SY101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Sociobiology, Eugenics, Racialization

• School: WLU
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SY101
• Professor: Greg Bird

Document Summary

Lecture 13 race and ethnicity i: o(cid:272)iologi(cid:272)al (cid:448)s. co(cid:373)(cid:373)o(cid:374)se(cid:374)se (cid:374)otio(cid:374)s of (cid:862)ra(cid:272)e(cid:863, racial formation theory. Commonsense notion of race: different associations used to connect individual characteristics, behaviours, tastes, and attitudes to a person perceived membership of a group, often based on physical appearance. Sociological notion of race: a social construction that divides humans into different & unequal categories based on social, economic, and political forces. Sociologists do not mention physical traits or characteristics, school of thought = conflict theory, focuses on forced power. We engage in categories of race, race itself is a fiction, some sociologists argue. Racism is what makes us think about race. Sociological critique of (cid:862)race(cid:863): (cid:862)ra(cid:272)e(cid:863) = so(cid:272)ial (cid:272)o(cid:374)stru(cid:272)t. Social construction: human beings actively create social life and social meanings. Vs. essentialism: attributing social constructs to biological or genetic causes (biology = destiny) Biological determinis(cid:373): idea that people"s dispositio(cid:374)s, attitudes, (cid:271)eha(cid:448)iours, so(cid:272)ial roles, and other personal qualities are determined by their biology.