The debate over the concept of race is based on the idea that race is not a biological factor but a social construct. Racism is a serious social issue that impacts people of color in various ways affecting their quality of life. For example, the adverse effects include discrimination, inequality in education and job opportunities, as well as disparity in income levels, housing, and access to healthcare. This paper aims to discuss the findings of three sources relevant to the subject of race and racism.
Traditionally, five races are distinguished, such as White, Black, Asian, Native American, and Oceanian. However, there is a growing belief that categorizing people based on their physical attributes, behaviors, and culture is an outdated approach. This idea is supported by recent scientific research studying human DNA. According to Chou (2017), new findings in genetics revealed that “there is no evidence that the groups we commonly call “races” have distinct, unifying genetic identities” (para. 8). People living in the same geographical regions share some common characteristics. Nevertheless, the variation between them is so small that it is impossible to categorize people into several large groups. As reported by Chou (2017), “there is so much ambiguity between the races … that two people of European descent may be more genetically similar to an Asian person than they are to each other” (para. 9). Therefore, such research findings can improve society’s understanding of the concept of race and help eliminate racism.
Another subject important to discuss, along with the concept of race, is gender. Both factors influence a person’s position and perception in society, particularly in the workplace context. A study was carried out examining the role of gender and race in social judgment about people’s behavior and leadership. Tinkler et al. (2019) found that “participants evaluate the white woman as having the worst interpersonal style and the Asian American woman as the least fit for leadership” (p. 1). Regardless of the study participant’s behavioral style, these social groups were perceived negatively (Tinkler et al., 2019). As can be seen, such discrimination is based on stereotypes and unreasonable expectations of women.
The idea of social majority-minority is important to discuss with regard to the subject of race. According to Alba (2018), a transformation is expected in American society as a result of the demographic change. The U.S. Census Bureau anticipates this transformation to happen in the 2040s (Alba, 2018). Many people associate such a projection with the loss of economic, political, and cultural power of the white population. In turn, some individuals develop negative attitudes towards people of color, as if significant discrimination against Whites had already begun. Such beliefs and behaviors in society worsen the racial problem. As Alba (2018) argues, “even should a majority-minority society appear, it will not look like we presently imagine it” (p. 1). Racism and discrimination should be addressed and eliminated regardless of the changes in society’s structure.
To summarize, the problem of racial inequality affects individuals and raises a number of issues for underrepresented groups. At the same time, genetics rebuts the division of people into biologically diverse classes and supports the view of race as a social construct. Gender is another concept that shapes one’s perception in society and contributes to the challenges for certain social groups. The differentiation of people leads to stereotypes, bias, and inequality, affecting the quality of life.
References
Alba, R. (2018). What majority-minority society? A critical analysis of the census bureau’s projections of America’s demographic future. Socius, 4, 1-10. Web.
Chou, V. (2017). How science and genetics are reshaping the race debate of the 21st century. SITN. Web.
Tinkler, J., Zhao, J., Li, Y., & Ridgeway, C. L. (2019). Honorary whites? Asian American women and the dominance penalty. Socius, 5, 1-13. Web.