What is wrong with the concept of "race"?

[ranskaldan]

What is inherently different between classifying human appearances and, say, classifying chemicals, rocks, stars or climates?

Race does not exist? -
Neither do rock types, chemical types, star types or climate types, by themselves. These are all pigeonholes used for easy description and reference. So, why can't we see race as "human appearance types"?

So, once again, what is wrong with the concept of "race"?

[Felch]

Only one of those sub-human members of the Canadian race would ask such a question.

Really nothing, so long as people don't hurt other people over it.

[MrFun]

It's not really harmful, unless it's used for the wrong purposes, or if the concept of race is distorted.

For instance, based on sociological and anthropoligical research, race is not based on genetics --- or, if it is, the differences that result based on race from genetics, is 1%.

Something else to remember with the difference between racialism and racism.

During the Romanticism era of the 19th century, many whites embraced the ideology of racialism. This was based on the idea that there were indeed, innate differences between the different races, but were not necessarily inferior to one another.

Racialists would say that blacks were more feminine, and more emotional than whites. They would believe that the differences between all the races complimented the attributes of the other races in society.

Racists, on the other hand, merely believe that one race is superior to another race.

Racists would say that blacks are lacking attributes that are present in all humans, regardless of race -- such as intelligence, rational thinking, and other attributes.


I think Romantic racialists, in spite of their skewed and distorted view of races, was the first step toward seeing races as equal in the 19th century.

[Urban Ranger]

One difference is "race" is based on extremely insignificant differences between groups, unlike rocks, chemicals, and stars. The differences are so minor that there are significant overlaps among the different races in terms of abilities.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Stars and rocks are classified by scientists; moreover, despite their infinite capacity for evil, people aren't inclined to hate and destroy stars and rocks for being different.

But race, while it's seen as a scientific category, is rejected by scientists themselves. So that means its really a sociological category, and like all sociological phenomena we can make choices about it. The question is, is it a useful sociological category? Well, historically...

- you could be killed with impunity for being of the wrong race
- you could be denied all sorts of rights for being of the wrong race
- you could be (mis)classified in order to promote notions of racial superiority (e.g., Southerners who had one black great-great-great gandparent wer classified as "black," the same way being 1/16 Jewish got you shipped to the death camps under the Nazis. There could apparently be multiple races, but by mixing blood the whit race got "polluted").

In short, what's wrong with "race" is that neither states nor ordinary people can be trusted with the concept; it's hard to think of any good that's been done in the name of race, which makes it an even more damaging sociological concept than religion. Since scientists don't need it there's really no reason to keep it around.

[Felch]

We treat rocks like dirt.

[Sikander]

Originally posted by Felch X
We treat rocks like dirt.

Rufus,

An excellently reasoned and written explanation of why we will all be better off once we can forget the idea of race. Cultures are more easily defined and inherently useful sociological concepts, and more often than not when we speak of race we actually mean culture anyway.

[DarkCloud]

There are no races, or even subspecies... If there were different "Races" of humans- they could not breed with each other- it is as simple as that.

That is why there is not 2 or 3 "Races" of humans.

[Goingonit]

Race implies a large genetic difference. There is nothing wrong with ethnicity, however.

[OzzyKP]

The concept of race is made up and harmful. It only serves to divide people into superficial categories. Cultural differences are plenty. It is most useful in the Americas (I'd imagine) for Americans who because of slavery don't have a clear family history nor can trace themselves to a single region or nation in Africa. So they are just called black.

But it does bias people. A new imigrant from Germany is treated much different than a new imigrant from Mexico. Mostly because skin color is an obvious outward way to pigeon hole someone.

[WhiteElephants]

Originally posted by Sikander
An excellently reasoned and written explanation of why we will all be better off once we can forget the idea of race. Cultures are more easily defined and inherently useful sociological concepts, and more often than not when we speak of race we actually mean culture anyway.

So would you, and others who don't support the notion of race, then support abolishing afirmative action?

[WhiteElephants]

Originally posted by Felch X
We treat rocks like dirt.

[DarkCloud]

Originally posted by WhiteElephants


So would you, and others who don't support the notion of race, then support abolishing afirmative action?

Affirmitive Action is RACIST!!!!(&$(@!#&

The fiends are supporting racial inequality and supporting biases and hate!*(!&@(&!#(%*&

There should be NO affirmitive action EXCEPT in cases where the "minority's" credidentials equal the White's credidentials, in which case I may argue that the minority should possibly be given a slight exception.

They DESERVE NOTHING !@#&%(&@#(%

THEY SHOULD WORK LIKE EVEYRONE ELSE

DO YOU WANT TO LIVE IN A SOVIET GULAG!
DO YOU WANT YOUR COUNTRY TO COLLAPSE!

I WOULD RATHER HAVE A COMPETENT PERSON WORK ON MY CAR AS A MECHANIC OR MANAGE MY MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM THAN SOMEONE PUT THERE BY "AFFIRMITIVE ACTION"

hmph.
(please don't call me the new Wigalf... but I dislike AA )

[Goingonit]

AA is indeed very stupid and racist. However, this does not mean that Black or Hispanic people aren't less likely to recieve a good education - this may be remedied thorugh vouchers or increased school funding and support.

[DarkCloud]

Originally posted by Goingonit
AA is indeed very stupid and racist. However, this does not mean that Black or Hispanic people aren't less likely to recieve a good education - this may be remedied thorugh vouchers or increased school funding and support.

True, if thatt is carried out fairly, I suppose I may support it!