White but as the years go
on, we redefine and create different races. The racial classification was created by Johann
Blumenbach in the eighteenth century. He categorized Russian Caucasians at the top because he
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believed they were the most beautiful and sophisticated people and any others who are darker
skinned are placed at the bottom. Racial classification is new and ever changing. In the 1860s,
the only races that existed were White, Blacks, and mulattoes. Thirty years later, quadroon,
octoroon, Chinese, Japanese, and Indian were added to the list of races. A decade later, they
shortened the list to White, Black, Chinese, Japanese, and Indian. While this was happening
Latinx were being considered as a race, it was not until the 2000s Hispanic was an option. As
the years go on, there is a more ethnic and racial diversity, creating more options for self
Social constructivism are characteristics and identities created through the results of
social and historical processes. What is socially constructed are race, class, ethnicity, and
sexuality because they are intertwined with our experiences and identities. These have binaries
that are a part of ones identity and is not a fixed category. (Andersen & Collins, 51-53)
Although there are these statements and claims being spoken, there are studies that show these
those who are different and those that are similar, it can result in harm.
Race is seen as a social construct but some believe it can be biologically proven. What
we do know, race is a part of our society and is socially real. As we are identified, race affects
our status and how people perceive us. These are the results of the social constructs created by
the dominant population. This shows us the privilege that they have and how it disadvantages us,
resulting in harm.
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Race is more socially constructed than biologically constructed because scientist has not
found a race gene. (Andersen & Collins, 57) A race gene is a theory where each race has a
specific gene found in those of a certain race. In the article by Gannon, she quotes Pbo there is
no single variant where all Africans have one variant and all Europeans have another (1)
Although there is no race gene, we cannot think race is not real because it is real in society and
affects how we see others and how others see ourselves. (Lusca, 1) Therefore, race cannot be
As Sesardic quoted from another author, they state that there are three grades of modal
involvement, meaning there are three ways race is biological, According to the article Three
Grades of Modal Involvement, Quine, race has 3 ways biology has to do with race: 1) race
implies that there a common ancestry so they are genetically similar, making them genetically
different from other races. 2) Different races will differ in morphological characteristics (skin,
hair, facial features, etc.) 3) Races can differ by psychological characteristics. (144) This proves
People believe race is socially constructed because there are no known genes that
differentiate us from others, but there are differences that are found in some people and not
others. Sesardic says, Dobzhansky states, when we define race, it delimit races as exact, non
overlapping, and discrete entities. Meaning, races will not exist because we would have distinct
species instead. (147) Gannon also agrees with this statement because there is not a single
absolute genetic difference meaning when we determine a race, we cannot just look at one
characteristic, we have to look at multiple characteristics. (1) As the authors concluded, race is
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Race on Status
The authors Andersen and Collins says there are systems of inequality ...that are built
into the very structure of society. These systems create systems of power, working to advantage
some and disadvantage others. (51) The article by Jeffers agrees, saying these characteristics are
political, they separate people into dominant and subordinate groups. (410) Those who have the
privilege to create these systems of power are the dominant group. They use these characteristics
that we use to identify ourselves to unequally distribute power. The article from NCHPEG, says
they separate us through our ancestors, phenotypical characteristics, cultural practices, economic
Being categorized by the dominant group is an issue, but how we are categorized is an
issue itself. People categorize us through our differences and they usually do this through our
origin, skin color, face structure, hair texture, our blood, or any of our physical features.
(NCHPEG, 1) Based on your skin color and culture people grouped you into a certain race.
(Lusca, 1) One way to put people into different groups was to define who is and is not white. In
the article by Jones, they defined white as a person who is Armenian born in Asiatic Turkey and
if they had any trace of other blood, they are excluded. (1) This definition was also used to
differentiate who was and was not a slave. Why they decided to define who is considered as
white was to separate those that are considered as worthy to be represented in the dominant
group and to put those who are unworthy in another. This shows how the systems of inequality
works. They categorize people who they believe is fit to represent or become a good image for
the white supremacy. This is the issue with race, we create groups as a hierarchy. As the
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dominant group, they are privilege to define our race and our status. (Lusca, 1) With these facts,
As stated above, race can be biologically proven. There are three factors the article by
Sesardic, proposed biology and race are connected. They said race has a common ancestry
through genetics and there are physical and psychological characteristics that are different from
another. (Sesardic, 144) The author also quotes Appiah, ...there are heritable characteristics,
possessed by members of our species, that allow us to divide human beings into a small set of
races, in such a way that all the members of these races share certain traits and tendencies with
each other that they do not share with members of any other race. But as we look into what
Appiah states, it is not true because this would create a different species, another type of person
because he is stating there are only one type of people who have these creatin types of
characteristics and other people will never have those characteristics found in them. As explained
by Sesardic, ...all members of group A would have to share certain characteristic F, and that
characteristic F would also have to be absent in all members of group B. (Sesardic, 146-147)
Conclusion
People's belief in race as either socially or biologically constructed, can cause harm in
both ways. Becoming socially constructed by the dominant group, we are labeled as a certain
race. This category that we are forced being into is something that can cause us harm by hurting
our identity. This also separates us from those who are advantaged and those who are not. The
dominant group has the privilege to define and put people into certain categories whether it be
race, class, gender, sexuality, and ethnicity. Through the biological lense, race can become a tool
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to harm. The belief that there's a genetic makeup that distinguishes people from others can cause
misinterpretations and physically divide ourselves and the people around us.
cannot be applied to humans says Machery and Faucher. (1208-1209) They state this because
race can overlap within each group, intertwined with many factors that make us all the same
human species. Realizing that we all are made up of the same way, we can start to be socially
conscious. Becoming aware and conscious, can create an environment of understanding and
maybe race will become a way we can identify ourselves without status and privilege
intertwined.
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Works Cited
Andersen, M. L., & Collins, P. H. Systems of Power and Inequality. Andersen, M. L., &
Collins, P. H. (Eds.), Race, Class & Gender An Anthology. Cengage. 2013, pp. 51-73
Gannon, Megan. Race is a Social Construct, Scientists Argue. Live Science. 6 February, 2016.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/race-is-a-social-construct-scientists-argue/
Jeffers, C. The Cultural Theory of Race: Yet Another Look at Du Bois's The Conservation of
https://www.jacobinmag.com/2015/06/racecraft-racism-social-origins-reparations/
Machery, Edouard & Faucher, Luc. Social Construction and the Concept of Race. Philosophy
http://www.nchpeg.org/bssr/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=102:social-const
Sesardic, N. Race: a social destruction of a biological concept. Biology & Philosophy, 25 (2) ,