Social Construction Of Race Essay

Words: 1488
Pages: 6

There is an only race—human race, in the words of Nelson and Fleras, "human beings belong to a single biological species within a larger grouping or genes" (Nelson & Fleras, 2005, p. 173). Human beings' changing in which all individuals participate and belonged, with species diversity contribute a distinctive human society. Race concept is often explained human diversity in multicultural society and certain social issues. Meanwhile, the discrimination of human populations may cause certain problems, because people may use these race notions as a means of explaining and even quibbling what they have done, and as an excuse to discriminatory other people. For example, Nelson and Fleras mentioned, "Europeans were not the first or only group to mistreat others; however, they were among the first to ‘normalize' the race concept as a scientifically grounded rationalisation for exploitation and control" (Nelson & Fleras, 2005, p. 174). Even though the race of problem exists in society, race concept still has the profound influence on the community, to measure population groups on the basis of racial differences. Questions arise that, what is the relationship between race and racism? Is membership in a devalued …show more content…
The concept of race sorted racial groups into a different classification based on properties which related to physical, psychological, social and moral characteristics. For physical features, regardless of which human groups could be divided into skin colour, hair type and eyelid shape. (Biddiss, 1979, p. 174). These attributes also contribute racial diversity, and arbitrary characteristics construct a multicultural society. According to Nelson and Fleras, "the-the concept of race as a social construction—that is, a hypothetical construct, without any basis in biology or scientific validity" (Nelson & Fleras, 2005, p.