LEC #2: Race and Racism: Theoretical Perspectives

Question 1

What is Biological Race Theory? can it be changed?

Answer 1

• Supports the idea that humans can be placed in various categories based on their biological characteristics (ex: Europeans, asians, africans etc)
• biology can change based on the environment

Question 2

How is Biological Race Theory used? and what are the key arguments for it?

Answer 2

• Human Beings differ i the ‘general factor’ of intelligence (“g”)
• Cognitive ability led to develop a cognitive elite which is increasingly occupying positions of social, political and economic power in american society
• people who show less ‘g’ show more pathological forms of social behaviour (criminal activities, living in poverty, poor parenting styles)

Question 3

Why is our biological variation not consistent across space?

Answer 3

• Prehistoric and historic migrations were often culturally mediated through the industrialized practices of slavery and conquest
• Migration caused admixture b/w human groups that were quite different in their patterns of biological variation

Question 4

What is Class Conflict Theory?

Answer 4

• Social class inequality was considered as an end product of capitalism
• The British tried to use the cheapest labour to make more money

Question 5

What is Critical Race Theory? and where did it emerge from?

Answer 5

• Focuses on the social construction of race and how, to a certain extent, racism is part of everyday life
• The emergence of critical race theory came when the anti-racist lawyers in the US started questioning the legal system in the way it treated black defendants and inmates

Question 6

What is intersectionality theory?

Answer 6

When an individual faces multiple forms of discrimination including things like gender, religion, race etc

Question 7

what is assimilationist theory?

Answer 7

• believe that conflict b/w groups will lead to competition and conflict over resources but naturally over time the groups will become familiar with each other

Question 8

what is Pluralism?

Answer 8

-the belief that resolution will only be solved through implementation of social policies designed to end conflict

Question 9

what is multiculturalism?

Answer 9

• its the policy of supporting minority racial/ethnic people by promoting programs that improve their access to jobs, education and healthcare.
• they seek to protect the ability of minorities to practice and preserve their culture

Question 10

What are the the 6 theoretical perspectives?

Answer 10

• Biological Theory
• Assimilationist theory
• Pluralism
• Class conflict and market theory
• Critical Race Theory
• Intersectionality Theory

Question 11

what are the consequences of biological race theory?

Answer 11

• seeing skin colour as essential or un-changing

- normalizing and perpetuating the systematic classification of people into biological superiority and inferiority