The Power Of An Illusion

Race is not an element of human biology (like breathing oxygen or reproducing sexually); nor is it even an idea (like the speed of light or the value of π) that can be plausibly imagined to live an external life of its own. Race is not an idea but an ideology. It came into existence at a discernable historical moment for rationality understandable historical reasons and is subject to change for similar reasons (101).

When describing Race they state that its roots are not within the biological realm. That Race is a social construct and cannot be defined genetically.

Such as the ability to gain and apply knowledge and skills in playing some specific sport or musical insurment. But, in reality “Most of the human variation is non-concordant” because “Skin or eye color or hair color is not correlated with height or weight...and definitely not correlated with more complex traits like intelligence or athletic performance.” Consequently, there's no concordance among biological traits and culturally marked groups. Due to the fact that, diverse population have different culture, economy and language, but there isn't any religious, natioanl or cultural groups that establish a race. A case from the film that shows why complex characteristics are not concordant with assumptions of race is Marcus because “If genes contibute to Marcus's musical talent, there would be dozens, interacting with environment, training and practice. Those genes would be inherited independently of the genes for eye shape, skin color and hair form. Which Marcus inherited through his Korean - and Jamaican

If states are the laboratories of democracy, then sports are the arena in which it is tested. This book serves as a review of racial integration and the changing dynamics in sports from 1890 - 1980. Charles Martin aims for the reader to understand why it was common place for white southerners to compete against “non-black” ethnic minorities (E.G. Native Americans, Chinese), but an issue when even a single African American was on an opposing team. Benching Jim Crow explains to the reader that the persistence of segregation lay with overarching cultural mentalities left over from the Civil War, but shifts in position came from external (financial), and internal (students and players). Though offering little insight into the legal and political impacts of Jim Crow itself, Martin paints a detailed, but redundant, narrative of the rise and fall of Jim Crow in athletics.

Rhoden wrote, “Integration in sports—as opposed to integration at the ballot box or in public conveyances—was a winning proposition for the whites who controlled the sports industrial complex.” Arthur Foster

The social construction of race is a topic that is worth discussing. In the United States the black/white color line has historically been rigidly defined and enforced. People have been stereotypical and afraid as long as I can remember. Labeling people as we think they should be based on the color of their skin or just thinking it’s in their biology so they must be this or they must be that. Race is socially constructed and is not a biological construct.

What is race? Some people attach "race" to a biological meaning, yet others use "race" as a socially constructed concept. “Most biologists and anthropologists do not recognize race as a biologically valid classification, in part because there is more genetic variation within groups than between them” (. So, it is clear that even though race does not have a biological meaning, it does have a social meaning - usually detrimental to our social harmony. Race is neither an essence nor an illusion, but

However, the video Race: The Power of Illusion presents significant evidence refuting the biological theories of race. Cold Springs Harbor Laboratory instructor Scott Bronson and several high school students from different ethnicities conducted personal genetic research exploring biological race theory. Students’ typed their blood, compared skin tones and took DNA samples. After sending the samples to a genetics lab, Bronson asked students whom they might expect to be more genetically similar to in the workshop. The consensus of the students was that they would each be genetically comparable to others in the group with similar physical attributes.

The idea of race in society is truly that; an idea. However, one of the first things one notices about another human is their perceived race. Often, incorrect assumptions are made about a person, based on his race. In addition, many believe race can be determined by biological factors. However, there is no biological basis to race. Without a doubt, genes play a role in our skin, hair, and eye color; however, there are not certain genes present in an entire race and not another. Race is not clear cut; if one were to travel from either pole to the equator, a specific location could not be identified to separate any two races.

Race is a hot topic in our world. We all think we know what race is. After all, we are constantly being bombarded with it whether it be from media, politics, or sports. The truth is that race does not revolve around the idea of biological traits or characteristics. It is a modern concept that we as a society have created to divide people into categories. I will argue that race is socially constructed from a biological, political history, and sociological standpoint, and how it may impact other areas of our society.

The concept of race dates back to recent human history. Race is an integral part of life for individuals residing in the United States. However, this concept of “race”, that many Americans believe to be true, has no biological backing; it is merely a social construct. Looking at genetics, and even evolution it becomes clear that race is not real. But, even though race is not real, it can have very real consequences (such as racism). So in this sense race becomes a very real thing, as it affects millions of people living today. Race, biologically is not a real thing, but due to its impact, socially and culturally, it has become real.

Race is important because it is not biological, it’s a social construct that humans beings formed years ago. The social construct is racial classification for individuals would remain constant throughout the world. By grouping individuals through cultural or social practice. And can also socially group people into categories based on shared norms, values, beliefs, and behaviors.

I would like to discuss the issue of race and ethnicity in sports. We will also explore the bigger questions. How much does race and ethnicity matter in the sports world? Are certain races dominant in certain sports? Is there a difference in how we treat players based on race and ethnicity? Does it matter? I would like to answer some of these questions and gain a better understanding of how much of a part they play.

If you would have asked me, "Do you believe race is biological or that is was socially constructed?", I would have responded with the same examples you may commonly receive from scientist or anthropologist; that race is in fact biological and deeply rooted and shared from generation to generation by DNA. However, through analyzing Pearson 's, Chapter 11 Race & Ethnicity we discover various examples in which history has built the shelves in which everyone is neatly categorized for its convenience even if not entirely in truth.

Nearly everyone feels some desire to learn about their past and the origin of their ancestors. In Bryan Sykes’ novel, The Seven Daughters of Eve, he takes his readers through the experiences he faced and obstacles he overcame while piecing together the ancestral past of Europe. Ninety-five percent of living native Europeans can trace their past back to one of seven women, whom Sykes named Ursula, Xenia, Helena, Velda, Tara, Katrine and Jasmine. He discovered these clan mothers by studying the mutations found in the control region of mitochondrial DNA. People who had the same or very similar mitochondrial DNA sequences were grouped together and in the end Sykes was left with seven groups. The purpose and benefit of comparing mitochondrial DNA is that every person receives their mitochondrial DNA from their mother. While recombination shuffles and changes the genes in chromosomes, mitochondrial only changes through mutation, making it a reliable source for genetic study. With mitochondrial DNA by his side, Sykes began to look for answers to some of the world’s greatests questions concerning ancestral origin and human colonization throughout the world.