...What is race? Common responses in the Sociology 222 class were, 'race is something we are born with' and 'race is the same as skin colour'. When looking at these statements from a Sociological perspective, we have to ask ourselves a few relevant questions. Why are sociologists critical of the above statements? How do research writers challenge ideas about social construction and institutionalisation of race under apartheid and colonialism? This essay is going to discuss a number of readings in order to answer the above questions. This essay will also look at the relevance of the Jane Elliot experiment for thinking about, and understanding of race as a social construction. Lastly, this essay will discuss what we can learn about the dynamics of apartheid from the experiences of Sandra Laing in the film 'Skin'. In conclusion this essay will evaluate the various opinions and research done on the matter of race, and how race is socially constructed. Firstly, we have to look at how and why sociologists are critical of race as a biological phenomenon. Race is widely discussed and debated all over the world. The main sociological focus is the effects of social race and how race is used to categorize people into groups. When we look back in history, we see that race was seen as a biological factor for many centuries. When explorers from Europe in the New World discovered people who looked different, raised questions such as ‘Did God only make one species of humanity?’ and ‘Where...
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...Race and Why It Is UNimportant Race plays a very important role in our lives. It seems like everyday there is another story on the news that reiterates the idea that someone's race is what makes them who they are. It is their identity. Their soul. And any attack or privilege that happens to them, stems from their race.But what about someone's work ethic, attitude, or intelligence. Could these not also explain the reason why a person is successful or a failure? Or is race the only factor that plays a part in the success of someone? With so many opposing arguments it is hard to understand what is fact and what is fiction, when it comes to discussions on race. With that being said, I believe that race does not matter because leading african-americans...
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...minority communities in British society’ (Solomos 1989:2). Equality of opportunity in this sense is associated to the concept of racial equality, which can simply refer to ‘social equality for peoples of all races’ (Crenshaw 1988). In spite of this however, there remain deeply entrenched processes of discrimination resistant to legal and political interventions throughout society (Solomos 1993). This essay will discuss the claim ‘there ain’t no Black in the Union Jack’ in relation to these processes of discrimination which have encouraged the mis representation and exclusion of Black people within British society. The first part of the essay will outline the meaning of race and racism in the 21st century. It will then go on to discuss processes of exclusion, which are reinforced by the media and politicians representation of black migrants and the existence of so called ‘White spaces’. These exclusions of black people can be seen to prevent them from identifying as British thus excluding them from being part of ‘the Union Jack’. Whilst the concept of racism has been restricted by the notion of ‘colour’ as it has concealed the full range of ways in which racism has operated in Britain, including against Jews, Gypsies and the Irish (Jewesbury 2008), throughout this essay the term will only be discussed in the political sense to ‘denote people who self- identify, originate or have ancestry from global majority populations (i.e. African, Asian, Middle Eastern and Latin America)...
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...Comparing and Contrasting Essentialist Approaches to Social Psychology with Social Constructionist Approaches to Social Psychology. A widely recognised definition of social psychology is “an effort to understand and explain how the thought, feeling, and behaviour of individuals are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others” (Allport, 1985). However, how to measure this, the research methods to be used and what constitutes useful evidence has caused much debate in the history of social psychology. This essay will compare and contrast the two epistemologies of essentialist and social constructionist approaches to social psychology and the research methods of quantitative and qualitative used in each approach. Essentialists’ view of the world is that the properties possessed by a group are universal in that group and do not depend on context. However, a member of a group may possess other characteristics that are not required to include it as a group member but, it must not have characteristics that preclude it from being a member of the group (Burr, 1995). For example, essentialists believe that personality consists of a number of traits and personality of an individual is established by the level of each of these traits. Essentialists also believe that these traits remain more or less stable over time and it is our personality that influences behaviour (Maltby, 2010). As essentialists are able to classify groups as such, they use quantitative research...
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...revolution in Neolithic longitudinal research human zoological taxonomy annual cycle what primates have in common why anthropologists should spend more than one annual cycle primates “ivory tower” approach differences between humans and other primates “advocacy” approach Homininoids Homo sapiens American Anthropological Association Hominins Homo sapiens sapiens ethics for ethnographers Hominids “archaic” homo sapiens ethics for archeologists human zoological taxonomy ethics for Anthropology instructors stereoscopic vision Four Major Subfields of Anthropology bipedalism cultural anthropology Australopithicus archeological anthropology Homo habilis Mary Leaky biological (physical)...
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...What is the Difference Between ‘Sex’ and ‘Gender’? To start this essay I will clearly state definitions of ‘Sex’ and ‘Gender’ respectively. ‘Sex’ is described as ‘the biological properties that distinguish organisms on the basis of their reproductive roles.’(Princeton University – 2010). Whereas gender is listed as ‘the state of being male or female, typically with reference to social or cultural differences rather than biological.’(Michigan University – 2010). In this essay I will explore and investigate both sex and gender, whilst identifying the differences between the two. I will start by elaborating on the given definitions. Sex is defined on the Princeton University website as ‘biological’. This is a word that has recurred in many other definitions that I have researched for the word ‘sex’. This would suggest that sex is able to be categorized in a straight forward manner. However, there are several high profile cases in the media, when the issue of ‘sex’ has come into question. Perhaps most recently is the case of South African athlete, Caster Semanya. Semanya won the 800m race during the African Junior Championship, with the fastest time of the year. This lead to some spectators questioning her sex. When looking at the athlete she has an incredibly muscular and angular frame, and this coupled with her record breaking run made the International Athletic Association ask for a sex test. This case brought the issue of ‘sex’ into much disrepute. Now, we are...
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...Mid Term Essay Felicia Deremer Anth100 APUS Kristie Martin Mid Term Essay Anthropology is unique due to its concerning human nature which is broken down into four different subfields. The four major fields are Biological, Cultural, Linguistic and Archaeology anthropology all four fields have a very diverse approach to the study of humans. For example Cultural anthropologist are more focused on things like social and religious beliefs within the human species. While Biological (Physical) anthropologist are interested in the evolution of humans. Linguistic anthropologist study languages within the human’s species. And lastly Archaeology anthologists studies humans by fossil remains. While even though all four sub fields study the human with different approaches they all still use a scientific method in their researches to study human kind. I’m a primate. You’re a primate everyone reading this is a primate. We hear humans are primates, but what does that mean that humans are ancestors to apes? No not exactly it just means that we share similar traits with primates such as apes and chimpanzees. According to the Smithsonian magazine “humans share more DNA with lemurs, monkeys, and apes than they do with any other mammals.” Carl Linnaeus was the first to classify humans with monkeys and apes in his 18th century taxonomic system. So now that we know that we similar apes what traits do we really share. Well first vision humans an apes can both see color. The...
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...gender identity and biological sex. By definition, the term “biological sex”represents the true meaning of an individual sex status. Gender, on the other hand, has multiple interpretations between men, women and what comes in beetween through social development and “nurture” of cultural adoption. Money and Erhardt (1972) suggest that biological gender is what a person perceives or assumes to expose and reveal that “he” or “she” has the sexual status of being male or female. Gender is more than that. It has more complexity that represents way of thinking, ideas, styles, patterns, habits, and many other aspects beyond biological sex status. One notion argues that gender in an essence is natural, stable and something given by God, which means that gender cannot be changed. Most scholars would perceive such theory as Gender Classification by Nature. Other argue that gender is a result of modification and influence of the shape of social institution that constructs and develops its profile on an individual. Thus, gender is based on social-view perception instead of being given and determined biologically. Gender also is recongnised as being derived from Nurture (Nurture Theory). This essays attempts to discuss the application of the above mentioned theories and ideas related to the writer’s social environment and cultural background in Indonesia, where gender is considered as a term derived naturally from God and granted as it is through biological status. Due to globalization...
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...‘Race is a historically and culturally specific notion, embedded in a constellation of economic, political, and cultural discourses and uniquely linked to specific relations of power and authority’ (Hirschfield, 1998, p.34). It has been argued that race was an Enlightenment project that resulted from the desire to classify (Cohen, 1974, p.207). Racial thinking certainly existed before this period, but the modern concept of race is a more recent one that has developed from the encounter of more Europeans with other peoples (MacDonald, 1973, p.241). There is some disagreement as to when the construction of race took its current form. First, it has been suggested that the descriptions of race in ancient literature demonstrate that it originates in xenophobic beliefs (Hirschfield, 1998, p.34). The system of natural classification that developed in the Eighteenth Century is also seen as an important contribution (Hannaford, 1996, p.188). However, almost all studies agree that a distinctive development of racial thinking began to take place in the Nineteenth Century (Hirschfield, 1998, p.35). The Nineteenth Century saw the search for the historical and biological origins of race (Hannaford, 1996, p.235). It went beyond the simply classification of race and towards a more significant delineation of race into one that embodies characteristics, personalities and even mental abilities. Several key developments were relevant to this progression. These will be examined as follows: first...
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...How Gender Inequality Is Explained Sociology How has gender inequality been explained? (Answer with reference to a range of theories and approaches) Critically assess the attempt of one of the feminist group to overcome gender inequality. Social stratification “A system by which a society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy’ (Macionis and Plummer: 2005: 190). Social stratification is common in different aspects throughout society and throughout history some of the most substantial categories affected are class, race, disabilities, sexuality and globally. However this essay shall be investigating the stratification by gender, referred to as gender inequality. There are many reasons for the disparity of gender “...circumscribed by its underlying social, legal, political, economic, and cultural characteristics” (Rives and Yousefi 1997:1). Gender stratification categories people in regard to their ‘sex’, this can be defined as anatomical differences and physiological differences between male and female for example the difference in chromosomes, sex organs and hormones. The word ‘gender’ has been socially constructed through the means of a stereotype and ideology of the social role, identity, position and behaviour of male and feminine through different institutions and aspects like the media, religion, culturally and historically. Up until the era of Suffragettes in the late 19th Century women were always deemed lower than men and inequality was highly significant...
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...Does Race Exist? * Posted 02.15.00 * NOVA The concept of race is one of the most intellectually and emotionally charged subjects, not only in society but in science as well. NOVA Online asked two leading anthropologists, Dr. Loring Brace of the University of Michigan and Dr. George Gill of the University of Wyoming, who fall on either side of the debate about whether race exists in biologic terms, to state their points of view. Regardless of where you stand on the issue, we think you will find their arguments well-reasoned and thought-provoking. Loring Brace and George Gill come down on different sides of the question Does race exist biologically? Read their viewpoints here. EnlargePhoto credit: © andipantz/iStockphoto AN ANTAGONIST'S PERSPECTIVE by C. Loring Brace I am going to start this essay with what may seem to many as an outrageous assertion: There is no such thing as a biological entity that warrants the term "race." The immediate reaction of most literate people is that this is obviously nonsense. The physician will retort, "What do you mean 'there is no such thing as race'? I see it in my practice everyday!" Jane Doe and John Roe will be equally incredulous. Note carefully, however, that my opening declaration did not claim that "there is no such thing as race." What I said is that there is no "biological entity that warrants the term 'race'." "You're splitting hairs," the reader may retort. "Stop playing verbal games and tell us what you really mean...
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...HUMA 1000 (L1) Assignment 3 – Draft Essay Would you agree that all human actions are ultimately motivated by self-interest? Provide reasons for your agreement/disagreement. Although few would use the word “selfish”, a word of negative connotation that implies actions done harm the interests of others for the benefit of the doer, to describe the whole human race, some believe all rational human actions are ultimately motivated by “self-interest”, a more neutral word that implies actions done are motivated by the doer’s desire, but may or may not cause harm to others. Others, however, argue that some acts such as altruism, or otherwise called “selfless actions”, serve as evidence that counters the view. This essay will argue that all human actions are ultimately motivated by self-interest. By examining human actions as either (1) acts for self, (2) altruistic acts that also benefit the doer or (3) altruistic acts that do not, it will argue that all of the above actions are ultimately initiated by self-interest. ["apparent fact" sounds like an oxymoron; "clear fact" is better] It is widely accepted that many human actions are done to benefit the doer. Every day, people work for food and shelter. They entertain themselves with occasional trips to theme parks or the cinema. In desperate circumstances, some may even commit theft or murder. All these are actions intended to be self-beneficial. It is not necessarily evil to be self-interested. Any rational person would...
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...any words that are taken from another writer, another student, a website or any other source, I’ve placed them in quotation marks and have given attribution to the source of the quote. Signature: Justin R Page Date: April 15, 2012 2. I have read the university’s statement on intellectual honesty/plagiarism and I understand it. Signature Justin R Page Date: April 15, 2012 Gender and Technology Overview and Introduction The research presented in this study is to show the various differences and influences genders are faced and impacted through the use of technology in today’s world. In this essay there will also be a brief look at how some races are also impacted differently in technological uses. This essay will take a look into an article called, “Caring About Connections: Gender and Computing” written by Jane Margolis, Allan Fisher and Faye Miller. In their article they take a look at differences in women and males with their uses and influence in technology, and women’s efforts to pursue an education in computer science and technology. This paper will be able to sum up their main ideas, critically analyze their beliefs, and take a particular look at women pursing fields of study in the technological workplace and technological studies. Gender Definition The definition of gender is not a very easy word to define. There are many meanings and terms that can be characterized under...
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...isolated reproductively from other populations, whose members share a greater degree of physical and genetic similarity with one another than with other humans. a group of tribes or peoples forming an ethnic stock: the Slavic race. any people united by common history, language, cultural traits, etc.: the Dutch race. the human race or family; humankind: Nuclear weapons pose a threat to the race. (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/race?s=t) This is the definition given by the online dictionary I found, while the definition given by the sociological board for race is that although the essential characteristics of race are biological in origin, it is their transformation into a social variable by society that gives it its explanatory power during social situations. In this essay I shall be showing how these two different definitions of race contrast with one another in many different ways. First of all the dictionary definition of race and ethnicity defines them more on physical characteristics that certain groups of people would have in common when compared to others or are also of common descent. A prime example of this would be the physical differences between white and black people. While on the other hand, the sociological definition describes race and ethnicity as more of a thing we come...
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...Background/History: Women of color have always been in a subordinate position in society; due to the patterns of hierarchy, domination, and oppression based on race and gender. This inequality is built into the structure of our society. Inequality, in other words is structural or socially patterned. In the past inequality often was justified through biology, it was argued that biological traits such as race and gender were relevant. But, this was only relevant because these traits are socially ranked and rewarded based on ones rank. From the mid-1960s to the early 1970s, black women were in a difficult position. Between the civil rights and feminist movements, where did they fit in? They had been the backbone of the civil rights movement, but their contributions were minimized. When black women assembled to the feminist movement, white women discriminated against them and gave little attention to the class issues that seriously affected black women, who also tended to be poor. Black women are plagued with this type of double-jeopardy problem they can not win on either side Review of literature:...
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