How Real Is Race? A Sourcebook on Race, Culture, and Biology

Description

How real is race? What is biological fact, what is fiction, and where does culture enter? What do we mean by a “colorblind” or “postracial” society, or when we say that race is a “social construction”? If race is an invention, can we eliminate it? This book, now in its second edition, employs an activity-oriented approach to address these questions and engage readers in unraveling—and rethinking—the contradictory messages we so often hear about race. The authors systematically cover the myth of race as biology and the reality of race as a cultural invention, drawing on biocultural and cross-cultural perspectives. They then extend the discussion to hot-button issues that arise in tandem with the concept of race, such as educational inequalities; slurs and racialized labels; and interracial relationships. In so doing, they shed light on the intricate, dynamic interplay among race, culture, and biology. Foreword by James A. Banks Acknowledgments Introduction Part 1: The Fallacy of Race as Biology Introduction to Part 1 1 Why Contemporary Races Are Not Scientifically Valid 2 Human Biological Variation: What We Don’t See 3 If Not Race, How Do We Explain Biological Differences? 4 More Alike Than Different, More Different Than Alike Part 2: Culture Creates Race Introduction to Part 2 5 Culture Shapes How We Experience Reality 6 Culture and Classification: Race Is Culturally Real 7 Race and Inequality: Race as a Social Invention to Achieve Certain Goals 8 Cross-Cultural Overview of Race 9 If Race Doesn’t Exist, What Are We Seeing? Sex, Mating, and Race Part 3: Race and Hot-Button Issues in Schools Introduction to Part 3 10 When is it racism? Who is a racist? 11 The Academic Achievement Gap and Equity 12 Assemblies, Clubs, Slurs, and Racial Labels 13 Interracial Flirting and Dating in Schools Part 4: Resources References Key Websites (Annotated) List of Activities Index About the Authors Endorsements