Why can't people understand that there is no such thing as race?

Race is only a social construct which has no scientific basis. We all belong to the same species, Homo sapiens. As a species, I don't see us developing a common unity if we can't look past this unfortunate barrier. Culture is what really defines a group of people. Culture is NOT innate or inherited genetically, like skin color is, however it is learned through growth and interaction with others.

For example, if I was to take an African baby from Mali, West Africa and place that baby in, say, Tokyo, Japan, that child would grow up in relation to the respective society's culture. That child will speak, think and behave differently, when compared to a child who was raised in Mali, West Africa.

It just annoys me when race is used only for one's own agenda, promoting social inequality and racism. All I ask is, can we please look past race, because how someone is on the inside is what truly matters.

EDIT: To the MODS, I wasn't exactly sure where to put this thread, so if necessary, move as you please.

your thread has good intentions and your thinking in the right direction, but allow me if you will to add my 2 cents on the matter..

the ONLY race, its the HUMAN race

black is not a race

white is not a race

we are all one...

Exactly, we ALL BLEED RED!!!!

Woow.. I was about to ask whether what the Topic Creator was saying of races not having a scientific basis true when I did a quick google search..
I always thought certain "races" would had some biological differences.. I was too wrong.

Originally posted by IEtherianSoul9
Race is only a social construct which has no scientific basis.

There are many English language words we use that have two definitions - a colloquial definition that the average citizen uses, and a more specific scientific meaning.
I've also seen lots of arguments over the years when somebody tries to tell the average citizen that they're wrong about the use of a word by invoking the scientific definition. You've just done this.

reply to post by perroloco


asians and westerners have different eyes, does that count?

we are all different and we shouldnt be ashamed of that. most importantly we are all human.

This is a great way of saying it.



Oliviero Toscani for a United Colors of Benetton campaign

were all pink
on the inside

Exactly.... We are part of a Race... The Human Race. Our DNA is the same everywhere. There are genetic differences though... Or so we are told. The negroid is genetically constructed for hot dry climates where as the Caucasoid is genetically constructed for the cooler wetter climate... But my question is what about the Asians? What is their genetic code designed for? For that matter, what about the Inuit of the high Arctic? They have lived it that climate for tens of thousands of years... Why haven't they developed much lighter skin and blue eyes? I am ignorant of genetics in that respect. I cannot see where the Asians fit into this model... They live in anywhere from a harsh cold climate to a harsh dry climate....

Over the course of Human history, many races have live and thrived in all climates... So where do the physical differences come from?

reply to post by IEtherianSoul9


Race exists. It's that simple. Really. Humans are nothing more then animals. Look at dogs. They all started as a single animal but throughout the ages they (through breeding) changed into different "races". I.e. Borderline collie, Dachshund etc. They're all still canines, but to claim all these dogs are the same because they all have the same internal organ structure is absurd. Or at least some of the dog breeders out there wouldn't be too happy with that.

I view humans like any other animal. Our differences is what makes us unique. And we all should be equally thrilled over the fact that we're unique. We shouldn't be forced to conform after what *YOU* think is politically correct.

And last time I checked, we were in fact very different. The theory is that African man migrated towards Europe, mixed with the Neanderthals. Thus, creating a new "breed" or "race". Or am I missing something?

reply to post by Frontkjemper


Race does not exist, it is a made up word for us..... Show me in the animal kingdom where we label different species of animals into different races, in fact it sounds kind of silly when you try to apply the label of race to animals...........

reply to post by spoonbender

Why can't people understand that there is no such thing as race?

But there is. It is not neatly defined and the definition cannot be exclusively biological, but ‘race’ most certainly exists. A race is a type of category into which human beings divide other human beings.

If you asked me for a definition, I would say that a race is a group of individuals that have most or all of a set of certain physical and/or cultural traits in common. That’s a pretty fluid definition, but then, ‘race’ is a fluid concept.

Take these two uses of the term, for example.

The muddle in human ethics over the level at which altruism is desirable – family, nation, race, species or all living things – is mirrored by a muddle in biology over the level at which altruism is to be expected according to the theory of evolution – Richard Dawkins, The Selfish Gene

Dawkins, a biologist, obviously sees some definitive value in the term. His use of it suggests that, to him, a ‘race’ is a social grouping larger than a nation but smaller than a species. He is not necessarily referring to a strictly biological grouping, though; that is clear from his inclusion of the term ‘nation’ in the sentence.

In fact, he appears to be using the term ‘race’ as the word is most commonly applied, which is also the sense in which I have defined it above.

Richard Dawkins is no racist, but Evelyn Waugh was a most unapologetic one. Even so, his use of the term ‘race’ in the following quotation seems to be far more inclusive than the common usage. In fact, it is hard to comprehend what he really means by it.

(The inhabitants of Haifa) are a mixed and somewhat soft-tempered race, composed of Jews, Armenians, Arabs, Turks and a great many Germans. – Evelyn Waugh, Labels

Today, we prefer to use a more politically-correct term, ‘ethnic group’, when we really mean to talk about race. But of course race exists; if it didn’t, how come there are so many racists?

Race most definitely exists. That does not mean that we can't all accept each other. Pretending there are not different races is like saying a Doberman is a Pug. Sure both are dogs, but they are not the same. That does not mean they can't get along.

The races are different. That should be celebrated. Stop being so damn flowery.

Hows about instead of pretending there are no races, we focus on what we all bring to the table? Be proud of your race, just not to the extent you hate the others.

Originally posted by Frontkjemper
reply to post by IEtherianSoul9

 

Race exists. It's that simple. Really. Humans are nothing more then animals. Look at dogs. They all started as a single animal but throughout the ages they (through breeding) changed into different "races". I.e. Borderline collie, Dachshund etc. They're all still canines, but to claim all these dogs are the same because they all have the same internal organ structure is absurd. Or at least some of the dog breeders out there wouldn't be too happy with that.

I view humans like any other animal. Our differences is what makes us unique. And we all should be equally thrilled over the fact that we're unique. We shouldn't be forced to conform after what *YOU* think is politically correct.

And last time I checked, we were in fact very different. The theory is that African man migrated towards Europe, mixed with the Neanderthals. Thus, creating a new "breed" or "race". Or am I missing something?

You seriously need to take an Anthropology class. Neanderthals are not a race, they are a subspecies. And breeds? Really? There are different breeds of animals (e.g. dogs) because humans selectively choose animals with desirable traits so that these will be passed on from generation to generation. Are you saying HUMANS use this same method!? What is this, EUGENICS?

A breed is therefore not an objective or biologically verifiable classification, but instead a term of art amongst groups of breeders who share a consensus around what qualities make some members of a given species members of a nameable subset.

Like I said before, and I'll say it again. Culture is what really makes us unique.

Originally posted by Domo1
Race most definitely exists. That does not mean that we can't all accept each other. Pretending there are not different races is like saying a Doberman is a Pug. Sure both are dogs, but they are not the same. That does not mean they can't get along.

The races are different. That should be celebrated. Stop being so damn flowery.

Hows about instead of pretending there are no races, we focus on what we all bring to the table? Be proud of your race, just not to the extent you hate the others.

"That SHOULD be celebrated."

Key word is should. But ask yourself this, is it really being celebrated in today's world? Simply put, no. The negative aspects of race greatly outweighs the positive aspects of it. Our species contains various cultural groups that truly define who we are, not race.

By doing away with race, we DO focus on what we all bring to the table!

Yes we are all humans and no, we cannot avoid the race issue.

Because humans were born with the war gene, so we have to find someone different from us, in order to fight.

It is not our fault - it is a fault made by the manufacturer (oops, sorry to criticize you, Creator).

I think it is deliberate because the perfect Creator does not make mistakes.

But I find it very mean.

In a perfect world, we all get along, regardless of colour, creed or religion. What a beautiful world that would be.
However, there is one problem. We are human. We fear and hate that which is different from ourselves, we destroy what we do not understand or fear.

We are the most destructive species on the planet and are a blight to creation. We wage war for profit, power and greed. Even if we drive ourselves close to extinction, we will not learn the lesson that we are all one people.

Perhaps this planet would be better off without us. It is such a shame that I have to say this as we are also capable of such beauty and compassion, but are ability to hate and destroy far outweighs the good we have done.

Humanity R.I.P.

reply to post by Frontkjemper


...Where did the Asian "race" come from? Who did they mix with? And who were they before the mixing? I'm not saying we aren't unique... What I'm saying is how did this uniqueness come about? Genetically, we are not that different.... Except for minor differences... Structural differences are there, but that's about it... What brought about this variance? Skin/eye color is actually not a factor as the Inuit of the Arctic attest to this...

why? USA!

while for centuries other countries (of central america, south america, canada) had no laws against what ethnicities people could marry,

heck, before 1970 it was even ILLEGAL in USA to marry outside of your own "race" and was treated like "hybridization between two different species, ie humans and gorillas.

if you were Asian African or Indian, forget about marrying a 'white' (northern european) American!

but if you were true caucasian (which is actually a mediterranean or mideastern) Cuban or white hispanic, you had to 'pass for" a white person in US Court official's eyes, to marry into the white 'race'/

so, the USA laws were obviously meant to keep the 'white' America race pure at least up until 1959.

Originally posted by Domo1
Hows about instead of pretending there are no races, we focus on what we all bring to the table?

ok, a quick list of what White People have brought to the table, cut and pasted from places around the net...
telephone
light bulb
steam engine
sewing machine
Calculators
Diesel engines
Internal combustion engines
Adhesive
Duct Tape
Whiskey
Fax machine
US Constitution
Democracy
Republic
Fascism
Communism
Liberalism
Geography
Telescope
Microscope
Automobile
Television
Electricity
Aircrafts
Computers
The Piano
Electric Engineering
Telephone
Theory of Evolution
The Wormhole
First one's in Space
First one's on the Moon
Banks/Banking
The theory of Natural Selection
Theatre
Pencil
The Jet Engine
The discovery of DNA
The discovery of the Atom
The discovery of Cells
The Camera
ALMANAC: Earliest versions in ancient Greece/Babylon; more modern versions occurred in succession starting in the Middle Ages in Europe.
AIR CONDITIONING UNIT: Willis Carrier, 1902
AUTO FISHING DEVICE: In use in the US by the mid-1800s.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION: Earliest example in Germany; in the US, the Sturtevant brothers had the 1st design for an automatic transmission in 1904.
BABY BUGGY: William Kent, 1733.
BICYCLE/BICYCLE FRAME: Kirkpatrick MacMillan, 1839.
BISCUIT CUTTER: Used for thousands of years by ancient cultures.
CELLULAR PHONE: Martin Cooper, 1973.
CHAMBER COMMODE: Used in Europe well before the 1800s.
CHESS: Originated in northwest India (Indians are Caucasians).
CLOTHES DRYER: M. Pochon, 1800; electric version by Brooks Stevens in 1940s.
CURTAIN ROD:
DOOR KNOB: Used 1st in 1700s, well before patent by Dorsey.
DUSTPAN: Lon Cheney Jr., 1858.
EGG BEATER: Turner Williams, 1870
ELECTRIC BULB: Joseph Swan and Thomas Edison, 1879
ELEVATOR: Henry Waterman, 1850 and Elisha Otis, 1852
FIBER OPTICS: Daniel Colladon and Jacques Babinet in Paris, 1840s.
FIRE ESCAPE: Daniel Maseres, 1784.
FIRE EXTINGUISHER: Ambrose Godfrey, 1723.
FOLDING BED: William Murphy, 1900.
FOLDING CHAIR: Used in ancient Rome, Greece, Egypt.
FOUNTAIN PEN: 1st example in Middle East; thereafter improved upon in Europe.
GAS MASK: Lewis Phectic Haslett, 1849.
GOLF TEE: Percy Ellis, 1892.
GUITAR: Descended from ancient instruments; 1st incarnation used in Renaissance.
HAIR BRUSH: Used in Britain before the 1800s.
HAND STAMP: William Dockwra and Robert Murray, 1680.
HORSESHOE: Used in Europe since the early Middle Ages.
INSECT DESTROYER GUN: Invented in 1923 by Standard Oil Company of New Jersey, patented as the ‘flit’ gun.
IMPROV: Performed in Italy from the 16th century.
IRONING BOARD: W. Vandenburg and J. Harvery, 1858.
KEY CHAIN: Use of keys goes back thousands of years; key chains have been used for hundreds of years as use of keys became widespread.
LANTERN: Earliest varieties go back hundreds of years to European and Chinese inventors.
LAWN MOWER: Edwin Budding, 1827.
LAWN SPRINKLER: J. Lessler, 1871.
LEMON SQUEEZER: Used 1st in Turkey in early 1700s.
LOCK: Used 1st 4000 years ago in Assyria.
LUBRICANT: Used by the Romans thousands of years ago.
LUNCH PAIL: Earliest examples in early 1800s US; Leo May invented the aluminum variety in 1954.
MAIL BOX: 1st mail boxes installed in Paris in 1653; mail slots 1st widely used in Paris/England in mid 1800s.
MOP: Jacob Howe, 1837
MOTOR: James Watts, 1763; de Rivaz, 1807; Karl Benz, 1896 (all white males).
PEANUT BUTTER: Peanut butter was invented and reinvented many times during history. Peanuts were known as early as 950 B.C.; According to the Corn Products Company, Dr. Ambrose Straub of St. Louis patented a peanut butter-making machine in 1903 and some unknown doctor invented peanut butter in 1890.
PENCIL SHARPENER: Bernard Lassimone, 1828.
PHONE TRANSMITTER: Heinrich Hertz, 1887.
RECORD PLAYER and RECORD PLAYER ARM: Thomas Edison, 1877.
REFRIGERATOR: William Cullen, 1748; Oliver Evans, 1805 (both white males).
RIDING SADDLE: Used in England in the 1700s.
ROCK AND ROLL: Has its roots in a merge between early white and black musical forms, but the modern version ‘Rock’ had predominantly white performers and innovators.
ROLLING PIN: Used 1st by the Etruscans in the 9th century B.C.
SPARK PLUG: Etienne Lenoir, 1860.
STRAIGHTENING COMB: Invented in France prior to patent by CJ Walker.
STETHOSCOPE: Rene Laennec, 1816.
STOVE: Used thousands of years ago 1st in Asia, then in Europe.
STREET SWEEPER: C.S. Bishop, 1849.
SUGAR: Produced in ancient India.
THERMOSTAT: Warren Johnson, 1883.
TRAFFIC LIGHT: J.P. Knight, 1868; Lester Wire, 1912 (both white males).
TRICYCLE: Invented in Germany in 1680 and improved in France in 1789 by Blanchard/Maguier.
TYPEWRITER: 1st patent in Britain: Henry Mill, 1714.

...and 99 percent of everything else that you've heard of.

Originally posted by Domo1
Be proud of your race...

Actually, I think its bordering on illegal in most western countries.
Political correctness, you know.