The Myth of Race

doi:10.1007/978-1-4419-7576-8_1

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The Myth of Race

Published Oct 11, 2010 · J. M. Fish

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Abstract

This chapter divides the question What is race? into two questions. The first is How can we understand the variation in physical appearance among human beings? It is answered by reviewing evidence from evolutionary biology and biological anthropology that shows that the human species has no races in the biological sense. Physical appearance varies gradually around the planet; and more distant populations are more different from one another than closer ones. The second question is, How can we understand the kinds of racial classifications (folk taxonomies) applied to differences in physical appearance among human beings? The answer is provided by evidence from cultural anthropology and cross-cultural psychology, including the author's research comparing racial folk taxonomies in eight cultures. The concept of race varies widely from culture to culture, and cognate racial terms in different languages have different meanings.

Study Snapshot

The human species has no biological race, but racial classifications vary widely across cultures, with cognate terms in different languages having different meanings.

PopulationOlder adults (50-71 years)

Sample size24

MethodsObservational

OutcomesBody Mass Index projections

ResultsSocial networks mitigate obesity in older groups.

The Myth of Race

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