Research Paper: Race from a Biological and Social Perspective

McGinty-Peterson: “Race from a Biological and Social Perspective”

Chelsea McGinty-Peterson 12/2/2014 Anth 1020

Research Paper: Race from a Biological and Social Perspective

“All skin colors, whether light or dark, are not due to race but to adaptation for life under the sun.” –Alan Goodman, Biological Anthropologist

What is Race? Who decides which ethnicity belongs to which race? Is there a difference from a biological and social perspective? These questions are just a few that I had when beginning this research project. I found various information from various sources regarding what race is from an anthropologists perspective and also from a modern day (last few hundred years) perspective. To begin we will look into a biological point of view. Race is a biological and social concept used to categorize or classify humans into bigger specific groups or populations based upon various traits including genetics, physical appearance, ethnicity, and geographical factors, and religious factors, linguistic and social class. One of the most common ways human classification happens is by looking at phenotypes that are common amongst different humans in example, height, and weight or skin color. When

1

McGinty-Peterson: “Race from a Biological and Social Perspective”

these phenotypes are observed, there is a common average that is looked at to break down classifications in ethnicity. For example, light skin with warm or pale skin tones usually is classified as European decent while a dark cool skin tone is classified with African descent. Although this may sound easy there is much more that goes into it which is where facial and body measurements, hair color, eye color, social class, religion, and geographical location all come into play. As time goes on, it gets more and harder to classify humans due to biracial popularity. In biology race is commonly determined by relatable phenotype traits that forensic anthropologists observe and draw conclusions with from skeletal remains. The human species is extraordinary in the fact that we are able to determine race with very similar cranial skeletal structures. With many other non-human species, it is much easier to determine specific species due to fluctuation in skeletal make up. This is not so much for humans, which is where the social aspects start to combine with biological views in anthropology. An example of this is find specific tools, pottery or even furniture close to similar skeletal remains. This allows biological anthropologists to determine not only the race of a species but the social interaction as well as lifestyle of the identified species. Socially in modern day, race is viewed much more upon physical appearance than phenotypes. It is fairly easy to look at a Caucasian person and draw the conclusion of European descent as it is to look at a person of medium-olive skin, dark hair, and dark eyes and decide they are of Hispanic descent. This is where racial stereotypes are formed, tension begins, and racial prejudice begins. When we begin to mix religious affiliations along with hobbies, talents,

2

McGinty-Peterson: “Race from a Biological and Social Perspective”

or other beliefs into the classification of humans, that is where feelings get hurt and this world turns from a peaceful place of discovery and interest to a place of hurt, lies, and hate. Fortunately, we as humans amongst so many of the powerful aspects of ourselves are able to leave the unbiased classification up to anthropologists and social analysts. There is a quote that I personally love from Nelson Mandela’s autobiography Long Walk to Freedom that states the opinion on conditional love and hate: “No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” I love this because this is what modern day human classification has turned into, not only just the classification, but the judgment and the automatic placement of social class. In conclusion, I believe the ability that geneticists as well as biological anthropologists have to classify humans is absolutely remarkable. When science in general is unbiased, powerful things can happen and will be done. However likewise with any good thing, too much of it can also be bad. When we contort the process of human classification into a biased “human social right” that comes with stereotypes, that’s where we will have problems functioning in harmony with one another. Race is a beautiful thing that we can detect so many things like lifestyle, religious beliefs, and most importantly knowledge from one another that’s when race is fantastic.

3

McGinty-Peterson: “Race from a Biological and Social Perspective”

I wanted to leave off with a powerful quote that shows the outcome of looking at others through a racial perspective. This quote is from Martin Luther King Jr. speech, “I Have a Dream”: When we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

4

McGinty-Peterson: “Race from a Biological and Social Perspective”

References: Martin Luther King Jr. “I have a dream”. Delivered in Washington D.C. at the Lincoln Memorial. August 28, 1963.

Race and Human Diversity: A Bicultural Approach. Robert L. Anemone. 2010

“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_%28human_classification%29” . Wikimedia Project powered by MediaWild. 19, November, 2014.

5