SOCY 1021 Lecture 1: Week 1
Document Summary
Still an issue on many levels of society (as evidenced by racial profiling, gerrymandering, redlining, etc. ) Continual collection avoids whitewashing of history or erasure of collected data. Skin color varies due to melanin content as determined by exposure to the elements and biological evolution. Used as a social marker and basis for segregation (not strictly biological) Race and ethnicity as dependent on cultural contexts (time and place) Inaccurate representations and caricatures dehumanize the people they portray (ie. the tequila tasting anecdote with large sombreros) Importance of context and consequences in terms of representation. Census questions as boxing in identities of minorities (data as a means of control) Race as identified by cues and physical characteristics. A human group defined by itself or others as distinct by virtue of perceived common physical characteristics that are held to be inherent (cornell & hartmann)
