Race: Biological Difference Between Groups

What is Race?
B2
Race is known to be the biological difference between groups. It is culturally constructed and was created by countries conducting imperialism and colonization.
Humans have all come from the same ancestor therefore the physical differences we see are not all based on biology. There are no traits that belong to a specific race. (American Anthropological Association RACE)
Today’s social construction has been highly influenced by the ideology of race. Race has created this process of racialization, which is when a group becomes labeled as physiologically different and inferior. Racialization involves oppression, violence, and discrimination. The term race has created a social construction and ranking system.
According to AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION STATEMENT ON "RACE", race was a theory influenced by the philosophy of the Great Chain Being in the 18th century. The Great Chain Being is a pyramid that displays the hierarchy of different cultures. (American Anthropological Association RACE) Each country was placed in different slots in the social division of labor based on their supposed biological differences. When European countries needed a reason and an excuse for imperialism and colonization they used the term race and explained that according to the Great Chain Being, Europeans were superior and third world countries such as Asia, Africa, and Latin America needed “help” to be ruled over. Colonization was the process of an advanced country manipulating an “underdeveloped country” oppressing the locals and draining the country of its raw materials and resources.
Race became a ranking of different societies labeled and controlled by countries that practiced imperialism and colonization. Gradually socially construction developed race categories. For example the French, believed that colonization was moral because they rightfully and naturally had power over the Indians. The French have created a social construction that has labeled Indians as subordinate.
Another example was the justification of slavery in America. Americans fought for self-determination, but were hypocritical on granting self-determination to blacks. When it came to the freedom of black people, white people believed that they had a natural authorization over blacks. America created a social construction of white people being superior to black people. They believed blacks were on the bottom of the great chain being and were not intelligent and uncivilized. Kant a philosopher in the 17th century explained that because a man was black, it is fact that the man is stupid and fit for slavery. (Wade 8) Americans believed their race was superior and it was natural for black people to work for them. This division of labor was based on the social construction the term race created. Americans oppressed African Americans and regulated any action they would have in politics. African Americans were said to be too dense to make good decisions for America. According to Wade, being the race Black became part devil, evil, and a sin. (Wade 7)
During World War II, Adolf Hitler used rankings of race to justify the extermination of over 11 million Jews. (American Anthropological Association RACE ) According to Hitler they believed it was their duty to rule over a lower ranked race. Hitler followed the idea of Social Darwinism, survival of the fittest; breeding should not be mixed, and should be fixed on solemnly creating a fitter and superior race to improve their country. (Wade) The social construction in Germany looked down on Jews. They believed their race was superior and that the “inferior race” was damping Germany’s economy and should be exterminated.
The term race has created this social construction of a culture or community being inferior to another just because they are different compared to ones own homeland.
Labeling different groups has affected people’s lives and resumes. Paul Ryer explained in his article, The hyphen-nation of Cuban educated Africans: rethinking the 1.5 generation paradigm, explained why people feel the need to include a hyphen and a America when they were born in a foreign country, but educated in America. The race Cuban has been labeled to be dirty and evil because of their poor economy and Cuban missile crisis. Even though that is history and much time has past, Cubans still have that image tied to them. Immigrants to America that were born in Cuba sense the biased feelings and try to distinguish themselves away from this adjectives by including a hyphen. They present themselves as Cuban-American. (Ryer)
Professor Gailey explained her concern on the adjectives such as violent associated with being black. She expressed her anger when her young African American daughter was followed around a store. Adjectives to explain a race are still alive today. Stereotypes have been tied to race and the supposed biological differences between different races. This idea of a superior and inferior race affects the lives on many people. People are denied jobs, treated differently, and have their morals questioned just because of these supposed differences. Race has created these biased ideas about a person before you even meet them.
"RACE - About the Project - Statement on Race." RACE - About the Project - Statement on Race. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2012.
American Anthropological Association RACE
WEEK SEVEN: Gender, Race, Ethnicity, and Power in a Capitalist Postcolonial Context
Readings:
Rouse article
Ryer article
Wade article
Review the AAA race site: understandingrace.org
Tuesday, Nov. 13: The Race-ing of Immigration and Labor Today
Thurs., Nov. 15: In-Class Required Film: “Race: The Power of an Illusion”

Current science tells us we share a common ancestry and the differences among people we see are natural variations, results of migration, marriage and adaptation to different environments.

In the United States both scholars and the general public have been conditioned to viewing human races as natural and separate divisions within the human species based on visible physical differences.

the analysis of genetics (e.g., DNA) indicates that most physical variation, about 94%, lies within so-called racial groups. Conventional geographic "racial" groupings differ from one another only in about 6% of their genes. This means that there is greater variation within "racial" groups than between them.

B 1. What is colonization? What are key rationalizations for colonization made by conquerors? What is the colonizer’s purpose in taking over other societies? Using at least two case studies from the readings, how did colonial control change local people’s gender relations, work relations, and their connections to land and other resources?

WEEK SIX: Colonialism: Making Race, Redefining Gender, Exploiting Labor
Readings:
Columbus article
Etienne article
Gailey article-- “A Native Kingdom”
Tuesday, Nov. 6: VOTE as if YOUR RIGHTS depended on it—they do!!!
Lecture Topic: Conquest & Capitalist Colonialism
Thursday, Nov. 8: Colonialism, Resistance, and the Postcolonial Aftermath

Colonization was the political take over of a foreign country. Europeans during 1870-1914 reconstructed their production techniques and targeted foreign territories to gain access to raw materials, markets, and cheap labor. Countries that dictated in colonization had strong capitalist economies, in a free market system cheaper labor lowers overall costs and increase revenue. The big countries that dictated colonization justified oppressing and extracting a group’s raw materials with racialization.
Social construction has been highly influenced by the ideology of race. Race has created this process of racialization, which is when a group becomes labeled as physiologically different and inferior. Racialization involves oppression, violence, and discrimination. The term race has created a social construction and a ranking system.
European countries believed they were strong, intelligent, and superior. They portrayed third world countries uncivilized, lazy, and dense. European countries believed there way of like was right because of their success economy, homes, roads, businesses, and technology. Colonizers labeled people as led than fully human and part of an earlier generation that has faltered to evolve. European counties believed it was fair trade off, teaching the savages discipline for an exchange of raw materials and cheap labor. They needed to teach the “savages” how to use the land correctly and make the most of the land. The publicized purpose of colonization was to educate, but the actual purpose was to oppress and gain money.
Tonga women subordinate now and suppressed