Analysis of Human Variation Chapter Seventeen

Historical Views of Human Variation Biological determinism - cultural and biological variations are inherited in the same way Eugenics - "race improvement" through forced sterilization of members of some groups and encouraged reproduction among others

Human Taxonomy People tend to classify the world around them including people Folk Taxonomies systems of categorization created in order to organize and understand the world around them based on cultural traditions and beliefs, usually not on empirical data generates notions of race are often used to justify the mistreatment of “others”

Clinal Distributions Clinal distribution a distribution which shows a systematic gradation over space clines are gradual change in the frequency of a trait in populations dispersed over geographical space Clinal variation arises in at least two ways: there is a gradual change in some selective pressure a particular trait may originate in a specific area and then spread outward through gene flow both skin color and body size and shape show clinal variation

Race Traditional Concept of Race Still a “cultural category” Since the 1600s, race has been used to refer to culturally-defined groups. In the mid-1900s race began to take on a biological implication Still a “cultural category” Not possible to define races biologically Inequalities among racial groups are not biological

Do Human Races Exist? Races do not exist in a biological sense However, race does exist in a social sense Political nature of discussions about race Race and cultural superiority In regards to the development of civilization, researchers have pointed out that where civilizations arose had to do with availability of plants capable of domestication and a geography that made the spread of these plants possible

Race in the USA Determined at birth Racially mixed children identified by phenotype Rule of Descent Social identity based on ancestry Hypodescent - mixed children automatically places in the minority group Native American One ancestor out of eight Census Since 1790 3/5ths rule 6 “ethnicity choices” in 1990 White, Black, Indian, Eskimo, Pacific Islander, Other Separate question for Hispanic

Race in Japan Less diverse than most countries Portuguese contact in 1542, isolation in 1641 1854 Convention of Kanagawa Intrinsic racism – racial differences are enough to alter a person's value Quasi-hypodescent Racial identity of majority with stigma Define themselves as opposition to others Assimilation is discouraged Burakumin Cultural minority of 4 million Physically and genetically identical Identified by neighborhoods called buraku Originates from social ranking Stratified class – call structure with differences in wealth, prestige, and power Burakumin did “unclean” work

Race in Brazil Flexible and less exclusionary Many more racial labels Slave history like the US Different type of colonialism Lacks rule of hypodescent Many more racial labels 500 reported Attached to phenotype Racial labels can be easily changed Tanning, change in hair or dress, language, etc. International politics Claiming of indigenous rights Pan-African identity in Brazil Access to resources

Human Polymorphisms Polymorphisms - the occurrence of two or more genetically determined phenotypes in a population functions to retain variety and promote diversity in a population living in a varied environment does not extend to continuous traits (height) but to discontinuous traits (earlobe attachment) no single form has an overall advantage or disadvantage over the other

Polymorphisms at the DNA Level Molecular biologists have recently uncovered DNA variability in various regions of the genome Microsatellites - sites where DNA segments are repeated Scattered through the human genome Each person has a unique arrangement that defines their distinctive “DNA fingerprint”

Are We Still Evolving? Socioeconomic and political concerns have powerful effect on our species today Anthropologists cannot predict whether humans will eventually become a different species or become extinct