Race: A Social Construct or a Term From Biology?

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Table of Contents

Introduction
The Usage Of Race In Biology
The Usage Of Race In Sociology
Differences Between Two Concepts
Conclusion
Works Cited

Introduction

The concept of race plays a crucial role in human history and remains one of the most frequent sources of conflict. The current use of the word “race” creates a significant discord among researchers and modern society. This essay will discuss the origins and the current usage of this term to explain why it is appropriate to use it only as a social attribute.

The Usage Of Race In Biology

The word race initially came from biological studies as a hierarchical rank. The studies of the human genome in the past led to a belief that race is a constant that defines a set of characteristics to which an individual of this race will be predisposed (Meloni 390). However, this notion has been since discredited, as the paradigm of stability of a genome has been discontinued due to the studies that show how a multitude of factors outside of genetic heredity affect it (Meloni 390).

The Usage Of Race In Sociology

Nowadays, the term “race” is used primarily as a social construct. Throughout human history, race has been used to separate people into categories, which were often divided into oppressed and oppressors (Go 442). Races have their historical bases in systems that were fueled by social developments (Go 446). Cultures that stem from different races are the reason why people were separated in this way, not otherwise.

Differences Between Two Concepts

The primary reason for the term race to remain viable only as a social construct is that races were used to indicate different communities, which led to the creation of significant cultural differences. As the race in genetics lost its weight, it remains widely used in social sciences to determine one’s cultural identity. For example, it remains a largely accurate way to describe one’s ethnical background.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the concept of race remains useful in sociological studies but has lost its meaning in biology. Predispositions towards a particular behavior are not created by a human genome. Instead, a complex web of social influences affects parameters previously attributed to a race on a biological level.

Works Cited

Go, Julian. “Postcolonial Possibilities for the Sociology of Race.” Sociology of Race and Ethnicity, vol. 4, no. 4, 2018, pp. 439-451.

Meloni, Maurizio. “Race in an epigenetic time: thinking biology in the plural.” The British Journal of Sociology, vol. 68, no. 3, 2017, pp. 389-409.

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Race: A Social Construct or a Term From Biology?

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