I'd like to bring up a previous point that wasn't quite addressed.
Originally posted by Rasobasi420
One of the interesting points in this article is portion identified as 18th Century Biology
18th CENTURY BIOLOGY
European: eyes blue; gentle, acute, inventive. Covered with close vestments. Governed by laws
Asiatic: eyes dark; severe, haughty, covetous. Covered with loose garments. Governed by opinions
Black: phlegmatic, relaxed. African. Crafty, indolent, negligent. Anoints himself with grease. Governed by caprice
The System of Nature, Linnaeus, 1735
The article goes on to speak of this influence in today's society.
Ken Barnes says the effect of these generations-old stereotypes can be seen most starkly in the disproportionately poor educational results of
black boys when compared with other groups.
"There is an expectation of failure for black children in schools," he says. "And it comes down to how they are historically perceived by the
school system.
"Society's continuing image of black men affects the way teachers address the children. But this is a vicious circle. If you continually tell a
child that it is naughty then it will act that way."
What is your take on this perspective? Do you think that it's a valid point? Are children from certain backgrounds being set up to fail out of the
box?
And this perception of blacks in the 1700s
Black: phlegmatic, relaxed. African. Crafty, indolent, negligent. Anoints himself with grease. Governed by caprice
Do you see this in today's society? If so, do you believe it's a genetic trait, societal, or just a matter of an outsider's perception?
[edit on 22-3-2007 by Rasobasi420]