SOSA 1050Y Lecture 4: Race and Racism 1

• School: Dalhousie University
• Department: Soc & Social Anthropology
• Course: SOSA 1050Y
• Professor: Laura Eramian

Document Summary

Race: the objective, naturally occurring division of the human population (this is what we think race is) This is an attempt to crete stable populations by blood or born traits. This is something that you are seemingly born with. Because of the anthropological studies on race, this de nition is discredited even by dictionaries. There is no objective, scienti c basis for splitting the human population in terms of. Racism: the attributing of certain behaviours, values, moral qualities or characteristics to people on the basis of their race" or physical traits. Examples: police brutality towards blacks, oscars boycott for systematic nomination, racial pro ling (airports or getting pulled over) Since race" has no validity, there is no reason for certain personalities or pro les to commit racism. Racial distinction is so common and widespread. The existence of objective racial distinctions is taken for granted both in popular thinking and by respected researchers.