Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Lisette Guizar
Mandy Tran
Sawyer Player
Mrs. Maya Silver
Writing 2010
Bibliography
Andersen, M. L., & Collins, P. H. Systems of Power and Inequality. Andersen, M. L., &
Collins, P. H. (Eds.), Race, Class & Gender An Anthology. Cengage. 2013, pp. 51-73
Race, class, ethnicity, and sexuality are socially constructed. They construct groups in binaries,
meaning they have one or the other. They are a part of an individual and is also a group's
identity. They are not a fixed category because they change with time. Also these social
constructs are not just our experiences and identities. These social constructs shows us how the
Anderson, Kay. "The Beast within: Race, Humanity, and Animality." Environment and
Compares our physical Animal to our cultural human that each of us has. Talks about human
nature and what makes us human. There is also data from a micro study done in Sydney,
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Introduces the idea of Cladism(a school of classification that separates taxa by appeal to common
ancestry). Talks about how constructivists believe that biological realism and social
constructivism are incompatible views too hold, but the author believes that they both can be
Baker, Lee D. From savage to negro: anthropology and the construction of race, 1896-1954.
Bakers academic writing explores the relationship between African Americans and Caucasian
scholars. The book outlines the both race and social darwinism and how they support one
another. Baker briefly touches on the concept of cultural relativism. He includes examples of
how laws enforced racial classification and discrimination in the United States, such as the
Separate but Equal clause and Jim Crow laws in the American south. Lastly, Baker expands
Berger, Peter L., and Thomas Luckmann. The social construction of reality: a treatise in the
Origins of the term Social construction. One theme is that over time humans develop behaviors
from each other and use those behaviors with each other dependending on the situation that they
are in. It also delves into how reality itself is a social construct.
Ferguson, Roderick A. "Race." Keywords for American Cultural Studies. Eds. Bruce Burgett and
Glenn Hendler. New York: New York University Press, 2014. Credo Reference. Web. 28
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June 2015.
Insights about race have changed over time through several movements. There are arguments
that placed race as only a biological inheritance. These arguments claimed that race was not a
social construction, but something that could be biologically proven. This claim created a large
separation of political and cultural groups. Race became a way of defining someone political
standings. Minority movements worked to stop the cultural split and argued for things like land
Gannon, Megan. Race is a Social Construct, Scientists Argue. Live Science. 4 February. 2016.
Today the key belief is that race is a social construct without biological meaning. There are many
assumptions about genetic difference between people of different races. Today these assumptions
are one thing that fuel racial beliefs.People assume that people are separated by race due to
genetic difference. There is no scientific research that has proven that there is a common set of
Gates, E. Nathaniel. Racial classification and history. New York: Garland, 1997. Print.
This book encompasses a global history from the beginning of racial classification to present
time. Gates discusses key points throughout time that racial classification has resulted in racism,
institutionalized African American Slavery, as well as the United States Civil Rights movement.
Gates highlights the development of minorities and their class struggle, as well as their fight for
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Hirtle, Jeannine St. Pierre. "Coming to Terms: Social Constructivism." The English Journal 85.1
Displays the goals of social constructivism as providing a critical learning experience for
students through the building of knowledge about self, school, everyday experience, and society.
and Choice, The" Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review Vol. 29 (1994) p. 1
Today the key belief is that race is a social construct without biological meaning. There are many
assumptions about genetic difference between people of different races. Today these assumptions
are one thing that fuel racial beliefs.People assume that people are separated by race due to
genetic difference. There is no scientific research that has proven that there is a common set of
Jeffers, C. The Cultural Theory of Race: Yet Another Look at Du Bois's The Conservation of
Race is political, they separate people into dominant and subordinate groups, they privilege some
and disadvantage others. We should acknowledge that there are surface level differences but
remember these do not explain all the differences in their history. The reality is that we group
people together because of their differences. The political theory of race says, racial difference is
a social phenomenon where the reality is an ongoing history of discrimination and oppression.
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Johnson, Allan. Privilege, Power and Difference. McGraw-Hill, 2006. Lopez, Ian. The Social
Construction of Race.
It is a myth that people are naturally frightened by difference. People are not naturally afraid of
what they dont know or understand. Instead people use this idea of natural fear to keep people
who are not classified as white Americans on the outside. Those who are privileged use this fear
to justify their actions towards people of color. People learn to fear difference through the society
around them. If society did not recognize difference it would be socially irrelevant and would not
exist.
https://www.jacobinmag.com/2015/06/racecraft-racism-social-origins-reparations/
People wanted to define what white is because of the court case Plessy v. Ferguson. They
defined it as a person who is an Armenian born in Asiatic Turkey, and any other traces of blood
is excluded. This shows the power of the dominant population. They have the power to define us,
which makes it hard for us to say race is a part of our identity because someone is plastering it
onto us. Race is a new thing that the United states had created without relating it to our genetics
or biology.
https://anthropology.net/2008/10/01/race-as-a-social-construct/
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Race was created by the dominant group, this showed us that they had the privilege and power to
define people. While defining one's race, the dominant group can also define our status. By
marking a status, you exclude and include people, allowing some to have a certain amount of
power. People have created the meaning of race and we all agreed, accepted, acknowledge its
existence, even if it is biologically not real. Although it's not biologically real, it is socially real.
Machery, Edouard. Social Construction and the Concept of Race. Philsci Archive. 2004.
The social construction of race is a topic that many people disagree on. It was first said that race
could be proven biologically, but it was later found that there is a lot of genetic variability within
racial groups. Biological advances have fueled the idea that race does not exist. Those who
believe in the social construction of race state that traits such as skin color, body type, and hair
Mcintosh, Peggy. White Privilege: Unpacking the invisible backpack. Peace and Freedom
In society today white people receive what is called white privilege. It is common for a white
person not to be taught to see this privilege. No one is taught to see this privilege because once it
is acknowledged people have to be accountable for its unfair advantages. These privileges are
unearned and given to only those who fit into society's standards. Unearned skin privilege puts
people of color at a great disadvantage in settings such as the work place or in court.
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Mitchell, William John Thomas. Seeing through race. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard U Press, 2012.
Print.
Mitchell creates an argument that a colorblind world is neither a possibility in this day an age,
nor is it desirable. He believes race to be biological rather than a construction. The argument
include the claim that racial distinction is essential and fundamental to society. Race is the most
powerful tool against racism, and assists people in discovering their identity pridefully. Race is
Moore, John H. Encyclopedia of race and racism. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA/Thomson
This text explores the creation of the concept of race. Race and racism are clearly presented as
different from one another, but the connection between the two is clearly established. Moore
includes a global perspective, with particular focus on United States history. Insight to
multiculturalism, immigration, and ethnicity is provided within the book. The author attempts to
answer the ongoing question of how people attain racist beliefs and why racial hierarchy is often
Morning, Ann Juanita. The nature of race: how scientists think and teach about human
This text explores the differing opinions of scientists pertaining to race. Morning includes insight
into the ongoing debate between Biologist and Anthropologists of whether race is a biological
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element or a social construct. The author goes into depth in defining race, and poses the question
of whether race is determined by appearance, ancestry, genes, or culture. She explores the
science behind how the environment can shape its inhabitants. Lastly, Morning relays the idea
that racial differences have developed throughout the course of time due to adaptation to the
http://www.nchpeg.org/bssr/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=102:social-const
ruction-of-race&Itemid=137
Race is a loose connection of people who are historically bounded. How we are categorized by
race is through our origin, skin color, face structure, hair texture, and our blood. This affects how
others see us and how we see other people. It is also affected by our ancestors, phenotypic
characteristics, cultural practices, economic needs, and political affiliation. Even today, the
dominant group use race to unequally distribute power. People try to prove through biology that
there is a difference between the difference races, but when we are trying to see races through a
Not just a Social Construct: Theorising Race and Ethnicity - Jul 02, 2016. N.p., n.d. Web. 16
Feb. 2017.
In an attempt to answer the question of what does race mean and why is it useful, the author
theorizes that racial construction was an attempt to organize. This is reflected particularly in
anglo-america. Both the disadvantaged and the advantaged are clearly recognizable and
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categorized. Motives for this categorization were both social and political, such as the creation of
racially based enslavement created by white people. The text explores the debate between the
Onwuachi-Willig, Angela. "Race and Racial Identity Are Social Constructs NYTimes.com."
How race is perceived is in the eye of the beholder. Talks about how unlike race and racial
identity, the social, political and economic meanings of race, or how you associate with
Sesardic, N. Race: a social destruction of a biological concept. Biology & Philosophy, 25 (2) ,
There are many intelligent people who says race doesn't have a biological reality. They say if
race is related to biology then it implies that there is a common ancestry, different morphological
characteristics between races, and differ in psychological characteristics. They differ in heritable
characteristics that divides humans from one another because some people have certain traits and
tendencies that they don't share with others.We want to say race isn't biologically real because
we want to be politically correct and cautious about what is being said, so we can't just take
Smedley, Audrey. Race as Biology is Fiction, Racism as a Social Problem is Real. American
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Race can not be defined biologically it is a problem that was recently constructed. Race was
created long after groups of people from different continents came together. People who see race
to have biological origins feel that races are naturally unequal and must be ranked. Physical
features continue to be the key makers of racial identity. Race ideology began developing during
Smedley, Audrey, and Brian D. Smedley. "Race as biology is fiction, racism as a social problem
The author is angered by the idea that race is not a social construct. He refutes the scientific
claims that race classifies people by biological differences in health, intelligence, education, and
wealth. Race is not scientifically meaningful. A modern discussion of racial differences outlined
historically is offered. This journal offers evidence that racial groups are not entirely genetically
connected, and multiracial groups prove race to be a social construct as opposed to a biological
component of mankind.
"Social Construction of Race: Some Observations on Illusion ..." Berkeley Law, N.p., n.d. Web.
16 Feb. 2017.
The author explains how the American colonial era was incredibly influential to the roots of
racial construct and racism. Slavery, which had formerly been based on social class, indentured
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servitude, or punishment for crime became racial. One of the many reasons is that slaves could
easily be identified by their appearance and skin color, making it much more difficult to claim
freedom. This source claims that race is problematic. The claim that human fate is determined by
ancestry and appearance is prevalent throughout. According to the text, this limits ones ability to
Tolia-Kelly, D. P., & Crang, M. Affect, race, and identities. Environment & Planning A. Oct.
Race has no biological foundation, it is a myth, and is socially and culturally constructed. What
is counted for race differences is a person DNA, cells, and inherited physicality. There has been
a history of trying to classify human species through racial identities. They tried to define what it
means to be human. What they had came up with is one who can feel emotions, is capable of
power, has beauty, literature, art, and nature. We need to engender anti racist action in everyday
life.
Race categories are social constructs, in other words concepts created from the appearance of a
person, and then separating people by appearance into their racial group. These racial groups
have been medicalized, then have been legitimized by their use in medical learning materials and
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use as descriptive labels. Talks about ethnicity versus race and how ethnicity is the correct term
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