When observing race with a sociological outlook it is clear that it is a rather complex matter. This is because race is a socially constructed category. Meaning that contrary to initial belief, racial groups are formed on the basis of much more than biological differences alone. Instead racial categories are assigned to an individual based on social and historical experiences. Within society, racial classifications continue to have an overwhelming impact on an individual’s life opportunities. Displaying how race is one of the several social constructions that affect the entire social structure by maintaining inequality. The idea of race is very real and ever present within society. However a majority of those within society view it simply However it is clear that race is a social construction that effects an individual’s standing within society. It has real consequences and effects which in turn mold how people view and judge themselves and people around them. Since immigration began, there has always been a superior group and the minority groups. Over time how people were categorized in these groups has changed drastically. The changes within racial classifications further supports how race is not a natural concept. It is also clear that there is nothing natural about the concept because the definition and meaning of race as a hole constantly changes over time (Conley 328). Race is a social concept that changes over time. Racial classifications are not solely based on genetic patterns or scientific fact. One sociological theory that really supports the argument of race being a socially constructed category is the racial formation theory. The racial formation theory generally encompasses the idea that In his explanation of the evolution of racial classification, Zuberi presents these social origins of racial classification. First off there was the Chain of Being which arranged all the world’s beings in a hierarchy and in turn creating a racial hierarchy since people of African descent were closest to the animals and people of European descent were closest to the Creator, or God (Zuberi 78). Later came the nineteenth century idea of social Darwinism which argued that people of certain races were best fit to be dominate and survive over the more inferior races (Conley 332). With the evolution of these ideas came the racialization of enslavement, which resulted in settlers considering Africans the ideal slaves and Europeans as the ideal citizens, and also the formation of the ideology of racism (Zuberi 80). Racism ultimately began with the birth of the term “whiteness.” Before other cultures and non-European people were even brought sound there were separation between the original British settlers and the other European immigrants (Conley 327). Racism is the idea that there are groups superior to other groups based the different and unequal traits the different races possess (Conley 327). This is far different than white privilege which is what puts those who are socially classified as white at an advantage over all the other inferior races (McIntosh 1).
In America, essentially everyone is classified in terms of race in a way. We are all familiar with terms such as Caucasian, African-American, Asian, etc. Most Americans think of these terms as biological or natural classifications; meaning that all people of a certain race share similarities on their D.N.A. that are different and sets that particular race apart from all the other races. However, recent genetic studies show that there’s no scientific basis for the socially popular idea that race is a valid taxonomy of human biological difference. This means that humans are not divided into different groups through genetics or nature. Contrary to scientific studies, social beliefs are reflected through racial realism. Racial realists believe that being of a particular race does not only have phenotypical values (i.e. skin color, facial features, etc.), but also broadens its effects to moral, intellectual and spiritual characteristics.
Let’s begin with racism, which dates back to as far as humans can remember. “It may be defined as the hatred of one person by another -- or the belief that another person is less than human -- because of skin color, language, customs, place of birth or any factor that supposedly reveals the basic nature of that person. It has influenced wars, slavery, the formation of nations, and legal codes” One of the most known acts of racism was the enslavement of Africans in the new world. This racism was a result of the racist belief that black Africans were less human than white Europeans.
In society today, race can be viewed in a variety of ways, depending on the manner in which one was raised, as well as many other contributing factors. These views are often very conflicting, and as a result, lead to disagreement and controversy amongst groups. Throughout history, many communities have seen such problems arise over time, thus having a profound impact that can change society in both positive and negative ways. Such a concept is a common method through which Charles W. Mills explains his theories and beliefs in his written work, The Racial Contract. In this particular text, Mills explores numerous concepts regarding race, how it is viewed by different people, and the sense of hierarchy that has formed because of it.
Omi and Winant’s concept of racialization is formed around the theory that race is a social concept, while Bonilla-Silva’s is formed around the theory of racialized social systems. We will first look at Omi and Winant, and then we’ll move onto Bonilla-Silva’s concept of racialization. Omi and Winant say “Within the contemporary social science literature, race is assumed to be a variable which is shaped by broader societal forces.” (Omi & Winant 1986, pg. 3) The racial line in the United States has been defined and reinforced over centuries.
If race was “real”, then racial classifications would be constant all around the world, but someone considered black in the United States might be considered white in Brazil. In addition, racial categorizations in census forms vary widely between countries and across time in the same country. It is important to note that, in 2003, as part of the Human Genome Project, researchers concluded that “3 billion base pairs of genetic letters in humans were 99.9 percent identical in every person”. Which leads me to say that race is a social construct. It is important to explore this further to better understand the capacity race has to affect other parts of life.
Social reality of race simply refers to the fact that people still believed that races are based on physical traits such as skin color or hair texture to judge others. However, what they are doing is stereotyping which lead to discrimination and racism. Also, their actions denied the fact race is culturally constructed, meaning people have different customs, religions, and values from culture to culture. The patterns of biological variation among humans are extremely complex and constantly changing. All of us could be classified into a number of different "races", depending on what genetic traits are emphasized. For example, if you divide people up on the basis of stature or blood types, the geographic groupings are clearly different from those defined on the basis of skin color. Focusing on such deceptive distinguishing traits as skin color, body shape, and hair texture causes us to magnify differences and ignore similarities between people.
Race has been one of the most outstanding situations in the United States all the way from the 1500s up until now. The concept of race has been socially constructed in a way that is broad and difficult to understand. Social construction can be defined as the set of rules are determined by society’s urges and trends. The rules created by society play a huge role in racialization, as the U.S. creates laws to separate the English or whites from the nonwhites. Europeans, Indigenous People, and Africans were all racialized and victimized due to various reasons. Both the Europeans and Indigenous People were treated differently than African American slaves since they had slightly more freedom and rights, but in many ways they are also treated the same. The social construction of race between the Europeans, Indigenous People, and Africans led to the establishment of how one group is different from the other.
...lieve that races are distinct biological categories created by differences in genes that people inherit from their ancestors. Genes vary, but not in the popular notion of black, white, yellow, red and brown races. Many biologist and anthropologists have concluded that race is a social, cultural and political concept based largely on superficial appearances. (4)
The concept of race is an ancient construction through which a single society models all of mankind around the ideal man. This idealism evolved from prejudice and ignorance of another culture and the inability to view another human as equal. The establishment of race and racism can be seen from as early as the Middle Ages through the present. The social construction of racism and the feeling of superiority to people of other ethnicities, have been distinguishably present in European societies as well as America throughout the last several centuries.
Race: The Power of an Illusion was an interesting 3 part film. After watching this, it made me questioned if race was really an illusion or not. It is absolutely taboo to think that the one thing that separates people the most may be a myth in itself. “We can 't find any genetic markers that are in everybody of a particular race and in nobody of some other race. We can 't find any genetic markers that define race.” (Adelman and Herbes Sommers 2003). Racism is something created in the U.S made to create supremacy for the creator. Racism is not just the way someone thinks, it is something that has is manifested in our society to separate us and can be traced to our everyday activities.
Created by a white man living in a society that had power to enforce his ideas, this model laid the foundation for racism, or the notion that one race is superior to another (Croteau & Hoynes, 2013).
Race, as a general understanding is classifying someone based on how they look rather than who they are. It is based on a number of things but more than anything else it’s based on skin's melanin content. A “race” is a social construction which alters over the course of time due to historical and social pressures. Racial formation is defined as how race shapes and is shaped by social structure, and how racial categories are represented and given meaning in media, language and everyday life. Racial formation is something that we see changing overtime because it is rooted in our history. Racial formation also comes with other factors below it like racial projects. Racial projects seek
Reflecting directly on the cultural attitudes and sociocultural messages explained throughout this course, it is clear that race, gender, and sexuality are all socially constructed in one way or another. Contrary to popular belief, race is actually almost completely socially constructed, it is not biological. Further, a human’s DNA does not differentiate at all to create any specific race. However, society has categorized certain things, such as skin color, to determine the race of individuals. In simpler terms, there are not specific genes that parents pass on to their offspring that determine their race; society categorizes people into specific races when they are born based on their
Race is a term that references on differences such as, facial characteristics, skin color, and other related characteristics. Race is not in reference to genetic make up. A feature of race as a social construct is that it down plays the extent to which sectors of population may form a discrete ethnic group. Based on specific characteristics race makes up a person and differs within groups. In other words race is a large group of people distinguished from others on the basic of a common heritage or physical trait.
hroughout the world’s history, there were different groups of people all over the globe yet to face each other. These groups developed their own culture, and way of life that was distinctly different to others in many aspects. Before in depth knowledge of human origins, creation, and biological characteristics of this species, people were identified based on physical characteristics. For example, the chief in a tribe would wear something to distinguish himself from the others. More specifically, tribes would wear different clothing and speak different languages. Similarly, in past Europe, one would determine where a person is from based on their dress, language, or distinct physical features. It seems there was a need to distinguish people for various reasons that were positive. However, the introduction of “races” gave groups of people that had similar physical characteristics the ability to claim that one group was better than the other because of these differences. The result of this mentality resulted in many years of colonization; slavery and massacres due to physical differences, mainly skin color. Not only were some people made inferior, but also the superiors believed that they were lesser because of physical differences, lower intellect, and lack of usefulness for anything other than to serve. Blunt examples of racism thrived for hundreds of years all over the world, such as slavery, lynching, and holocaust. However, other forms of racism developed and are present in America’s society today. Institutional racism is a type of discrimination that is discreet and involves the actions of government organizations unfairly disadvantaging a certain group of people. Today, the prevalence of black males and females in prisons is h...