Is the concept of race purely cultural?

Question

I have read numerous articles that break down human race into three categories:

Caucasoid, ******* and Mongoloid

They typically use these terms as a broad, catch all to identify any groups of people who reside in various regions of the world.

However, looking at the dynamic differences of various ethnic groups, it seems as if this is a bit short sided.

For example, many authors of these articles categorized Native Americans as “Mongoloids”, along with Polynesians and other islanders, in addition to many Asian ethnic groups.

If you look at an indigenous Japanese man, and compare him to a Samoan man, there are profound differences in facial structure, complexion of skin, and overall bone structure and anatomy.

Also, what is the concept of a “black man/woman” and a “white man/woman”?

Is it simply the color of one’s skin? If so, there are many south Asian born men and women in India who have darker skin than some who are considered “black men/women”, so surely, being a “black person” must stem to something greater than just the color of one’s skin. Similarly, there are many Chinese men and women with skin much whiter than a “white person”.

With all of the aforementioned in mind, what actually constitutes “race” and many of these aforementioned terms?

Anonymous · Answer

There  are  3  races on this Earth

Mark · Answer

Well, sort of.  Different people in various areas of the world look... different.  But we're all humans, and with globalisation, there are "different" people living in "different" countries.

Mr. NiteOwl · Answer

Race is basically a pc way of saying subspecies. The old three classification of race is outdated tho, there are more races than that like for example:

Homo sapiens dermaolivia mediterraneanius (oliveskins/Mediterraneanoids)
Homo sapiens americanus (Native Americans)
Homo sapiens australius (Australian aborigines)

And a couple of others...

Bill · Answer

I think the way people look at race is flawed, but the idea itself is sound. The issue I have is with people that refuse to admit that there is differences between what they refuse to admit are races. You're never going to create an optimal society until you admit all the facts for what they are and act on them accordingly. Sticking to a ideology simply because it sounds nice is never going to solve anything, but it will make things harder for everyone. Of course, everything I just said will be deemed as racist by these unhelpful ideologically glued idiots and thus everything I said will be disregarded.

Anonymous · Answer

No, we are a hybridized species with introgression from extinct hominids like Neanderthals, Denisovans etc. Sub Saharan Africans have 19 percent genomic contributions from extinct ghost populations.

People like Zirp can’t deny it without resorting to Lewontin and Continuum fallacies. Zirp is repeating his old points like a broken record. Is he not aware that Africans are more prone to sickle cell anemia, Europeans are more prone to Cystic Fibrosis, Ashkenazis with their own medical conditions etc

Lewontin fallacy - “there is more genetic diversity within a race than there are between the different races. “ has been debunked by A. W. F. Edwards In 2003.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Genetic_Diversity:_Lewontin%27s_Fallacy

Edwards argued that, even if the probability of misclassifying an individual based on the frequency of alleles at a single locus is as high as 30 percent (as Lewontin reported in 1972), the misclassification probability becomes close to zero if enough loci are studied.

Science is about observing the world, explaining and categorizing things. Animals that interbreed naturally ARE classified. But Human classification is forbidden due to social dogma.

It's the reason colours can be classified and differences measured, despite existing on a spectrum, but race can't. Because the truth doesn't matter, upholding dogma does.

Magui · Answer

Race is a social construct. Nothing else. Biologically and genetically there are no races in Humans.

Zirp · Answer

Real races (dogs, cats, cows, pigs, chickens, sheep)  are the result of longterm purposebreeding (and inbreeding).

Humans have thousands of genes, spread over 46 chromosomes.

There is no sensible/scientific way to decide where one supposed "race" ends and another one starts. Your so-called race says almost nothing about your allergies, diseases or talents

Anonymous · Answer

Not at all. Race is biological. The differences have developed due to thousands of years of evolution in totally different environments. There exist population clusters that differ profoundly due to varying degrees of evolutionary isolation. That’s not a social construct. Race is not just about skin color. Do you really think an Amerindian or Pygmy would become European if they have white skin?

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Is the concept of race purely cultural?

8 Answers