Race
“Race” is a social construct, but the experience of racism is real
“‘Race’ is a socially constructed phenomenon, based on the erroneous assumption that physical differences such as skin colour, hair colour and texture, and facial [or other physical] features are related to intellectual, moral, or cultural superiority. The concept of race has no basis in biological reality and, as such, has no meaning independent of its social definitions” (Henry & Tator, 2006, p. 9).
“Race” Defined
Modern science has shown that there is no biological foundation to “race.” Physical differences between individuals and groups of individuals are genetically so minute that they are meaningless. What is “real” about race is the social meaning that we attribute to particular perceived differences and the political and economic forces that support these perceptions. In other words, what happens here is that we take these markers of “difference” (often unconsciously) and use them to form assumptions about an individual’s or group’s identity; these assumptions then feed into the way that we view, treat or behave around certain individuals. This occurs not only at the level of the individual, but on a macro-level as well. These misperceptions tend to show up in the form of overt or implicit bias, stereotyping, discrimination, racism or intolerance; while race may be a social construct, these experiences are real to racialized individuals, that is, for individuals who are “raced” or seen as having a race.
“Although the idea of “race” is a social construct with no biological essence, race continues to be enacted through racism and racialization, making it “real” through embodied experiences and systemic inequalities.” (Mah-Vierling, 2019, p. ii).
Where Did “Race” Come From?
During the Age of Exploration, European Imperialism sought to expand their scope of power and influence through colonization. Imperialism relied heavily on the false notion that white-skinned people were intellectually, morally and culturally superior. The idea of race was thus produced by white individuals in positions of political and economic power; this ideology created a hierarchy of “value” according (primarily) to skin colour, however, geographical location, language, facial features, hair colour/texture, height, and other assumed features of identity did enter into this system. This ideology justified genocide as well as the enslavement and dispossession of people of colour and Indigenous peoples which was necessary for European expansion. Not surprisingly, in Western/European history, white individuals were/are located at the top of this “hierarchy,” occupying the position of “ideal” or “the norm,” with “others” lower on the list presented as deviations from (or less than) this ideal/norm. The CRRF succinctly summarizes “race” and its origin as follows:
“Modern scholarship views racial categories as socially constructed, that is, race is not intrinsic to human beings but rather an identity created, often by socially dominant groups, to establish meaning in a social context. This often involves the subjugation of groups defined as racially inferior, as in the one-drop rule used in the 19th-century United States to exclude those with any amount of African ancestry from the dominant racial grouping, defined as “white”. Such racial identities reflect the cultural attitudes of imperial powers dominant during the age of European colonial expansion. This view rejects the notion that race is biologically defined” (Canadian Race Relations Foundation, Retrieved 12/1/20).
While it is easy to say that we no longer abide by Eurocentric thinking, these values do remain engrained in our society, usually in implicit ways. It is our intention that in doing the work of anti-racism, these systems become visible to you and that you become more able to speak up or act against them.
↳ Continue to Racialization to learn how “race” functions as an active process
References:
Ashcroft, B., Griffiths, G., & Tiffin, H. (2002). The empire writes back: theory and practice in post-colonial literatures (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
Henry, F., & Tator, C. (2006). The colour of democracy: Racism in Canadian society. 3rd Ed. Toronto, ON: Nelson.
Mah-Vierling, J. (2019). Mixed Race Asian Subjectivities and Genres of the Self. U of C.
Omi, M., & Winant, H. (1994). Racial formation in the United States: From the 1960s to the 1980s (Second Edition). New York: Routledge.