4 ms·

What's there to be worried about? And why would it be relieving that it is 'not necessarily racial'? It is 'racial' in the sense that it is a finer distincti

by cb18 10y ago

What's there to be worried about? And why would it be relieving that it is 'not necessarily racial'? It is 'racial' in the sense that it is a finer distinction of races. It fits in a hierarchy like -- people --> races --> ethnic groups For example: Whites --> Danes, Basque, Serbs Blacks --> Yoruba, Luo, Kalenjin It is strange and concerning that because there is so much walking on eggshells around these matters there is such ignorance[0] on basic matters. [0] I mean that in the least offensive way, just basically not informed, or educated on a matter.

carlob 10y ago
Why is it strange and concerning? Given the tragic history of race and the way it still informs the way people think about race, it's really unsurprising it's still a delicate matter. Think about how the 'one-drop rule' still applies to whom considers themselves black. If that weren't enough there is a large body of scientific evidence that supports the fact that race makes little biological sense and is mostly a social construct. Take the example of the Basque you picked: it turns out the Basque are much different from the rest of people in Europe due to their being (mostly linguistically, but also genetically) the only descendants of hunter-gatherer societies in Europe. I suggest you read Genes, Peoples, and Languages on the subject: it's really fascinating. http://www.amazon.com/Genes-Peoples-Languages-Luigi-Cavalli-Sforza/dp/0520228731 http://www.amazon.com/Genes-Peoples-Languages-Luigi-Cavalli-...
- Chris2048 10y ago
  > Think about how the 'one-drop rule' still applies to whom considers themselves black. Does it? > there is a large body of scientific evidence that supports the fact that race makes little biological sense and is mostly a social construct Given the topic, I'd be skeptical - a large body of evidence might still not be conclusive. However, maybe a more relevant question is why it matters - you are what you might be perceived as, so far it might affect how you are treated.

by cb18 10y ago

carlob 10y ago

Why is it strange and concerning? Given the tragic history of race and the way it still informs the way people think about race, it's really unsurprising it's still a delicate matter. Think about how the 'one-drop rule' still applies to whom considers themselves black. If that weren't enough there is a large body of scientific evidence that supports the fact that race makes little biological sense and is mostly a social construct. Take the example of the Basque you picked: it turns out the Basque are much different from the rest of people in Europe due to their being (mostly linguistically, but also genetically) the only descendants of hunter-gatherer societies in Europe. I suggest you read Genes, Peoples, and Languages on the subject: it's really fascinating. http://www.amazon.com/Genes-Peoples-Languages-Luigi-Cavalli-Sforza/dp/0520228731 http://www.amazon.com/Genes-Peoples-Languages-Luigi-Cavalli-...

Chris2048 10y ago
> Think about how the 'one-drop rule' still applies to whom considers themselves black. Does it? > there is a large body of scientific evidence that supports the fact that race makes little biological sense and is mostly a social construct Given the topic, I'd be skeptical - a large body of evidence might still not be conclusive. However, maybe a more relevant question is why it matters - you are what you might be perceived as, so far it might affect how you are treated.