1st Edition

The Concept of Race in Natural and Social Science

Edited By E. Nathaniel Gates Copyright 1997

    Explores the concept of race The term race, which originally denoted genealogical or class identity, has in the comparatively brief span of 300 years taken on an entirely new meaning. In the wake of the Enlightenment it came to be applied to social groups. This ideological transformation coupled with a dogmatic insistence that the groups so designated were natural, and not socially created, gave birth to the modern notion of races as genetically distinct entities. The results of this view were the encoding of race and racial hierarchies in law, literature, and culture. How racial categories facilitate social control The articles in the series demonstrate that the classification of humans according to selected physical characteristics was an arbitrary decision that was not based on valid scientific method. They also examine the impact of colonialism on the propagation of the concept and note that racial categorization is a powerful social force that is often used to promote the interests of dominant social groups. Finally, the collection surveys how laws based on race have been enacted around the world to deny power to minority groups. A multidisciplinary resource This collection of outstanding articles brings multiple perspectives to bear on race theory and draws on a wider ranger of periodicals than even the largest library usually holds. Even if all the articles were available on campus, chances are that a student would have to track them down in several libraries and microfilm collections. Providing, of course, that no journals were reserved for graduate students, out for binding, or simply missing. This convenient set saves students substantial time and effort by making available all the key articles in one reliable source. Authoritative commentary The series editor has put together a balanced selection of the most significant works, accompanied by expert commentary. A general introduction gives important background information and outlines fundamental issues, current scholarship, and scholarly controversies. Introductions to individual volumes put the articles in context and draw attention to germinal ideas and major shifts in the field. After reading the material, even a beginning student will have an excellent grasp of the basics of the subject.

    Chapter 1 the Geometer of Race, STEPHEN JAY GOULD, JOSH GOSFIELD; Chapter 2 The Apportionment of Human Diversity, R. C. LEWONTIN; Chapter 3 Gene Differences between Caucasian, Negro, and Japanese Populations; Chapter 4 Genetic Relationship and Evolution of Human Races, MASATOSHI NEI, ARUN K. ROYCHOUDHURY; Chapter 5 ‘The European’, DANIEL A. SEGAL; Chapter 6 Race: The Mythic Root of Racism, Donal E. Muir; Chapter 7 ::, Alice Littlefield, Leonard Lieberman, Larry T. Reynolds; Chapter 8 Commentary The Use of Race in Medical Research; Chapter 9 Identifying Ethnicity in Medical Papers; Chapter 10 The Biological Concept of Race and its Application to Public Health and Epidemiology, Richard Cooper, Richard David; Chapter 1a The Biological Race Concept and Diseases of Modern Man, ELIZABETH S. WATTS; Chapter 12 PERSPECTIVE Perceptions and Misperceptions of Skin Color; Chapter 13 Editorial Overcoming Ethnocentrism: How Social Science and Medicine Relate and Should Relate to One Another, Sjaak van der Geest; Chapter 14 Editorials Elucidating the Relationships between Race, Socioeconomic Status, and Health; Chapter 15 Editorial A Plea for Ignoring Race and Including Insured Status in American Research Reports on Social Science and Medicine, Christopher Bagley; Chapter 16 Race Talk and Common Sense: Patterns in Pakeha Discourse on Maori/Pakeha Relations in New Zealand, Raymond G. Nairn, Timothy N. McCreanor; Chapter 17 CDC-ATSDR Workshop The Concept of Race and Health Status in America; Chapter 18 Racial-Identity Issues among Mixed-Race Children, RUTH G. McROY, EDITH FREEMAN; Chapter 19 ::, JOHN E. WILLIAMS; Chapter 20 ::, JOHN E. WILLIAMS, RICHARD D. TUCKER, FRANCES Y. DUNHAM; Chapter 21 Beyond the ‘Race’ Concept: The Reproduction of Racism in England, Robert Miles;

    Biography

    E. Nathaniel Gates