Final: short answer questions

Question 1

explain the biological theory of race

Answer 1

• it supports the idea that humans can be placed in various categories based on biological characteristics (ex:europeans, asians, amino’s, africans)
• humans have only 0.01 genetic difference so everyone is basically the same

Question 2

What are the key arguments to biological race theory? (3 of them)

Answer 2

• human beings differ in “general factor” of intelligence(referred to as “g”)
• cognitive ability led to develop a cognitive elite which is increasingly occupying positions of social, political and economic power in u.s society
• people with less “g” show more pathological forms of social behaviour (ex: criminal activities, living in poverty) than people w/ more general intelligence

Question 3

What is intersectionality theory?

Answer 3

• when an individual faces discrimination in many different areas
• ex: their race, religion, gender, political views etc)

Question 4

Why is it not possible to use the biological theory of race to explain human variation?

Answer 4

-variation is continuous based or race and skin colour. meaning race is always changing as people from different races breed and create mixed races and skin colour is also changing as well. some one from norway could have pale skin while someone from brazil or hawaii could have more tan skin b/c of the sun

Question 5

What is racial profiling? provide an example from the term

Answer 5

• a range of discrimination or injustices committed by the police, institutions or powerful groups against radicalized or minority groups.
• ex: racial profiling and discrimination often occurs in visible minority groups. People of colour, aboriginals, and immigrant groups are often victims to this type of profiling. Black men and indigenous men in particular.

Question 6

What is colonialism? who were the 3 main colonizers?

Answer 6

• when nation states use their political, social, cultural, and economic power to dominate and take over other peoples countries or territories
• the 3 main colonizers were britain, france and spain

Question 7

what was an example of colonialism we learned in class?

Answer 7

• the british sailed to africa to extract natural resources and take over the land. they believed the african people were not civilized and were savages in that they couldn’t do anything on their own. The british created differences in their physical appearance b/w them and the africans which established the natural superiority and inferiority
• the british used the idea of the great chain of being to say that black people were sub human

Question 8

what was apartheid like in south africa?

Answer 8

• started in 1948 and ended in 1994
• the government sorted everyone into certain races and ethnicities w/ specific rights and obligations
• hospitals, beaches, parks, theatres, schools and sports field were all designated for white people but sometimes black people could enjoy them too
• only whites could run for office
• apartheid restricted black peoples choice of marriage
• intermarriage and interracial sex was illegal

Question 9

is there any way of combating racism?

Answer 9

its not possible to entirely eliminate racism because everybody has their own views and opinions in society and people will always try to one up everyone else and be better than them. however we can reduce the impact of racial discrimination by keeping people connected and not separating them

Question 10

How can anthropologists contribute to combatting racism?

Answer 10

• Multiculturalism
• educating people is the most successful solution to racism and discrimination
• sensitivity training for people in positions of power
• schools having cross cultural food and dances
• canadian host families

Question 11

identify 2 or 3 models that can be used to minimize the impact of racial discrimination and provide examples

Answer 11

1. Anti-racist education
   - seeks to expose issues of power and inequality stemming from difference b/w human groups
   - seeks to show people there is only one human race so there shouldn’t be differences b/w humans
   - the idea is to teach people that their everyday actions, decisions and assumptions can be discriminatory
2. community activism
   - the National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI) has made models for combating racism and discrimination by combining methods of individual emotional healing w/ strategies for community activism
   - it worked w/ hundreds of law enforcement agencies, government entities, educational institutions, trade unions, businesses, congregations and voluntary community organizations