Social Construction Of Race Essay

Looking at race through a social construction approach would mean that race is not constructed biologically, but through social, cultural, and economic forces (Klement 1). According to Ian Lopez, race is socially constructed (27). Looking throughout history, it should be noted that race is a human invention (Lopez 27), but the idea was that external differences also equated to internal differences. Therefore, according to the Race: The Power of an Illusion films, the fundamental notion was that race was biologically real, which consequently created a racialized society determined to find differences between the races. However, modern science in genetics proved otherwise, that in fact, no genetic markers define a race. It is the many social forces that determine who gets included or marginalized in society, whether it be because of their race or gender (Crenshaw 1242).
The division of races in terms of skin colour is a social basis of race (Lopez 13). Historically, science has failed to justify racial differences that came from social beliefs, that inevitably moved into political beliefs. Politically, Lopez
The outlook on race has been changing. Race was viewed as biological destiny; one’s skin colour, shape of skull, eye shape, hair, brain, and so on, determined division and inequality. However, race is not biological, it is not determined by one’s genetic markers, and no two individuals are the same. What is important is just how strong social forces are. Race is socially constructed because it is a human invention, based on human interaction (Lopez 27), also a main point from the films. Race is not inherited like money is, an example from the films. Since race is a social construct, that means these social forces have the ability to change, but it is these social forces that marginalize some, and place others in the forefront of privilege (Crenshaw 1242). It is not their