Layla Quinones
SSA101.1807
Prof. Straughn-Williams
October 28, 2008
Racial Classification
Essay Question 1: The film “Journey of Man” and the article “Race Without Color”
suggest very strongly that race is not a biological phenomenon. Explain in detail the
position taken by both scholars.
Race is a very sensitive subject for many people in the United States. This is true
because of the social and economic factors that correspond to each race and, more
specifically, the color of their skin. Race however cannot be defined biologically, only
culturally. This is argued by Jared Diamond in his article “Race Without Color”, and by
Spencer Wells in his documentary “Journey of Man”. Diamond argues that there are
other forms of taxonomy that can classify race and, that distinguishing race by color is
arbitrary and unjust. On the other hand, Wells argues that race is non-existent due to the
fact that the human species originated from the same ancient tribe. In this way, Diamond
and Wells both conclude that the presence of race and variation in skin color are due to
the process of natural selection over a number of thousands of years.
Jared Diamond takes upon a comparative approach in defining the illogical
concept of race. He feels that racial classification is as imprudent as to accept the world
as a flat body rather than a round one. He also adds that the means of taxonomy by race is
subject to change by personal opinion (125). He stresses that it is important to
understand that race plays a significant role in political as well as social and economical
discrimination. He implies that it is extremely unjust for race to determine or influence
the way people live and therefore, is an arbitrary phenomenon. Diamond compares the
social classification of race to many other biological forms of classification that seem
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illogical but are scientifically “…equally valid procedures for defining races” (125). For
example, he explains how race may be defined by “invisible” traits rather than ones that
we can obviously see. He explains that if classified by the absence of the sickle-cell gene
or the absence of the enzyme lactase, many of the races that we socially define as
opposite, will in fact be within the same race. He also gives the example of defining race
by the type of fingerprints certain people around the world have. He concluded that like
the previous classifications, if a different approach was taken in determining race, many
people would be classified as a whole race rather than many different ones.
Consequently, people of opposite races would be assigned to one whole race. Diamond
ends his argument with the explanation of how the color of skin and other physical
attributes that might define race are strictly a form of adaptation for the human species.
He also adds that it is derived from years of natural and sexual selection. He makes clear
that “racial classification didn’t come from science but from the body’s signal for
differentiating attractive from unattractive sex partners, and for differentiating friend
from foe” (130).
On the other hand, geneticist Spencer Wells argues that the human species
originated from a single “race” in ancient times in his documentary “Journey of Man”.
The film documents his journey in discovering exactly where the human species first
originated, which people (in today’s world) are genetically closest to the “forefathers” of
humanity, and exactly how our ancient ancestors migrated from Africa to populate the
rest of the world. In the process of discovering the origin of world population he also
describes how, if the human species originated from a single race, we become so diverse
in physical characteristics. Wells travels around the entire world to compare the
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mitochondrial DNA through the male y- chromosome in order to determine, by genetic
mutation, exactly where our ancient ancestors traveled during migration. This would
therefore explain how the whole world is populated by the human species. His studies
conclude that the human species originated from the ancient ancestors of the San
Bushmen in Africa. Due to the fact that the world was at one time part of a single body of
land, our ancient ancestors traveled during times of food shortage from African to India,
then into Australia and afterwards to other parts of the world. Furthermore, this supports
the fact that race is not a biological difference but, a result of natural selection. Physical
traits of a person are based mainly on the latitude and altitude of the environment that
their ethnic ancestors adapted to. Wells’ data supports the claim that race is not biological
and instead is a social construction.
In all, Jared Diamond and Spencer Wells both explain that race is not a biological
phenomenon. Diamond indicates that racial classification is arbitrary and if other forms
of racial taxonomy were accepted , people classified in various races would actually be
part of one race. Wells also proves scientifically that despite racial classification, the
human species originated from a single race. The positions and explanations of both
scholars prove a single fact: physical characteristics are not based on biology but on
natural and sexual selection. Furthermore, this makes racial classification by color and
physical attributes unjust and an illogical form of individualizing those of the same
species.
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Essay Question 2: Explain the following argument: race is a social construct.
As seen throughout world history, race is predominantly a major factor in many
societies that can determine how an individual lives. However, contrary to popular belief,
race is in fact a socially constructed idea that is in no way based on a biological
explanation. Furthermore, the idea of racial classification is not only based on skin color
and other racially oriented physical characteristics but, it is also subject to the opinions
and preferences of those who are governing. In addition, race can determine an
individual’s role in society and the way he or she is viewed by the rest of the community.
The idea that race is a social construction is strongly supported by F. James Davis
in his work “Who is Black?” He gives specific examples of how even though there is a
designation of race for racially mixed persons, in certain circumstances these individuals
can change their race and become part of a different race. For example, he explains how
race is determined in the social setting of Africa. He notes that a person who has one
white parent and one black parent is classified as part of the Coloured race. However they
can, under certain circumstances, change their racial designation. More specifically,
Davis states that Coloured people can be reclassified as white if they “look white” and
demonstrate “appropriate [middle] class behavior” along with the “…right occupation,
income, social club, and church so that it is clear that the person ‘acts white’” (97). This
completely contradicts the belief that race is biological because in this society, people can
change their race based on certain social activities that the take part in. He also points out
that “different members of a family [even if they are siblings from the same parents] may
be designated differently…”(97). This further supports that race is not biological because
even though siblings may have the same parents and have the same parental genes, they
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can in fact be classified as racially different. This in turn would give them different roles
in society.
Thomas Biolsi also supports the fact that race is a social construction in his paper
“Race-Making in the ‘Mississippi of the North’: The Indian-White Boundary in South
Dakota”. He discusses the Plessey vs. Ferguson case, an important Supreme Court trial
that occurred in the United States during the 1800’s. In this trial, a man who physically
“looked white” was designated part of the black race due to the One-Drop rule. This rule
stated that whoever had any black ancestors, despite the fact that they might have more
white ancestors than black, would be classified as part of the black race and therefore
restricted to certain privileges. This case shows that the black race in the United States
was classified upon a qualitative factor that “insured that the [black] race line would
continuously reproduce…” (6). The factor of physical appearance did not matter in this
case; even if a person had the characteristics that are considered white, they were still
classified as black under the One-Drop rule.
In contrast, Biolsi also points out that Native Americans in the United States were
classified quantitively by the amount of Native American ancestors that they had. In other
words, if an individual had more white ancestors than they did Native American
ancestors, they were considered white. He also adds that in contrast to the classifications
of black people, “degree of blood was both a measure of individual assimilation and an
active tactic for reducing the size of tribes and ending the trust authority over selected
individuals” (8). Ultimately, instead of race being a biological factor, it was determined
by the government according to it’s needs which therefore constitutes a social
construction.
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In conclusion, many different societies have different grounds for classifying race,
whether it is based on physical characteristics, class or ethnic background. Societies also
differ in the social class that they designate to a certain race which determines how an
individual lives. In many cases, such as in the United States, there is more than one way
to distinguish race among different individuals that is ultimately reflected by the
preference of the government. Race is based on how a group of people classify others and
is subject to change by those who are classifying. Qualitive, quantative or physical
factors are what constitute the classification of race and it can also be subject to change
upon social status. There is not one specific scientific way that the world as a whole
classifies racial designation therefore, it is strictly a social construction.
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Racial Classification
Layla Quinones
SSA101.1807
Professor Straugh-Williams
October 28, 2008
Midterm Paper
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