I can\'t believe I\'m starting a race thread...
 

But I was debating with people IRL (!) about this and I remember seeing a statement that I'm trying to figure out whether I like it or not.

[ QUOTE ]
Race is a social construct because it is an oversimplification of human genetic diversity.

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Right now I do...

Re: I can\'t beleive I\'m starting a race thread...
 

[ QUOTE ]
But I was debating with people IRL (!) about this and I remember seeing a statement that I'm trying to figure out whether I like it or not.

[ QUOTE ]
Race is a social construct because it is an oversimplification of human genetic diversity.

[/ QUOTE ]

Right now I do...

[/ QUOTE ]
Its a view. One thing that seems certain is that people who make claims about race are entirely unable to give any sort of useful definition. Not even those who claim scientific conclusions.

chez

Re: I can\'t beleive I\'m starting a race thread...
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
But I was debating with people IRL (!) about this and I remember seeing a statement that I'm trying to figure out whether I like it or not.

[ QUOTE ]
Race is a social construct because it is an oversimplification of human genetic diversity.

[/ QUOTE ]

Right now I do...

[/ QUOTE ]
Its a view. One thing that seems certain is that people who make claims about race are entirely unable to give any sort of useful definition. Not even those who claim scientific conclusions.

chez

[/ QUOTE ]

No argument form me there [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: I can\'t believe I\'m starting a race thread...
 

[ QUOTE ]
Race is a social construct because it is an oversimplification of human genetic diversity.

[/ QUOTE ]

So are species (we arbitrarily decide how much or what kind of difference it takes to call two different animals a different species).

So is every human concept. They're arbitrary forms of classifications designed for a particular use.

Re: I can\'t believe I\'m starting a race thread...
 

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So are species.

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Species according to Mayr - groups of actually or potentially interbreeding natural populations which are reproductively isolated from other such groups.

So, interspecies reproduction cannot make fertile offspring.
You see that as a construct?

Also, what's the designed use for classifications of race?

Re: I can\'t believe I\'m starting a race thread...
 

[ QUOTE ]
groups of actually or potentially interbreeding natural populations which are reproductively isolated from other such groups.

So, interspecies reproduction cannot make fertile offspring.

[/ QUOTE ]

Isn't the latter just restating the former?
"reproductively isolated" = "cannot make fertile offspring".


cubes are stable. so, cubes don't push over easily.

seems like something is missing??

luckyme

Re: I can\'t believe I\'m starting a race thread...
 

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Isn't the latter just restating the former?
"reproductively isolated" = "cannot make fertile offspring".

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I intentionally restated it to pre-empt the liger argument.

Re: I can\'t believe I\'m starting a race thread...
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
So are species.

[/ QUOTE ]

Species according to Mayr - groups of actually or potentially interbreeding natural populations which are reproductively isolated from other such groups.

So, interspecies reproduction cannot make fertile offspring.
You see that as a construct?


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Clearly a construct. I have two different 'species' until I put them in geographical proximity and they interbreed. There a dozen different definitions of 'species' for the same reason there is no universally accepted definition of race.
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Also, what's the designed use for classifications of race?

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Identification of members of the species most likely to share my genetic material, and hence to create offspring that tend to reproduce my genes.

Re: I can\'t believe I\'m starting a race thread...
 

I agree with the statement in OP, but would rephrase it as following:


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Race, as largely defined by skin color , is a social construct because it is an oversimplification of human genetic diversity.

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The division of humans into groups based predominantly on skin color is pretty arbitrary. H-omo (I can't believe it censors that word) sapiens could just as easily, and perhaps more usefully, be divided into groups based on lactose-intolerance, in which case North Africans and Swedes would be one group, and Sub-Saharan Africans and Asians would be another.

Re: I can\'t believe I\'m starting a race thread...
 

[ QUOTE ]
But I was debating with people IRL (!) about this and I remember seeing a statement that I'm trying to figure out whether I like it or not.

[ QUOTE ]
Race is a social construct because it is an oversimplification of human genetic diversity.

[/ QUOTE ]

Right now I do...

[/ QUOTE ]

Is 'pit bull' a social construct? I know exactly what it means when I see the name. I don't give a rip if the genetic difference between a pit and a poodle is tiny, the information in the pit bull designation is quite valuable. I know that this small segment of the species correlates with certain behaviors. Ignore this at your peril.