Is race a scientifically-valid way to measure human diversity?
Race is the belief that people in the world can be grouped using biologically, physical features, social, and intellectual characteristics. However, social and natural scientists dismissed the belief terming it an unsound concept. Several aspects such as, geography, culture, politics, economics and science, which in a scientific view draws race from the genetic cues of human diversity influence d. According to Yudell (2011), race is an idea with a measurable past, identifiable present but uncertain future, hence; not a scientifically valid method of measuring human diversity.
Are races biologically meaningful categories?
Races are more of a biological term than it would be referred to the human race. Biological scientists define race as a geographically or phenotypic subspecific group consisting of individuals occupying a defined ecological region. Individuals have features that differentiate them from other groups making races biologically meaningful categories (Kaplan&Pigliucci, 2002).Controversy over Kennewick Man
Kennewick skull was discovered on the Columbia River near Kennewick in Washington in the northwestern United States. Initially, the archeologist discovery showed the man could have been European descent. However, on more exploration of the skull, the man seemed to belong to another tribe. The base of the controversy arose because the parties concerned wanted to know the tribe that of the man. It was further stipulated that most of phaleo Indian and archaic human skeleton found could neither be Indian nor European. It was further said that there were no clear-cut definitions of a race. Controversy arose because of people perception that someone must belong to a certain race (Ray, 2006). The concept of race was so influential in the U.S. because archeologists had to determine the specific race of Kennewick man's skills.
References
Yudell, M. (2011). A short history of the race concept. Race and the Genetic Revolution:
Science, Myth, and Culture.
Kaplan, J., & Pigliucci, M. (2002). On the concept of biological race and its applicability to
Humans. Knoxville: University of Tennessee.
Ray, A. (2006). Native American Identity and the Challenge of Kennewick Man. Temple Law
Review, 79, 89.
