Race The Power Of An Illusion - 998 Words

The PBS series â€Å"Race: The Power of an Illusion† effectively works to expose race as a social construct and deconstructs the false notions that race is a biological marker. The series first discusses that all human beings originated from Africa but dispersed about 70,000 years ago to various places in the world. As a result of this migration, people were spread to different locations throughout the world with different environmental conditions that affected their physical traits. It was many years after the migration in which people began to display these new physical traits such as slanted eyes, fair skin, and differing hair textures. While the series notes the physical changes that occurred during the migration it also emphasizes that race while it may seem apparent in skin color and other physical features has no real biological basis. Prior to viewing the series, I have always felt like race was a social construct that really didn’t represent the diverse civilizations on earth. Anyone who see me would assumes my race is Black however to me race is general terms for my ethnicity. Having been brought up in an Nigerian household I never really completely related to my Black American friends. This really made me question was I truly Black and if so are there different types of Blacks. Racial terms like Black, White, Hispanic, and Asian fail to convey the disparate cultures that their are in the world. Instead the pigeon hole people of a specific skin color by classifying themShow MoreRelatedThe Power Of Illusion : The Social Construction Of Race1378 Words   |  6 PagesThe social construction of race and the conjured up idea of different races affects many Americans on a macro and micro scale or institutionally and individually, respectively. To sociologists, this idea of a socially constructed race matters b ecause race has a tremendous influence on people’s lives. It may be difficult to believe, but race is socially constructed. Race is something humans have fabricated; therefore, it has no biological meaning. Race is without basis in our natural world, yet humansRead MoreRace : The Power Of Illusion, Microbiologist Pilar Ossorio996 Words   |  4 PagesJessica Zhu Short Writing Assignment 4/17/17 Race is a hot topic in our world. We all think we know what race is. After all, we are constantly being bombarded with it whether it be from media, politics, or sports. The truth is that race does not revolve around the idea of biological traits or characteristics. It is a modern concept that we as a society have created to divide people into categories. I will argue that race is socially constructed from a biological, political history, and sociologicalRead MoreA Critique On Race : The Power Of Illusion And A Few Readings2259 Words   |  10 PagesA Critique on RACE: The Power of Illusion and a Few Readings An ideology or a belief system toward a group of people usually originates from economic need for labor and the distribution of resources. Who will provide the labor with little reward and who will benefit from that labor with little manual labor characterizes many cultural dynamics and institutions. Racism, especially in the U.S., isn’t exempt from this construction, for races is a social construction emerging from power fluctuations thatRead MoreThe Slaughter of Native Americans and The Enslavement of African Americans940 Words   |  4 PagesRace is an issue that has impacted every person on Earth for the past few centuries; humans have been divided into different ‘labels’ based upon their physical appearance. Although race seemed like a good idea to categorize and distinguish people, these groupings have been used as a basis for hatred and oppression. Throughout the years, countries, governments, and individuals have utilized race as an excuse to exploit and abuse other people. According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, slaveryRead MoreAmerican Society After The World War Era Essay1132 Words   |  5 Pagesthat resulted in post-WWII society. Post-WWII society was dominated by the â€Å"culture of exclusion.† Essentially, the â€Å"culture of exclusion† excluded individuals from American society because of their race, class, and gender. This exclusion included people of color, lower class citizens, and women. Race was an ongoing struggle since the birth of America, and it only seemed to divide people even more so through time. People of color were excluded from American society through sharecropping, immigrationRead MoreThe Mark of Race Essay991 Words   |  4 PagesRace has proven to be more than the color of someone’s skin. Race, through personal experience, is stigmas and stereotypes, limits and control, power, and opportunity. Race is about shades, hues, and pigments justifying bias actions. Does one race, because of something that cannot be changed, have an advantage over another? Does something as simple as the color dictate how one is seen in society and limit what one can and cannot do? We classify one another in four or five classes based on featuresRead MoreWhite America / Black America1165 Words   |  5 Pagesopportunity is a basic right and furthermore it is the law. Employment applications ask that the applicant reveal their race by checking the box, yet, Federal laws state that discrimination based on race is illegal. Why then does the box exist? One answer found during this research states: We need a racial classification because our society is still unequal in terms of race. For example, does being white have the same meaning as being Black, Latino, or Native American? Sociologist Andrew HackerRead MoreUnited States Vs. Brazil Race1244 Words   |  5 Pages5/1/2015 United States vs. Brazil race categorizing and history â€Å"Think about race in its universality. Where is your measurement device? There is no way to measure race. We sometimes do it by skin color, other people may do it by hair texture - other people may have the dividing lines different in terms of skin color. What is black in the United States is not what s black in Brazil or what s black in South Africa.†-Dr.Goodman, Race: The Power of an Illusion Earlier in the year the semester IRead More Overcoming Racial Prejudice Essays1505 Words   |  7 PagesThe Idea of Race Throughout history, and in today’s society, race has been a debated topic. Even today the question about whether race influences intelligence, athletic ability, and creativeness is still discussed. Through scientific research it is known that race contributes nothing to how a person thinks, feels, or acts and that is it society that creates these standards. When looking into the past there was much controversy about blacks and their self worth. According to the Thomas Jefferson’sRead MoreRace in Amerca911 Words   |  4 PagesRace, simple external differences linked to other complex internal differences, has historically created issues in American society. â€Å"Race and racial inequalities are one of the most vital issues confronting contemporary U.S. society,† explains Sociologist Ronald Takaki. In the past race has had both biological and social implications across the country. However, the video Race: The Power of Illusion presents significant evidence refuting the biological theories of race. Cold Springs Harbor Laboratory