Anthropology
anthroplNick Russo
Anthropology 101
3:45-6:50 Fall 2012
12/5/2012
The Term Race, What it Means and a Deeper Look Inside of it Do you believe that someone should be penalized, or pinned down, in society, or the system, just because there skin color is a certain color, or because they are a different gender, or maybe even because there too tall or to short? This is of course called discriminating, or being racist, which brings up the question what is race? I had this same exact question which I would now like to know the answer too. I mean what the heck is race, and how deep does it really go?
Well the term race has a distinct meaning, it is also useful in understanding the biology and evolution of the human race, but there are some limitations in this approach in understanding contemporary human variation and diversity. This then possess the question of does skin color and body type have any validity in determining race, and why race is a cultural concept for humans rather than a biological one? Before you can know all the good and juicy details about where race comes from, and the biological standpoint of it all, you first need to understand what race is. And believe it or not, if you popped quiz most people on the streets like you see on a T.V show or something like that, they would not be able to give you a accurate definition of the term race. Race has many meanings indeed and one being, according to our text book, that “most people typically have emphasized and grouped together various characteristics, such as skin color, face shape, nose shape, hair color, hair form, and eye color,” (Jurmain, pg435). Then the text book goes on to say “Those individuals who have particular combinations of these and other traits have been placed together in categories associated with specific geographical localities. Traditionally, such categories have been called races.” (Jurmain, pg435). This basicly means that race is a category you are put into, based on what you
Anthropology 101
3:45-6:50 Fall 2012
12/5/2012
The Term Race, What it Means and a Deeper Look Inside of it Do you believe that someone should be penalized, or pinned down, in society, or the system, just because there skin color is a certain color, or because they are a different gender, or maybe even because there too tall or to short? This is of course called discriminating, or being racist, which brings up the question what is race? I had this same exact question which I would now like to know the answer too. I mean what the heck is race, and how deep does it really go?
Well the term race has a distinct meaning, it is also useful in understanding the biology and evolution of the human race, but there are some limitations in this approach in understanding contemporary human variation and diversity. This then possess the question of does skin color and body type have any validity in determining race, and why race is a cultural concept for humans rather than a biological one? Before you can know all the good and juicy details about where race comes from, and the biological standpoint of it all, you first need to understand what race is. And believe it or not, if you popped quiz most people on the streets like you see on a T.V show or something like that, they would not be able to give you a accurate definition of the term race. Race has many meanings indeed and one being, according to our text book, that “most people typically have emphasized and grouped together various characteristics, such as skin color, face shape, nose shape, hair color, hair form, and eye color,” (Jurmain, pg435). Then the text book goes on to say “Those individuals who have particular combinations of these and other traits have been placed together in categories associated with specific geographical localities. Traditionally, such categories have been called races.” (Jurmain, pg435). This basicly means that race is a category you are put into, based on what you