4 ms·

> Citation needed on “unquestionably a racist”. Race is a social category, not a genetic one, so his claim is ill-founded from the start. It is scientific con

by jolux 5y ago

> Citation needed on “unquestionably a racist”. Race is a social category, not a genetic one, so his claim is ill-founded from the start. It is scientific consensus that genetics does not explain variations in IQ between racial groups. I don't think evolutionary biology is racist, I think people who believe it supports racism are hiding their basic racism behind scientists who don't agree with them about the nature of race.

dcow 5y ago
Totally agree race is a social construct. There seem to be open questions which I wouldn't expect if there was strong consensus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Transracial_Adoption_Study https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Transracial_Adoption... There are a lot of “problems” with that study and my intention is not to imply anything by linking it. My point is simply that I don’t think it’s honest to say scientists everywhere agree case closed. I think a more accurate snapshot of the state of the art is: “the subject is incredibly difficult to study at all because we frankly don't really have a clue how the brain works. It seems there is a blend of both biological and social factors that contribute to a person’s perceived intellectual capacity. Whether any of those (genetic or social) factors are specific to a given race is essentially impossible to discern”.
- jolux 5y ago
  It’s perfectly conceivable that social factors contingent on race (and importantly income and wealth background too) could impact IQ though. That is a lot of the argument that racial differences in IQ do not describe biological differences. > Totally agree race is a social construct. Right, and if this is the case, then racial disparities in IQ are describing social differences, not genetic ones, because race is not genetic.

4 ms·

> Citation needed on “unquestionably a racist”. Race is a social category, not a genetic one, so his claim is ill-founded from the start. It is scientific con

by jolux 5y ago

dcow 5y ago
Totally agree race is a social construct. There seem to be open questions which I wouldn't expect if there was strong consensus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Transracial_Adoption_Study https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Transracial_Adoption... There are a lot of “problems” with that study and my intention is not to imply anything by linking it. My point is simply that I don’t think it’s honest to say scientists everywhere agree case closed. I think a more accurate snapshot of the state of the art is: “the subject is incredibly difficult to study at all because we frankly don't really have a clue how the brain works. It seems there is a blend of both biological and social factors that contribute to a person’s perceived intellectual capacity. Whether any of those (genetic or social) factors are specific to a given race is essentially impossible to discern”.
- jolux 5y ago
  It’s perfectly conceivable that social factors contingent on race (and importantly income and wealth background too) could impact IQ though. That is a lot of the argument that racial differences in IQ do not describe biological differences. > Totally agree race is a social construct. Right, and if this is the case, then racial disparities in IQ are describing social differences, not genetic ones, because race is not genetic.