The Student Room Group
Uni students - Complete our survey >>
Uni students - Complete our survey >>
Uni students - Complete our survey >>

Do you think race is a social construct or biological?

Scroll to see replies

Original post by TSR Mustafa
You can change gender tho scrub


Not genetically.
Yeah that is true I guess
Quite blatantly biological.
Social construct. Race is used to group people with shared physical characteristics. Race is a social construct because there is more to human diversity than black, white and Asian. There is no cluster of genes common to all white people, for example. Within 'black' you have a variety of different shades, facial structures, body structures and the same applies for everyone else. Similarly, if you are mixed between 2 'races', there's no specific group you can be applied to, so people will either ignore certain characteristics to say you are X, or they will just leave you racially ambiguous.

I think we're missing a bit of clarity with this thread:

Obviously human diversity in itself is biological. However, the way we categorise humans into different races (white, black etc.) is a social construct (for reasons stated above).
(edited 7 years ago)
Both, Jews are considered a race not considering their color no?
Eh? The colour of people's skin determines their race 🙄
Original post by Little Popcorns
Eh? The colour of people's skin determines their race 🙄


No it doesn't.
I think Biologically. Every race has at least one difference with another race. Black people have kinky, curly hair and bigger noses.
White people have straight, wavy, and/or slightly hair and narrow facial features. Asian people don't have the eye fold.

.If you wanted to identify a skull's race you would measure the nose, eyes, and head shape I think. There are obvious differences biologically between races. It isn't a bad thing. One race may be more likely to contract or be born with a sickness. Black people are more likely to get sickle cell. That's why doctors sometimes ask your race because you might be at risk at getting a disease, or sickness than other race.
(edited 7 years ago)
Biological, it determines the skin colour a person has aswell as a few factors. Different races are more suseptible to different illnesses which is why we have race targeted treatments for certain things. There are also characteristcs which are dominant in certain races
Reply 49
Avatar for EuanF
EuanF
2
Original post by ScienceFantatic
Everyone has different DNA though- even people within the same race


The difference in DNA and phenotypes is more major than between members of the same race/nationality
Original post by ScienceFantatic
Not sure if this is in the right place..

I believe race could be a social construct and a way to distinguish people. There's no specific gene that's synonymous to a particular "race" and any physical differences are usually as a result of cultural differences and from centuries past.

I'm curious to know your opinions on this!


Indeed race is a massive social construct, so is gender, and class.
Identity itself is fundamentally subjective, and often these categories will invariably overlap (intersectional feminism), the prominence of race over gender in the civil rights movement. Historically overtime, race and gender have become the main forms of identity in the societal discourse, whilst class has somewhat been relegated to a secondary matter. That is not to say we should discard class, but rather accept that in today's society where racial issues are becoming ever more exacerbated by events such as what we witness in America, that race alongside gender are far more important. During the French colonial activity in West Africa for example, race was used as a tool (if you could speak French you were invited to be see yourself as French), the same with British imperialism (the Commonwealth). However, in an era of post colonialism where immigration has risen up to stimulate social discontent, race has become evermore apparent.
Well the facts are that you can't genetically isolate different groups of humans based of their phenotypes. Secondly the genetic difference between different "races" is too small to even be subspecie level which is another fact. So race is a classification which is lower than subspecies which to most scientists is arbitrary.

However I have been looking at information to do with race realism for 5 years now and even though I disagree with a lot of it because there is no pure scientific basis for their claims and a lot of "scientists" behind this are just psychologists and not geneticists or anthropologists which are proper qualified, it does make me realise there are differences no matter how small.

Even though everyone has their own scent, I have noticed that different "races" of people tend to have a general scent or scents applied to them. Crime statistics always showing a certain racial group committing more crimes than other other groups even when taking into account poverty which does increase crime, they on average commit more crime than expected. Average education achievement and IQ. Average behaviour. These can all be majorly influenced by the environment but also just as well possibly about this whole race thing; there is still a lot research to do I think.
(edited 7 years ago)
Reply 52
Avatar for spv
spv
14
Original post by BristolFresher15
Probably social.

I may be wrong, but I haven't heard of other animals segregating themselves by phenotypical variation.


Yeah, because lions and tigers hang out together.
So if it's not biological, how come you get mix raced kids when white and black come together?
Original post by spv
Yeah, because lions and tigers hang out together.


Phenotypical variation, not genotypical.

Lions and tigers are members of different species...
Original post by Mango Milkshake
There are biological differences between races. Anyone saying social is in denial.


Original post by Kryptonian
Race is NOT biological. It is a social construct. There is no gene or cluster of genes common to all blacks or all whites. Were race “real” in the genetic sense, racial classifications for individuals would remain constant across boundaries.


Original post by 34908seikj
Of course it's biological


Black people are genetically black, like asians are genetically asian looking, as are white / caucasian people.

Err sorry folks but races were socially constructed because of biological differences. As human beings came up with the words "black, white, oriental etc" they came up with the distinctions between each group. They didn't create the distinctions, they just chose for some reason to categorise everyone based on them. Therefore it's a social construct based on merit, however.
Original post by CorpusLuteum
So if it's not biological, how come you get mix raced kids when white and black come together?


omfg race is based on biology but human beings decided to count and divide everyone based on their biological differences, not nature.

Race might have been created for census and statistical reasons. "Census" and counting people came from the greeks so ask them why they decided to do this in the 1st place.
This topic is too advanced for me so I have nothing to say. Full of scientists in here..


Posted from TSR Mobile
It's both.

Obvious there are difference between blacks and whites genetically. However, the fact we define these groups and give them names is a social construct. We don't, for example, group people into the height groups, each group with a name.

Any definition of race in terms of genetics is as arbitrary a group people by height. For that reason, race isn't usually defined genetically. People are considered whatever race they identify as which suggests its a social construct.
At least in some ways, it's biological. A few of these biological differences are not controversial.

Take me, for an example. I'm an American, but I'm covered in body hair and have transparent skin. In fact, I have genes that result in higher body heat, which makes it harder for me to cope with a sunny climate that's fairly comfortable for people with darker complexions and less body hair.

If race were related purely to environment and social conditioning, then I would have been born looking like a native American. But because my ancestors came from Northern and Western Europe, I'm still effectively adapted for a climate that isn't anything like the one I face every day. The fact that I've lived here all my life doesn't change the biological race I was born with that makes me somewhat maladapted to heat and sunlight.

In other words, race is a set of biological differences related to environmental adaptations.

Ethnicity, however, IS a social construct. People often get race and ethnicity confused.
(edited 7 years ago)

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you