race+and+genetic+material

Is race based on genetics or is it purely a social construct? These images show the the differences in how we define race (genetics and appearence) [] 1st pic [] 2nd pic

If you are an African-American in USA, you might be white in Africa. THIS FIRST LINE COULD BE CLEARER. AN IMAGE OF A LIGHT-SKINNED AFRICAN-AMERICAN MIGHT HELP MAKE THIS VISUAL POINT. You could be "mixed" in France and "colored" in Russia. So, all over the world, you could be a different race. But do your genetics change too? No, they don't. So, if your genetics don't change then your race doesn't change right? Well, I'll put it this way: if you say that you are an African-American in the United States and then go to Africa and say the same thing, they won't think you are, so your race changes. Since race changes and genetics don't then race can't be based on genetics. That is what an [|article in Harvard Magazine] says and backs it up with a lot of research.

Some say that the only thing genetics do is distiguish between intellectuality

//The Bell Curve// -- a deeply pessimistic book about American Society talks about differences in race affecting intellectuality

The most explosive argument that the authors, Charles Murray and Richard Herrnstein, make says that blacks as a group are intellectually inferior to whites, which leads to a deadly serious attack on affirmative action. That pretty much means that the state helped the blacks because they were stereotyped as intellectually inferior to other races. Murray says that he is not biased towards whites, but the book may be a mirror for our morally exhausted times. The authors say that the white-black IQ gap is overwhelming. They think that the difference explains why many blacks seem to be destined to remain in poverty. They wonder whether the origin of blacks’ lower IQ scores is based on environment or genetics. Some think that IQ testing confirms the existence of genetic differences in intelligence between races. Some think that that is balderdash. They say that there is a difference between IQ and intelligence.

There are many strong arguments about genetics being responsible for IQ differences between races

1. Genetics is NOT responsible for IQ differences between races: It is all about where your grow up/who you are brought up by. A black adoptee to a white family would do just as well on an IQ test as any other white families because of their schooling and testing.

2. IQ differences between races are due to environment: Reason: It is all about how you are raised

3. IQ differences between races are due to racism: Reason: Blacks had worse schooling and environment because of racism. Whites took over and gave them less privilege so now they are trying to catch up to whites.

4. IQ differences between races are genetic: Reason: Blacks scored less on IQ tests than whites

5. Genetics is a primary factor in IQ differences between races: Reason: Test results

Overall, the authors say that whites are superior to blacks in all categories, however, they say that they are not biased and they are not racist. How does that work? Two white men right a book about how whites are better than blacks and they aren't rascist? It is hard to believe.

Where I will go from here.

I am going to look at how genetics distinguishes races and what differs in genetics on the basis of race. I need to know if the genetics that involve race change appearence accordingly. If so, then the arguments above will be contridicted and my argument will change. Also, I would like to find an argument that thinks that race is all about genetics to get more views about race and genetics.

RC Lewontin claims that race is not based on a social category but is purely based on a scientific basis i.e. genetics. His argument is based on the fact that there are huge differences in genetics from individual to individual. In some cases, however, the genetics are similar. Those people are mostly related, but in some, such as African descendents, their genetics were as similar as those of brothers. There is diversity from population to population in how much genetic variation each contains, but in a single culture the changes are constant from same races than to those of different races.



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