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The importance of freedom of speech
The importance of freedom of speech
The importance of freedom of speech
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American tradition and culture is based around the concept of free speech. One can say what he likes, make any point he chooses, and express any opinion he desires in America. Anyone, from the homeless person, to the workingman, to the President of the United States himself is entitled to have an opinion, and to discuss it without impediment. It's considered a god-given right to speak what's on your mind. One thing that is never spoken of freely, however, is the subject of racial differences, what genetically separates us in terms of physical and mental abilities and instinct. It is almost a social "taboo" to go near anything that could possibly be construed as saying that somehow, we're not all the same, and somehow, race makes us different. Oh, no - talk about something like that and somebody might call you a "racist". And nobody likes to be called a "racist".
But really, let's look at what makes us, as human beings, different from one another in terms of races of people.The differences between Negroes and Nordic Aryans particularly, because they are the most obvious and therefore the most well known.
Well first, you would have to accept that there is a difference in skin color between a Black man and a White man, and this difference is caused by different melanin levels. What causes this difference? Why, it's evolution, that gradual process of genetic change due to the environment a particular species habitates. Negroes lived in very hot, sun-drenched parts of Africa, and they needed protection from the sun. So they evolved darker skin so they wouldn't get sunburned as easily.
Now we all know that Africa is some of the most fertile, lush land in the world. Africa abounds with game and almost any type of fruit and berries imaginable. The actual deserts in Africa are quite small, and those images of starving African Negroes you see on your TV is only a very tiny portion of Africa's vast abundance. Any geography professor will tell you this, and they will tell you it has been like this for millennia.
But look at the stark contrast in Northern Europe. The scarceness of food, the cold, the extreme Alpine landscapes of Sweden, Finland, and Germany. The birthplace of the Nordic Aryan, and a completely different type of place than Africa. Here you had to be on your toes, you had to think fast in order to survive.
In the article Skin Deep written by Nina Jablonski and George Chaplin, they discuss and look deeper into the diverse differences in skin color. Our skin color has developed over the years to be dark enough to prevent the damaging sunlight that has been harming our skin and the nutrient folate that it carries. At the same time out skin is light enough to receive vitamin D.
In America, essentially everyone is classified in terms of race in a way. We are all familiar with terms such as Caucasian, African-American, Asian, etc. Most Americans think of these terms as biological or natural classifications; meaning that all people of a certain race share similarities on their D.N.A. that are different and sets that particular race apart from all the other races. However, recent genetic studies show that there’s no scientific basis for the socially popular idea that race is a valid taxonomy of human biological difference. This means that humans are not divided into different groups through genetics or nature. Contrary to scientific studies, social beliefs are reflected through racial realism. Racial realists believe that being of a particular race does not only have phenotypical values (i.e. skin color, facial features, etc.), but also broadens its effects to moral, intellectual and spiritual characteristics.
Over the past weeks we have learned a lot of new things. I learned about different races, ethnicities, and cultures. The world would not be the same if everyone was the same race and it is a great thing to learn about everyone and where they are from, and where they have come from. Everyone is different in their own way and it is our duty to accept everyone as a whole. I am going to talk about the social construct of race today, some of our readings, and a lot of our discussions that are always fun.
From a very young age, we are taught to be color and racially blind and to be “politically correct”. We are no longer able to have our own view and opinions without having someone bash one with the word “racist”
Racism is often considered a thing of the past, with its manifestation rarely being acknowledged in the United States today. Race: The Power of an Illusion, is a documentary that addresses the legacy of racism through its significance in the past, and its presence in society today. To understand racism, it is vital to understand the concept of race. Race is a social invention, not a biological truth. This can be observed through the varying classifications of race in different cultures and time periods. For instance, in the United States, race has long been distinguished by skin color. In nineteenth century China, however, race was determined by the amount of body hair an individual had. Someone with a large amount of facial hair, for example,
Since 1619, when the first slaves were brought to North America, race has played an important role in everyone’s life; especially those who are different from what people would consider “American”. According to the textbook, “race is defined as any group of people united or classified together on the basis of common history, nationality, or geographical distribution” (pg. 59). People are placed into different categories instead of all being considered human beings. Although we do not have slavery, that we know of, in the United States today, this does not mean that race is still not an issue. However, race in this country has taken a turn over time and has now, “taken on a meaning that refers to differences between people based on color” (pg.
The biological understanding of race in the United States is that people from different places have different genetics and genes in their body, accounting for different traits in each people. These people could be grouped together by their biological traits because their similarities in genes would make them look alike. People wanted to believe that there actually were true biological differences between people. Race in the past and present (somewhat) has been categorized based on continental origin, skin color, nose structures, and hair type. To define a person’s race, someone could ask questions like: “what type of hair do they have, curly or straight? Is their skin dark or light? Are their eyes blue, brown, or black?” Based off of these
“Black, white and brown are merely skin colors. But we attach to them meanings and assumptions, even laws that create enduring social inequality.”(Adelman and Smith 2003). When I first heard this quote in this film, I was not surprised about it. Each human is unique compared to the other; however, we are group together based on uncontrollable physical characteristics. Eyes, hair texture, and skin tone became a way to separate who belongs where. Each group was labeled as having the same traits. African Americans were physically superior, Asians were the more intellectual race, and Indians were the advanced farmers. Certain races became superior to the next and society shaped their hierarchy on what genes you inherited.
Human beings are no exception to biological evolution. Like other organisms around the world, humans have significantly changed overtime and have developed all sorts of diverse characteristics. One noticeable characteristic of human beings is the variation of skin color. Skin color has been used to identify, classify, and verify the variation that exists in the human population around the world. How did such a distinct variation arise and how did it play into adaptation?
Race, in the common understanding, draws upon differences not only of skin color and physical attributes but also of language, nationality, and religion. Race categories are often used as ethnic intensifiers, with the aim of justifying the exploitation of one group by another. Race is an idea that has become so fixed in American society that there is no room for open-mindedness when challenging the idea of racial categories. Over the years there has been a drastic change with the way the term "race" is used by scientists. Essentially, there is a major difference between the biological and sociological views of race.
The evolution of race relations has changed throughout history thus far. The idea that it is getting better is not true. Racial prejudice is an immense problem in the everyday-world. Although it is said to not be true, individuals are judged by their ethnicity each and everyday. As unfair as that is, it is still a driving problem in race relations today. The idea that the world can be perfect and the world can be peaceful is not practical. No matter what, there will always be racial disputes in the world. Emmett Till Murder Trial and The Scottsboro Boys Trials are two obvious reasons for this. In the United States of America the most common forms of racism is ordinarily between the whites and blacks not getting along. Most recently it is with whites killing blacks, although that is not always the case. Throughout the world, there is a vast amount of racism depending on the country and where it is at in the world. It would be nearly impossible to find a peaceful country without disputes. The evolution of race relations has not gotten any better, but also has not gotten any worse. They have stayed a consistent bad. It is possible for them to constantly get better but it takes everybody not just a few people. Some like the way the world is and do not want it to change, those are the people that are holding the rest down on making the world a better place. No matter what happens in the world, racial disputes are an everlasting problem that will never go away.
The beginnings of racial difference can be traced back to the Age of Exploration, during which England was expanding its trading routes and was highly involved with trade in Africa. The English traders noticed distinguishing differences between themselves and the African people, both in physical appearance and cultural primitiveness. It was not until the 18th century when the word race began to enter languages and vocabularies, and this idea of a difference between peoples was prodded further into existence through the work of Carolus Linnaeus. Linnaeus composed a list of subspecies of human beings based on racial differences. There were several other scientists, such Georges Cuvier and Charles Darwin, as who created subspecies of man. Social Darwinism, alluded to the concept that eventually one greater subspecies of man would prevail and be the most elite of all of human kind. These lists often categorized the order of species with the white, European man at the top of the list and the darker skinned, African man at the bottom. An example of a concept of categorization was the Great Chain of Being, through which all things, including man and the subspecies of man, are given ...
The color of your skin used to depend on where you live. (Before transportation became so easy.) Darker skinned people would live where it is hotter, and the sun shines more. Lighter skinned people would live in cooler, less sunny areas. This is because the darker pigments in your skin would keep you from burning.
The social view of race incorporates personalities, mental capacities, stereotypes, and prejudice into biological differences between individuals and is constructed by the dominate race. For example, the African American race was considered inferior to whites because of high mortality rates and seen as being less intelligent to whites because of conformation of these biological traits in studies conducted by whites. When it comes to genetics and biology there is very few differences between people of different races. There is not race at a biological level. Besides race, geographical differences can explain why some people might be more susceptible than others to disease.
Race has always been a controversial topic in the world and especially America. We don't like to admit it but when we see someone the first thing we think about is their race and we automatically start making assumptions whether we want to or not. People everywhere are convinced that all the races are so different and that we have nothing in common. Some of those people are just low-key about it and are just proud to be whatever they are, but there are those who are a little too proud and think that they are superior to the other races and treat them differently because of it. We have a word for this, and it's racism. The “Race: Are We So Different?” Exhibits purpose is to show you that we as human beings are not so different and that we actually