How Science, Politics, and Big Business Re-Create Race in the Twenty-First Century

Race is a complex and contested concept. It is often seen as a biological category, but it is also a social and political construct. In the United States, race has been used to justify discrimination and oppression for centuries.

In recent years, there has been a growing movement to challenge the traditional understanding of race. This movement has been fueled by advances in science, which have shown that there is no single gene that determines race. It has also been fueled by the growing awareness of the role that politics and big business play in creating and perpetuating racial inequality.

Fatal Invention: How Science, Politics, and Big Business Re-create Race in the Twenty-First Century

by Dorothy Roberts

4.6 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	1335 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	402 pages
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In this article, we will explore the ways in which science, politics, and big business have re-created race in the twenty-first century. We will also discuss the challenges and opportunities that this new understanding of race poses for the future.

Science and Race

The traditional understanding of race is based on the idea that there are three main races: Caucasoid, Negroid, and Mongoloid. This classification system was first developed by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the eighteenth century. Linnaeus based his classification on physical characteristics, such as skin color, hair texture, and facial features.

In the nineteenth century, scientists began to use more sophisticated methods to study race. They developed new tools, such as the microscope, which allowed them to see cells and other small structures. They also developed new techniques, such as blood typing, which allowed them to identify different genetic markers.

These new tools and techniques led to a number of discoveries about race. One of the most important discoveries was that there is no single gene that determines race. In fact, there is more genetic variation within racial groups than between them.

This discovery has led to a new understanding of race. Race is now seen as a social and political construct rather than a biological category. It is a way of categorizing people based on their physical appearance, but it does not reflect any real genetic differences.

Politics and Race

Politics has played a major role in the creation and perpetuation of racial inequality. In the United States, the Constitution originally defined citizenship as belonging only to white males. This definition was later expanded to include women and people of color, but it was not until the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that discrimination based on race was finally outlawed.

Despite the Civil Rights Act, racial inequality persists in the United States today. This inequality is reflected in a number of areas, including education, employment, housing, and healthcare. For example, black children are more likely to attend underfunded schools than white children, and they are less likely to graduate from high school. Black adults are more likely to be unemployed than white adults, and they are more likely to live in poverty.

The persistence of racial inequality in the United States is due in part to the fact that politicians have often used race to divide voters. Politicians have used racial stereotypes to scare white voters into voting for them, and they have used promises of racial justice to win the votes of black voters.

The use of race in politics has had a number of negative consequences. It has led to the creation of a racial caste system in the United States, and it has prevented the country from fully realizing its potential.

Big Business and Race

Big business has also played a role in the creation and perpetuation of racial inequality. Businesses have often used race to divide workers and to drive down wages. For example, in the early twentieth century, many businesses hired black workers for low-paying jobs and kept them out of higher-paying jobs. This practice led to a wage gap between black and white workers that persists to this day.

In recent years, big business has become more involved in the social and political sphere. Businesses have spent millions of dollars on lobbying and campaign contributions, and they have used their influence to shape public policy.

The involvement of big business in politics has had a number of negative consequences for race relations. Businesses have often used their influence to promote policies that benefit white Americans at the expense of black Americans. For example, businesses have supported laws that make it more difficult for black people to vote, and they have supported policies that lead to mass incarceration of black people.

The Challenges and Opportunities of the New Understanding of Race

The new understanding of race as a social and political construct rather than a biological category poses a number of challenges and opportunities for the future.

One challenge is the fact that the new understanding of race undermines the traditional justifications for racial inequality. If race is not a real genetic difference, then it cannot be used to justify discrimination or oppression.

This challenge is likely to lead to a number of changes in the way that race is used in society. For example, it may lead to the end of race-based affirmative action programs, and it may lead to the creation of new policies that are designed to address the root causes of racial inequality.

Another challenge is the fact that the new understanding of race is still not widely accepted. Many people still believe that race is a real genetic difference, and they are resistant to the idea that it is a social and political construct.

This resistance to the new understanding of race is likely to slow down the pace of change. However, it is important to remember that the traditional understanding of race is based on a false premise. Race is not a real genetic difference, and it cannot be used to justify discrimination or oppression.

The new understanding of race also presents a number of opportunities for the future. It can help us to create a more just and equitable society. If we understand that race is a social and political construct, then we can take steps to change the way that it is used in society.

We can create new policies that are designed to address the root causes of racial inequality, and we can create a new narrative about race that is based on equality and respect.

The new understanding of race is a challenge, but it is also an opportunity. It is an opportunity to create a more just and equitable society, and it is an opportunity to build a society in which everyone is treated with respect and dignity.

Fatal Invention: How Science, Politics, and Big Business Re-create Race in the Twenty-First Century

by Dorothy Roberts

4.6 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	1335 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	402 pages
Lending	:	Enabled

FREE