Anthropology 112 Race and Anthropology Jodi Perin (adapted from ITVS guide to “Race: The Power of an Illusion”; S. Lukas “The Biological Issue of Race”; and Conformity and Conflict 10th ed., “Mixed Blood” by Jeffrey M. Fish)

A few questions What do we mean in the U.S. by the word “race”? How old is the idea of race? Do all cultures have the same ideas about race? Does race have a genetic basis? Do human subspecies exist? What did many scientists in the past think about race? What do most scientists today think about race? What are the social implications of our our society’s ideas of race, and of racism?

We all know that people’s appearance varies . . .

Why do people’s appearances vary? Adaptation to local environments, e.g.: Skin color Tallness/slimness vs. stockiness Genetic drift (e.g. Old Order Dunker community of Franklin County, Pennsylvania) Genetic flow Not to mention all of the cultural ways that human can affect their appearance . . .

But, what do we mean by “race”?

How old is the idea of race? Race is a relatively modern idea (1st use in English language is 1508). Ancient Greeks categorized people according to religion, status, class, or language -- not physical characteristics

Different cultures have very different categories of race For example, Brazil (broad racial categories): loura branca morena = “brunette,” seen as white in Brazil, but black/African American in U.S. (e.g. Halle Barry) mulata preta + many others . . . So take a plane from NY to Brazil, and your race can change! (from Conformity and Conflict 10th ed., “Mixed Blood” by Jeffrey M. Fish)

Also, ideas of race have changed through time E.g. Irish, Germans, Jews, Italians, etc. in America

Ideas of Race Have Changed Through Time “Why should Pennsylvania, founded by the English, become a Colony of Aliens, who will shortly be so numerous as to Germanize us instead of our Anglifying them, and will never adopt our Language or Customs, any more than they can acquire our Complexion [?]” Source of quote: http://bc.barnard.columbia.edu/~lgordis/earlyAC/documents/observations.html From B. Franklin “Observations Concerning the Increase of Mankind, Peopling of Countries, etc.”

So, does race have a genetic basis? “No one characteristic, trait, or even gene distinguishes all the members of one so-called race from all the members of any other so-called race.” i.e. race is socially (not genetically) determined

Do Human sub-species exist? Definitely no - humans haven’t been around long enough, or had populations isolated enough, to evolve into separate subspecies

Scientists and race in the past Many scientists in the past (and a few in the present) have attributed social problems to “race.” E.g. “drapetomania” and runaway slaves in the U.S. What’s the problem with this?

Also, scientists in the past couldn’t agree on the number of races (from S. Lukas) Darwin’s Summary of Racial Classification in 1871 Investigator No. Races Identified Julian-Joseph Virey 2 Honore Jacquinot 3 Immanuel Kant 4 Johann Friedrich Blumenbach 5 Georges Buffon 6 John Hunter 7 Louis Agassiz 8 Timothy Pickering 11 G. Bory de St. Vincent 15 Louis-Antoine Desmoulins 16 Samuel Morton 22 George Crawfurd 60 Edmund Burke 63

Scientists in the past and race Past “scientific” views of race look pretty unscientific! They were influenced by . . . Culture(s) of the times Desire to justify colonialism and slavery, among other things Poor scientific methods Etc.

Contemporary Science and Race Most anthropologists and other scientists today recognize that race is not a scientific category. However, anthropologists also recognize that race is still a very powerful idea in many societies, including our own. Racism is still real, even if race is not biological

So what does that mean for us?

So what does that mean for us? We can’t predict a person’s behavior by their nose shape, hair texture, skin color, etc. However, being “color blind” is not the answer Racism is real Race may be important to people’s identity Beware of “science” making claims about race E.g. IQ tests

Discussion question “Athletics is one arena where talking about ideas of inborn racial differences remains common. Why do you think some populations or groups seem to dominate certain sports but not others? What does it mean that the groups that dominate those sports have changed over time?” E.g. boxing

Discussion question “Historian Mathew P. Guterl observes, 'Most Americans believed that race was one of the most important parts of national life; that race mattered because it guaranteed this country a [glorious] future in the history of the world.’ While few would admit it today, do you think the definition of progress is still tied to being white? Can you think of historical or current instances in which those who are not defined as white are blamed for American weaknesses or problems?”