Race And The Human Genome Project

Sociologist define race as a “socially defined category based on real or percived biological differnces between groups of people”. In the 19th century biologist came up with the three different categories that groups the three human races: Mongoloid, Causasoid and Negroid. They belived that different races where charaterized by biological makeup. But modern sciences have proved that theory to be wrong because there is no such thing as a “pure” race. We are 99.9% genetically idenitcal. Race is just a concept humans made up, it isn’t actually real.

Race is a classification system used to categorize humans into large and distinct populations or groups by anatomical, cultural, ethnic, genetic, geographical,

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.

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

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 social construct that was developed to classify people into vast different groups through ethnic, anatomical, cultural, genetic, historical, linguistic, geographical, and social attachment. Initially, race referred to people using a common language to identify national affiliations, but with time observable physical traits were used to denote race. The idea of race means that humans are divisible into biologically distinct and exclusive groups in terms of physical and cultural features. The ideology of race is also associated with the beliefs of the superiority of white people. These beliefs were concretized during the Scientific Revolution and American colonization that established political relations between Europeans and people with different cultural and political backgrounds. Therefore, race is a social construction, the idea that people have perceived through their daily interaction. Race does not have any significance in taxonomy because all humans belong to the same species, Homo sapiens. Assertions from various scholars

The term “race” has been given different meanings throughout the years and, now, it is used to signify the differences in physical characteristics that humans possess and, therefore, it creates stratification and inequality. However, the Haviland text states that “The concept of race has no biological basis. Therefore, race is seen as a cultural construct” (Haviland et. al. 2014). Joe R. Feagin and Clairece Booher Feagin support this statement in their textbook: Racial and Ethnic Relations. To understand the concept of race, it is important to be aware of the origin of the word. According to the Feagin text, the meaning of race has changed through the centuries. Back in the sixteenth and early seventeenth century, race was a word intended for “descendants of a common ancestor, emphasizing linkages” (Feagin and Feagin, 2012: 5). This means that the word “race” was intended to recognize family ties, it did not take physical characteristics into consideration, only descendants; it was not utilized to separate people by their

What is race? It is defined as descendants of a common ancestor; one of the distinct variations of the human species; race or lineage. (Websters New Dictionary 1998). As our society becomes more educated, the debate on whether or not this is the true definition of race, or as today’s Sociologists see it, is race merely socially constructed. Race, as it applies across scientific lines, is determinate to represent the human species as a whole, therefore there is but one race…. Human.

The English term ‘race’ is believed to originate from the Spanish word raza, which means ‘breed’ or ‘stock’ (Race). People use race to define other groups, this separation of groups is based largely on physical features. Features like skin color and hair don’t affect the fundamental biology of human variation (Hotz). Race is truly only skin deep, there are no true biological separations between two ‘racial’ groups. Scientifically speaking, there is more variation between single local groups than there is between two large, global groups; the human variation is constantly altering (Lewontin). The majority of today’s anthropologists agree that race is a form of social categorization, not the separation of groups based on biological

The concept of race has various connotations, consequently perceived by some as scientific and to others merely a social constitute. Individuals who consider 'race' as that of a scientific background regard folks from particular ethnic groups to be biologically different to the mass’. Conversely, those who understand race just being a social construct, accredit the concept for the marginalisation of specific ethnic groups in the greater society throughout history and the foreseeable future. (quote)

Race as a social construct has a negative effect on society since its creation. Evolving from honest curiosity, science allowed for the desires of oppressive society to speak rather than the truth. Decades of misuse and misunderstanding of this term explained with wrongful biological terms can now stop. By acknowledging the misuse of ‘race’ through the examination of it used in such arbitrary manners shows its inherent flaws. In order to mediate this issue of incorrect usage, a new biological approach becomes more than appropriate. Genotype rather than phenotypic information ought to define race. In doing so, perhaps, the term race will better society by focusing on creating medicine based

Race is a concept that was socially constructed to structure a hierarchical order that poses some races as superior to others. This concept is unable to explain human genome variation and evolution, thus nullifying the flawed concept with scientific evidence. Human variation occurs because of evolution, a biological process that all organisms involuntary undergo so that they can adapt to their environment to maximize their chances of survival. In contrast, race explains human variation as physical differences that determine power of one group over another. To truly understand why race is such an uneducated and outdated idea, one must study the semantics of the term, why it was socially constructed, the genetic evidence that proves that we are

Race is a social construct that was created by the Europeans in order to minoritize different racial groups. In the reading by Bonilla-Silva, he defines race to be manmade, “This means that notions of racial difference are human creations rather than eternal, essential categories… racial categories have a history and are subject to change.” For example in a lecture by Dr. Aguilar-Hernandez, he stated that the Irish, Italians and Jews were called black before but are now considered white, Mexican-Americans were also considered white up until the 1980s. These ideas lead to the racialization of racial groups.

The Human Genome Project (HGP) began in 1990 with funding from the Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health with the goal of decoding the human genome. Researchers from across the world are working in conjunction to understand the sequence of amino acid base pairs and how they interact with one another to elicit specific genetic reactions. Once the decoding of the genome takes place, scientists will be able to develop individual treatment plans and understand a number of diseases. Research has found that there are over 3 billion amino acid base pairs which make-up 20,000 genes. Of these 20,000 genes, the human genetic code is defined by forty-six tightly packed bunches called chromosomes. Due to the vast array of amino acid base pairs, the project has taken over ten years to complete the sequencing of the specific parts, but the task of understanding how the parts interact one another and the influence they have on diseases has yet to be accomplished.

The Human Genome Project basically was a research program that worked on a goal to get an image of human genome and get a better understanding of all a human beings genes. DNA is founded on 4 chemical bases, they turn into twisted ladder shaped DNA molecules. And all the the four bases are what create the genes just placed in different ways and different lengths. One revelation of the human genome project was when they learned that there are about 20,500 genes. The Human Genome Project brought many scientist together around the world and each one was an important factor for the project. It was a publicly funded organization and got funds and support from the Department of Energy and US National Institutes of Health