EDUC 2120 M5-Drop Box 1 Race The Power of Illussion

docx

School

Kennesaw State University *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

2120

Subject

Anthropology

Date

Dec 6, 2023

Type

docx

Pages

Uploaded by JusticeWolf3724

RACE—The Power of an Illusion Film Reflection Questions 1) How would you define race? What does it mean to you? The concept of race is an existing illusion; it is not solely determined by the traits we label as racial markers. Racial marker traits are meaningless unless they are given social significance, public policies, and individual actions that act on racial marker traits. These are what give race its existence. There are no living subspecies of humans, nor is race a biological distinction that can be made among atomically modern people. Because there is no genetic foundation and no one gene, inherited physical attribute, characteristic, or trait that may distinguish one race from another, using biological factors to categorize humans into consistent races is impossible. Race is one of the first things we notice about one another (skin color, eye color, hair texture, and color). These physical features are associated with values, presumptions, and historical significance, even if we profess not to accept the stereotypes. I believe that race is what we perceive it to be and is frequently seen through the prism of our culture. Physical differences do not constitute race; rather, it is the laws and practices that alter life chances and opportunities based on those differences that constitute race. Race is a prominent social, political, cultural, and historical notion, as well as a social and historical concept. Race is an identity that is ascribed based on societal, institutional, and policy rules that are passed down from generation to generation. We are all humans in the U.S., which has always been historically a highly racialized society and still is to this day. Race is a social construct used to categorize people based on their skin color and other physical characteristics. Race influences lived experiences, it is used by societies to build and legitimize power, privilege, disenfranchisement, and oppressive systems. It functions in concrete and clear ways, bestowing benefits and privileges on some while denying them to others. Race has the largest variability among "races" rather than between "races". People are

more than what you visually see, visual differences do not shape completely who a person is, and how they should be classified. Race is a challenging idea to grasp, especially in the society we were brought into, that is why we need to put in the work. 2) What is the difference between a biological and a social view of race? The key difference between a biological and social view of race is that one is based on biological determinism, while the other acknowledges the role of social and cultural factors in shaping racial identities and experiences. The biological and social views of race represent fundamentally different approaches to understanding human diversity and have important implications for how we think about, and address issues related to race and racism. Biological perspectives are the inherent distinctions, both physical and visual differences, that may be perceived while gazing at a person. A biological perspective on race is based on heredity and how we categorize individuals based on physical distinctions. Skin color, eye shape and color, hair texture and color, and other physical characteristics are determined by genetics and may be used to classify people into separate racial groupings. The biological theory of race has been chastised for advocating racial supremacy and disregarding the complexities of human genetic diversity. It's also been used to excuse racist methods like eugenics and scientific racism. However, the current consensus is that this does not exist. Rather than science, social theories of race focus on how people live and where they come from. It divides people into groups depending on their background, lineage, and culture, such as African Americans or Asians. The social perspective is a cultural, historical, and political construct (a social construct) that is not biologically determined. It recognizes that racial classifications are neither set nor natural, but rather are perpetuated by social structures. It also recognizes the range of human experiences

within and between racial groups, as well as the impact of socioeconomic disparities on individuals and communities. 3) Who has benefited from the belief that we can sort people according to race and that there are natural or biologically based differences between racial groups? The people who benefit are those who can use these for their own benefit. Benefits for whites can be obtained without ever doing anything personally, getting spoils of the racist system even if they are not racist. Therefore, I would say what is so-called labeled as the white race in the U.S. has typically benefited from this. Social differences have become naturalized in biology. Being classified as a certain race like Asian, Black, or Latino, has never carried the same advantages in our society as being white. The Americans were able to separate the whites from the blacks and use them to benefit themselves. I believe human populations differ, but they do not differ in the way most people think, and they do not differ in the way that the 19th-century race scientists thought. What they thought shaped history is still reflected in society today. Certain races are considered at the bottom of the social hierarchy because of this, such as higher up is whites and lower is colored.

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

EDUC 2120 M5-Drop Box 1 Race The Power of Illussion

Related Documents