Throughout its existence, society has tended to divide people into social groups according to their status, class, or race. The purpose of this tendency is to state the superiority of some people over others and justify discrimination. A biological and a social view of race are very different, which creates a misconception of race in society and leads to discrimination. The very concept of racial classification is a social construct that is used to justify social inequality and, at the same time, has no scientific reasoning. That is why understanding the difference between the biological and social definitions of race is crucial.
Although society classifies people by appearance, in a biological view of race, it is also essential to consider a person’s physical characteristics, geographical factors, and heredity. According to Rogow (2003), biologically, all people belong to the same species, and the genes responsible for physical dissimilarities have nothing in common. Most of the physical traits determined by a person’s race were formed due to adaptation to environmental conditions, but now this approach is losing its relevance. Notwithstanding, these genes do not affect a human’s personality, intelligence, or skills.
Moreover, in the U.S., the social concept of race has an established historical background since the country’s economy was based on slavery for a long time. The concept of race and “belief in white superiority justified anti-democratic action and policies” (Rogow, 2003, p.4) towards underprivileged groups. It again confirms that race at this stage is more of a social construct that takes little account of biological characteristics. Today it is impossible to say that there are people who genetically belong to a single race. Humans have evolved in interaction with each other; hence, as Rogow (2003) notes, “most variation is within, not between, “races” (p. 4). It explains the factor of heredity, considered in the biological definition of the human race, which cannot be excluded.
As for me, I think there is a higher chance to be genetically like someone who looks like me, although social biases might cause such a statement. It is essential to understand that genetics is only partially involved in the issue of racial identification. Therefore, it is impossible to categorically declare genetic dissimilarity with someone who does not look like me. Thus, providing a more objective answer to this question requires conducting a more profound study without taking into account the social view of race.
Reference
Rogow, F. (Ed.). (2003). Race: the Power of an Illusion [Discussion Guide]. ITVS. Web.