Adding Reply Archived Topic: It will not be bumped to the top of the forum. Topic Since race is a social construct Membername   Not a member? Sign Up Free (takes 20 seconds) Password   Forgotten your password? Post Font: Verdana Arial Black Georgia Comic Sans Impact   Size: Tiny Normal Big Huge   Color: Default Dark Red Red Orange Brown Green Olive Cyan Blue Dark Blue Indigo Black [ Check Spelling ] [ Post Preview ] [ LiveTags ] FAQ Keyword Search: Post Options Favorites Manager Notify me of new replies to this topic by email Notify me of new replies to this topic by private message Original Post Mochaa Posted at 2:09 pm on July 10, 2009 Does that mean people can just choose their race? Would you choose your own race, if you had a choice?

Replies jakelong Posted at 2:19 pm on July 11, 2009 Physically, you can see race. Skin color is the most predominant feature of race, but it's a little deeper than just that - noses, ears, hair, eyes, etc. all are a part of it. As all of these are inherited features, people more closely related together - those of the same race - will appear more similar to each other than those of a different race. As a result, people will come together and categorize that into race, and in so doing, they are creating arbitrary boundaries where a race "begins" and "ends", and they are often attaching meanings not inherent among the people they are categorizing (because when you think collectively, it's easy to think that anyone in the same category is very much the same or similar in ways beyond simple appearance, particularly if they also share a culture together as that has naturally came with race too in the past and still so to some extent today). This is why race is socially constructed, at least in how we think of it, and by calling race a social construct, it doesn't necessarily deny the reality of it that exists in our genetic makeup. Great stuff Bud! Bud2400 Posted at 3:38 am on July 11, 2009 I think many people misinterpret what a "social construct" really means. A social construct is anything created by society that isn't inherent among individuals. Society, by its very nature, is a collective. No individual decides it, but individuals together decide it, and usually they come to this decision based on some consensus of the reality they are surrounded with. Physically, you can see race. Skin color is the most predominant feature of race, but it's a little deeper than just that - noses, ears, hair, eyes, etc. all are a part of it. As all of these are inherited features, people more closely related together - those of the same race - will appear more similar to each other than those of a different race. As a result, people will come together and categorize that into race, and in so doing, they are creating arbitrary boundaries where a race "begins" and "ends", and they are often attaching meanings not inherent among the people they are categorizing (because when you think collectively, it's easy to think that anyone in the same category is very much the same or similar in ways beyond simple appearance, particularly if they also share a culture together as that has naturally came with race too in the past and still so to some extent today). This is why race is socially constructed, at least in how we think of it, and by calling race a social construct, it doesn't necessarily deny the reality of it that exists in our genetic makeup. What race you belong to is not decided by you as an individual but by society. White privilege theory says that those with power are the ones who define where the arbitrary "boundaries" of race are and thus where it begins and ends, and they enforce that onto everyone else. In other words, you are told what race you are by society and that's the race you will identify with. You can be black according to society and identify with Asians, but good luck getting anyone else to do that. You will be treated as black no matter how Asian you perceive yourself to be.  This is only possible because race is a collective definition, not an individual one so much.  And then there is also the fact that race does have a real basis to it, as insignificant as it may be. jakelong Posted at 3:14 am on July 11, 2009 yeah a lot of ppl do. abs does for example Laurence Posted at 11:23 pm on July 10, 2009 Some people indeed to "choose" the racial categorization which they can adopt. A prime example are many blacks and whites of mixed origins who will often consciously select the category which society and people around them are most willing to accept. Regardless of they actual ancestry they will tend to select the social groups most ready and willing to accept them During the worst days of slavery and segregation many people of mixed ancestry who could appear "white" moved North or West, changed their names and mingled seamlessly and undetected among the white population. These people often married whites and thus after a few generations became undistingishable from other whites. Sudo XE Posted at 2:14 pm on July 10, 2009 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_E5JNYoDT48 ^ these muhfuckas, man... Baron Samedi Posted at 2:13 pm on July 10, 2009 I'd stay Asian.  I like being at the top of the human evolutionary chain. Karyssia Posted at 2:11 pm on July 10, 2009 I always wanted to be Asian.... Public Enemy 69 Posted at 2:11 pm on July 10, 2009 Quote: from ToyJetpack at 5:10 pm on July 10, 2009 i would still be white because of the job opportunities that are available lawl I'd stay black. ToyJetpack Posted at 2:10 pm on July 10, 2009 i would still be white because of the job opportunities that are available Cum Goblin Posted at 2:10 pm on July 10, 2009 ehhhhh. if i were still in my same social class, i'd pick black. not if i like had to go to the ghetto lolllll Dont Notice Me Posted at 2:10 pm on July 10, 2009 I'm happy with my race Descartes Posted at 2:10 pm on July 10, 2009 I enjoy being Caucasian Placebo Effect Posted at 2:09 pm on July 10, 2009 I like being white. Miss Kaytee Posted at 2:09 pm on July 10, 2009 Quote: from bosss at 2:09 pm on July 10, 2009 i'd keep the race i have Chasey Posted at 2:09 pm on July 10, 2009 yeah i would Most recent 15 of 16 previous replies displayed.