Race: The Concept Of Race

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Brandan Houle Anthropology 101 Race is easily defined as the idea that biological differences between humans causes different skin pigmentation. Racism is the concept that a person, or people, are inferior as a result of having a certain skin color. Previously, it was speculated that biological differences that result in different skin pigmentation also cause differences in intellectual capabilities. With that being said, race is an intricate topic that can be grossly misinterpreted by humans. The idea of race derives from humankind harboring the compelling urge to objectify everything. This urge to objectify everything has created racist principles that have become ingrained in society. The concept that certain humans are inferior to others on the premise of skin color is irrefutably toxic to society, but common misinterpretations of what race is can …show more content…

Historically, those who were raised in certain areas had different means of survival than those of a different area (Lavenda and Schulz 2012 216-220). For example, a group of individuals who adapted to the diverse weather of Europe had a different experience than a group of individuals who adapted to the arid climate of central Africa. This is evident by how the people of both regions emerged as civilizations. Although both cultures work, those who settled in Europe civilized in such a way that states were able to emerge sooner than in Africa. As a result, Europeans felt superior to Africans, which might have indirectly led to modern racism and ethnocentrism. Of course, ethnocentrism exists in such a way that is sometimes irrelevant to the topic of racism. Ethnocentrism is different than racism because ethnocentrism is the belief that a certain way of life is superior in comparison to another. Race is not necessarily a factor in terms of ethnocentrism, although it can be in some cases (Smedley 2005

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