Chapter 9 Flashcards
why do people continue to think of race as a biological category?
the idea has been reified
what is reification?
when an inaccurate concept is so heavily promoted that it seems to be an unquestioned truth
when did reification of race as a biological concept begin, and with who?
in 1700s with Linnaeus
how did Linnaeus classify human race?
Americanus, Europaeus, Asiaticus, and Africanus
how did Blumenbach classify human race?
Caucasian, Mongolian, Ethiopian, American, and Malayan
what are the types of race classifiers?
lumpers and splitters
what are lumpers?
classify races by large geographic tracts and produce small number of broad, general racial categories
what are splitters?
classify races by localized regional races to determine more precise racial labels
what are cline?
differences in the traits that occur in populations across a geographical area
why can’t skin colour determine race?
average range of skin colour gradually changes over geographic space
how does Vitamin D relate to skin colour?
less vitamin D = lighter skin
what does it mean to say that variations in human physical and genetic traits are non concordant?
each trait is inherited independently, not bundled together in a racial group
where is majority of genetic diversity in humans found?
within people who live on the same continent
what is racial formation?
how social, economic, political forces determine the content and importance of racial categories
what was a primary contributor to the expansion of “whiteness” in the USA?
rise of many members of those immigrant groups (Jews and Irish) in social status after WW2